HackMDSHILLR Space 8-1-24
Link: https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1OdKrXrqaXwJX
Summary
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Early Experiences and Background:
- Jin grew up with early access to computers, becoming digitally native
- Self-taught in coding, modding, and hacking
- Influenced by early web experiences and MMO communities
- No formal education in tech; learned through libraries and online resources
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Digital Identity and Online Presence:
- Operates pseudonymously online
- Emphasizes the importance of anonymity in creating digital identities
- Works extensively in virtual spaces across multiple platforms
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M3: Metaverse Makers:
- Community of creators and developers working on open metaverse technologies
- Focuses on knowledge sharing, experimental projects, and standards development
- Organizes virtual meetups and field trips to explore different platforms
- Emphasizes "dogfooding" - using the technologies they develop
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Open Source and Permissionless Innovation:
- Advocates for open-source development to foster innovation
- Believes in composability and interoperability of digital assets
- Aims to create tools and standards that benefit the entire ecosystem
- Emphasizes the importance of documentation and working in public
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Internet Cinematic Universe (ICU):
- Concept of an interconnected digital universe across platforms
- Inspired by crossovers in popular media (e.g., Fortnite, Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Focuses on bottom-up creation and community-driven narratives
- Explores ways to bring different IPs and characters into a shared space
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WebXR and Immersive Technologies:
- Explains WebXR as a browser API for immersive experiences
- Discusses the spectrum of XR technologies (AR, MR, VR)
- Emphasizes the potential of web-based XR for accessibility and ease of use
- Explores optimization techniques for better performance in WebXR
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Avatar Interoperability and Digital Assets:
- Works on VRM projects for cross-platform avatar compatibility
- Develops tools for optimizing and converting 3D assets
- Emphasizes the importance of file formats and standards for interoperability
- Explores ways to make digital assets more durable and portable
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AI and the Metaverse:
- Discusses potential roles of AI in creating NPCs, companions, and dynamic content
- Explores AI-assisted content creation and curation
- Mentions work on generating training data for AI models using VRM avatars
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Digital Preservation and Archiving:
- Emphasizes the importance of preserving digital assets and experiences
- Works on projects like OpenVoxels to archive and preserve virtual worlds
- Advocates for local storage and hard copies of digital files
- Explores parallels with torrenting for decentralized preservation
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Curation and Digital Gardens:
- Discusses the need for better tools to curate and organize digital content
- Explores concepts of digital gardens and memory palaces in virtual spaces
- Advocates for slower, more deliberate content consumption and organization
- Works on projects to visualize connections between virtual worlds and content
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Funding and Sustainability:
- Discusses challenges of sustaining independent research and development
- Explores various funding models, including DAOs, grants, and NFT projects
- Emphasizes the importance of aligning incentives for supporters and creators
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Future Projects and Vision:
- Mentions upcoming releases of avatar and wearable projects
- Explores ideas for virtual expos and cross-platform experiences
- Continues work on tools for digital preservation and content creation
- Aims to blur the line between research and art in virtual spaces
Overall Analysis
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Interoperability is Key: A recurring theme is the need for standards and technologies that allow seamless movement of assets and identities across platforms. This is seen as crucial for creating a truly open and accessible metaverse.
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Preservation and Ownership: There's a strong emphasis on ensuring that digital assets and experiences can be preserved long-term, with users having true ownership and control over their data.
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Bottom-up Creation: The vision for the open metaverse is one where communities and individual creators have the power to shape the digital landscape, rather than it being dictated by large corporations.
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Balancing Innovation and Accessibility: There's a constant consideration of how to push technological boundaries while ensuring that the metaverse remains accessible to a wide range of users and devices.
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Cross-disciplinary Approach: Building the open metaverse requires a blend of technical skills, artistic creativity, and philosophical considerations about digital existence and identity.
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Open Source Ethos: The importance of open-source development and knowledge sharing is emphasized as a way to accelerate innovation and ensure a more equitable digital future.
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Experimentation and Documentation: There's a strong focus on trying new ideas, documenting the process, and sharing learnings with the community.
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Sustainability Challenges: The conversation highlights the difficulties of sustaining independent research and development in this space, pointing to the need for new funding models and community support structures.
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Bridging Virtual and Physical: While much of the focus is on digital spaces, there's also consideration of how these technologies can enhance or complement physical experiences.
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Long-term Vision: The work being done is not just about creating immediate applications, but about laying the groundwork for a more open, accessible, and user-empowering digital future.
Quotes
On the Internet Cinematic Universe (ICU):
"The Internet Cinematic Universe is the one that we're all occupying, the one that we live, work, and play in, and the one that we bring our characters and our things into and create stories from the bottom up."
On open source development:
"When we create stuff, we create stuff with the kind of intent to be a rising tide to lift all boats."
On digital preservation:
"I want to find ways that our content can exist not just on cryptovoxels.com, but it's like, you can sort of take your parcel with you. And it can even be a standalone experience or home space on on your own website."
On digital curation:
"I'm looking for ways to find easy workflows for people to curate into their own digital gardens so that they can have a place to share and talk about their collections."
On the importance of file formats: "I'm just trying to find ways where our digital assets can be more durable and interoperable."
On the potential of WebXR:
"WebXR, it pertains mainly to this API where browsers can talk to headsets to essentially kind of without any download, you can enter an immersive mode, whether it's augmented reality or virtual reality."
On his approach to development:
"Everything I'm trying to do I'm trying to do in a way that I can figure out these templates that other people can, you know, fork and use for whatever."
