[wsfii-discuss] we're forgetting 3d

Wed Oct 19 02:53:33 UTC 2005

On 18/10/05, Michael Lenczner <mlenczner at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I would really appreciate any comments/thoughts any of you might have
> on this.  As I said, I'm not 100% convinced that I'm right about this
> - but you all are probably some of the best people in world to ask.
>

You already know about Croquet.  Looking at the newspage (
http://croquetproject.org/Newsroom/newsroom.html ) and the lead
architect's blog  ( http://croqueteer.blogspot.com/ ) it appears that
ongoing work is happening with it but support particularly in the form
of funding is required.

One key issue with Croquet which is probably stopping it from being
more widely known and supported by free software developers is that
the license for the underlying Squeak software is insufficiently free
to allow inclusion in key Linux distributions such as Debian and
Ubuntu.  Getting that license fixed will be difficult and requires
getting the likes of Apple and Disney to change the license.  A blog
post touching on this topic is at
http://www.eschoolnews.com/eti/2005/09/001173.php

An alternative open source immersive (but no 3d yet) peer to peer
environment is Solipsis which can be found at
http://solipsis.netofpeers.net/wiki2/index.php/Main_Page
It doesn't have the same sort of brain trust working on it as Croquet
does, OTOH it is not encumbered by the same sort of licensing issues
faced by Croquet.

Recommendations: support efforts to fix the Squeak License and support
Solipsis by participating in its community as users and developers. 
If the Solipsis community gets big enough, sooner or later someone
will add 3d capabilities to it.
One interesting possibility is to build both a WorldForge client and
server into the Solipsis node.

--
Mamading Ceesay

"Isn't a state that keeps files on innocent persons a police state?"
-- David Mery - Innocent In London http://gizmonaut.net/bits/suspect.html
 Radio Interview with David Mery
http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2005/09/6963.php