Discussions on approaching *the* metaverse

# Current State of Discussions ## Summary of Topics as of February 19 2025 ### Introduction The notes below reflect discussions and ideas/thoughts related to defining, designing, and creating a metaverse we collectively want to see. Sections covered include the following: 1. What deep questions are there about the metaverse? 2. How did we arrive to these questions and considerations? 3. What are specific ways in which we can explore and resolve these? A primary discovery found during the discussion is that before we can answer how best to design for the users in the metaverse, we must align what the metaverse is. ### Primary questions being discussed: * Ideating on how to design spaces to maximus the value of interactions between people within virtual worlds? * Aligning on what the metaverse is in each person's mind? * How to reconcile the potentialy need to support many different digital platforms and experiences? * Exploring the best ways to identify and stipulate standards/minimums needed to support a metaverse/virtual experiences while avoiding yet another net new format/standard? * How best to coordinate and collaborate with people to achieve alignment and expression of open standards (frameworks) that others can follow? (ie. the elephant in the room: https://discord.com/channels/887789163045335081/887789163045335086/1340620750104825918) * What makes reality work now for people and how can we expand this with virtual worlds that can also dynamically adapt to dyanmic users and fluid interactions in the space? * What feelings and emotions must be considered and approached carefully to support experiencing virtual worlds? ### Chat Historical Summary * On a metaverse platform discord, a conversation started that touched upon how to best design a world to support users from a variety of backgrounds and experience. This conversation started during a contest to build homes in an open sandbox. General chaos of where buildings were placed and how disconnected they were brought the concepts of better urban designs into focus. * This conversation evolved and was shared on the Open Metaverse Institute server where the concept of "psychogeography" was highlighted as an emerging area of study that is relevant to designing a metaverse. General consensus from participants is that the human is a complex being that, although adapted to 3d environments, require a thoughtful approach and care when designing an immersive digital experience (in the metaverse). * The discussion quickly jumped into defining and attempting to align on what the metaverse constitutes. The vast majority of opinions diverge on the nuances of defining the metaverse, this is likely an area where most focus could be placed to help ensure future participants are aligned with the intended vision of a shared open metaverse. * 1) A branch in the conversation focused on the human elements of the 3d experience and how to adequately support + translate these into virtual experiences. An example includes on the topic of virtual avatars and whether they could be much more dynamic in nature as opposed to a relatively static definition similar to the physical body and how an avatar can also be a metaverse world. * 2) Another branch started to cover how better to coordinate and represent complex thoughts and share them for alignment and build material for educating broader audiences. * 3) The latter branch focused on helping define basic rules or standards for metaverse worlds * And the main branch of conversation continued on picking apart where there is alignment needed and general purpose (ex. to give people tools to create their own digital universe) * As well as touching upon the current restrictions that have to be worked from as a starting point (ex. mega tech corps with their own stacks, web2 rigidity, people's experience with virtual worlds, etc). * Moving into metaphysical concepts to distill what an experience is to the mind and connecting that into what the metaverse would be capable of supporting eventually. ### Activities to further this discussion * Aligning on the vision of the metaverse through education and compiling of ideas/thoughts/standards * Exploring what essential elements are needed for a self to succeed in a metaverse paradigm (leaning into human psychology) * Exploring actual current use cases and finding new ideas/research in new applications of virtual realities * Related to aligning on the metaverse is understanding how different input technologies affect a virtual experience (ex. browser+keyboard/mouse vs. headset+haptic feedback controllers) # Various Summaries as of February 15 2025 Below are summaries from various perspectives on the initial discussions. These notes are meant to help catalog and sync discussions between several users participating in those discussions. ## Maximus Summary ### Problem Statement: - Establishing and defining what constitutes the Metaverse as a universally cohesive digital space that transcends physical reality. - Ensuring consistent identity, perspectives, and experiences within such an expansive shared virtual environment. - Balancing individual creativity with structured design to create immersive but purposeful spaces in the proposed infinite Metaverse. ### Why tackle the problem: - Participants aim for a deeper understanding of how diverse perspectives can coalesce into one unified digital experience (TheMattEmpire) - Addressing standardization versus personal expression within virtual identities and experiences, as suggested by Bunny Queen. - Develop methods to maintain immersion while allowing the evolutionary nature of human creativity in a shared space like Minecraft's infinite possibilities model is considered for inspiration (TheMattEmpire). ### Major pillars: - Consensus on fundamental elements that depict experiences within Metaverse. - Agreement about personalizing and standardization aspects needed to create or represent self in the virtual world, including meme sharing/expression of desires & struggles (Bunny Queen). - Logical structure required for maintaining coherence without losing detail over vast digital spaces as hinted by one suggestion toward logical representation. ### Areas of agreement: - There is general enthusiasm about the potential and scope of what a Metaverse could offer, with everyone recognizing its boundless possibilities (multiple participants). - Recognition that perspectives are key to creating immersive experiences in such an expansive virtual world. ### Areas of disagreement: - Bunny Queen's depiction seems more focused on the personal, imaginative aspect vs TheMattEmpire’s emphasis is potentially more functional and structured (i.e., "ultimate shovel and pickaxe store" analogy). There might be a divergence between wanting an open-ended exploration versus seeking to create specific tools or purposes for the Metaverse. ### Potential next steps: - Refine what elements are fundamental, as per Bunny Queen’s metaphorical approach (looseness vs structure/logic). - Engage in further dialogue about finding a balance between individual creativity and structured design to fulfill both entertainment potential ("Minecraft") while adding meaningful goals. - Explore how different user contributions can coalesce into shared experiences without losing one's unique perspective, as well as the technical aspects of creating such an environment (logical structure for depiction). - Consider establishing working groups or collaborative projects aimed at design and development that incorporate these viewpoints. It could involve: - Logic workshops to decide on core functionalities versus creative liberties in a Metaverse setting with specific use cases like Bunny Queen's vision of infinite possibilities, possibly mirroring something from Minecraft’s appeal for creation without losing essence as TheMattEmpire suggests. - Research and propose potential funding or resource allocation frameworks that can support the development of different aspects (creative vs technical) in an evolving shared space which may address concerns around time investment raised by one participant regarding architecture with purposeful solutions ("No one wants to invest without a clear goal"). ## phi3.5 Summary ### Problem Statement: - Establishing and defining what constitutes the Metaverse as a universally cohesive digital space that transcends physical reality. - Ensuring consistent identity, perspectives, and experiences within such an expansive shared virtual environment. - Balancing individual creativity with structured design to create immersive but purposeful spaces in the proposed infinite Metaverse. ### Why tackle the problem: - Participants aim for a deeper understanding of how diverse perspectives can coalesce into one unified digital experience (TheMattEmpire) - Addressing standardization versus personal expression within virtual identities and experiences, as suggested by Bunny Queen. - Develop methods to maintain immersion while allowing the evolutionary nature of human creativity in a shared space like Minecraft's infinite possibilities model is considered for inspiration (TheMattEmpire). ### Major pillars: - Consensus on fundamental elements that depict experiences within Metaverse. - Agreement about personalizing and standardization aspects needed to create or represent self in the virtual world, including meme sharing/expression of desires & struggles (Bunny Queen). - Logical structure required for maintaining coherence without losing detail over vast digital spaces as hinted by one suggestion toward logical representation. ### Areas of agreement: - There is general enthusiasm about the potential and scope of what a Metaverse could offer, with everyone recognizing its boundless possibilities (multiple participants). - Recognition that perspectives are key to creating immersive experiences in such an expansive virtual world. ### Areas of disagreement: - Bunny Queen's depiction seems more focused on the personal, imaginative aspect vs TheMattEmpire’s emphasis is potentially more functional and structured (i.e., "ultimate shovel and pickaxe store" analogy). There might be a divergence between wanting an open-ended exploration versus seeking to create specific tools or purposes for the Metaverse. ### Potential next steps: - Refine what elements are fundamental, as per Bunny Queen’s metaphorical approach (looseness vs structure/logic). - Engage in further dialogue about finding a balance between individual creativity and structured design to fulfill both entertainment potential ("Minecraft") while adding meaningful goals. - Explore how different user contributions can coalesce into shared experiences without losing one's unique perspective, as well as the technical aspects of creating such an environment (logical structure for depiction). - Consider establishing working groups or collaborative projects aimed at design and development that incorporate these viewpoints. It could involve: - Logic workshops to decide on core functionalities versus creative liberties in a Metaverse setting with specific use cases like Bunny Queen's vision of infinite possibilities, possibly mirroring something from Minecraft’s appeal for creation without losing essence as TheMattEmpire suggests. - Research and propose potential funding or resource allocation frameworks that can support the development of different aspects (creative vs technical) in an evolving shared space which may address concerns around time investment raised by one participant regarding architecture with purposeful solutions ("No one wants to invest without a clear goal"). - ## Deepseek r1 7b Summary ### Problem Statement The primary problem being addressed is creating a seamless, interconnected metaverse where users can experience diverse virtual worlds without discrepancies in their perception of themselves and others. The challenge lies in ensuring psychological consistency across different 'worlds' and fostering understanding among individuals with varied biological traits. --- ### Why Tackle the Problem 1. **Immersive Experiences**: Solving this problem could enhance immersive interactions for users. 2. **Cultural Understanding**: It would foster cross-cultural understanding through virtual interactions. 3. **Attracting Investment**: A cohesive metaverse could attract significant investment and create a new industry. 4. **Personal Growth**: Addressing discrepancies in virtual identities could lead to personal growth and self-awareness. -- ### Major Pillars 1. **Address Perceptions Discrepancies**: Ensure users perceive the same reality across different virtual worlds. 2. **Create Seamless Connections**: Develop structures that allow easy navigation between 'worlds.' 3. **Psychological Consistency**: Establish laws ensuring all experiences are psychologically consistent. 4. **Diverse Communities**: Allow for varied community formations based on biological differences. 5. **Universal Laws**: Implement updated commandments to promote understanding and cooperation. --- ### Areas of Agreement/Disagreement 1. **Agreement**: - The metaverse should be an interconnected space where users can coexist harmoniously. - Psychological consistency across all experiences is crucial for a unified experience. 2. **Disagreement**: - Some argue that utopias should not imply universal sameness among people. - Biological differences may influence community formation. --- ### Potential Next Steps 1. **Common Interface Development**: Work towards defining a universal interface for all platforms to reduce discrepancies. 2. **Reducing Discrepancies**: Explore architectural principles or design methods to minimize user experience variations. 3. **Universal Laws Implementation**: Develop and implement updated laws to promote understanding and cooperation. ## Gemma2 Summary ### Problem Statement * Defining and understanding the Metaverse, particularly how human perception and experience factor into its design. * Figuring out how to create a consistent and meaningful Metaverse experience across diverse individual perceptions and interpretations. ### Why Tackle the Problem * To build a successful and immersive Metaverse that resonates with users. * To ensure the Metaverse is inclusive and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of their individual experiences and understanding. * To establish foundational principles and best practices for Metaverse development. ### Major Pillars * **Human Perception:** Understanding how individual brains process information and experience the world differently. * **Shared Reality:** Creating a sense of common ground and shared experience within a virtual environment where perceptions can vary. * **API Analogy:** Exploring how basic human responses (like fear or curiosity) can be leveraged to create engaging and meaningful Metaverse experiences. * **Emotional Design:** Considering the role of emotions in shaping user experiences within the Metaverse and how to design for both positive and potentially challenging emotional states. ### Areas of Agreement/Disagreement * **Agreement:** The need to consider individual perceptions and experiences when designing the Metaverse. * **Disagreement:** The best way to approach incorporating diverse perceptions into a shared virtual reality. Some might favor strict rules or guidelines, while others lean towards more flexible frameworks that allow for greater user agency and interpretation. ### Potential Next Steps * **Further Research:** Delve deeper into neuroscience and psychology to better understand how the human brain processes information and experiences virtual environments. * **Prototyping and Testing:** Create prototypes of Metaverse experiences that explore different approaches to handling diverse perceptions and gather feedback from users. * **Collaborative Design:** Encourage open dialogue and collaboration between developers, designers, researchers, and users to build a more inclusive and representative Metaverse. * **Ethical Considerations:** Engage in ongoing discussions about the ethical implications of designing virtual worlds that can influence human emotions and behavior.