LLL3D

Paper Review:
Sun Services White Paper January 2008
Current Reality and Future Vision: Open Virtual Worlds

         For some time now the lack of a more general overview to work together with the more detailed considerations of emerging MUVE technologies has impacted upon the ability of researchers and designers to consider the place of 3D worlds in the field at present. Sun Microsystems has attempted to fill this gap with this white paper, a short and to the point description of the technology as it exists now, what they see to be the needs of the technology to progress in the future, and their predictions for MUVEs over the next few years. The paper does at no point go into details or back up these claims, but as this is a general outline of their views this is not necessarily a negative factor. However there are, I would argue, a number of more pressing issues concerning their views and the paper itself to which I will return later.
         The paper opens with a definition of what MUVEs (or as they describe them here Open Virtual Worlds)are and then makes the step to consider the similarities between the different available worlds. The point is made clearly and repeatedly that what we see currently are only the very first minor steps into a field that could be as complex and varied as the 2D web is growing to be today. Once these definitions are set in place the paper moves on to describe current purposes of such technologies and where Sun believes the technology in general is headed and what would be required of it to fulfill this future. The last section of the paper is an in depth description of Sun’s own Open Virtual World systems Project Wonderland and Project Darkstar. I will return to this in a moment.
         The primary focus of the paper in terms of theme is somewhat of an expectation for a company with a reputation like Sun’s, and the most commonly discussed feature of the white paper is interoperability and cross-platform accessibility. They are clearly very concerned with open standards and open source software, both of which are described as integral to the success of a true 3D web (a non-centralized collection of Open Virtual Worlds which allow quick switching between areas). Sun describes the envisioned end result as MUVEs as planets in a whole galaxy of OVWs. Though the concentration on this aspect is unsurprising that does not mean that it is not significant, and their brief arguments for the importance of open IT standards are hard to refute when the nature of the technology is considered.
         The biggest problem with the paper from an academic viewpoint is, perhaps, the inclusion of what feels a like a sales brochure at the end of the paper. They discuss Project Darkstar in considerable detail, even going to far as to give specification of tools that are available within it. This promotion of their own product cannot be ignored and does throw some of the conclusions made elsewhere in the paper in to doubt due to the strong possibility of bias. Darkstar, according to Sun, fits their concept of what needs to be done in the technology extremely well, and though it is likely that they drew up a list of needs for the project and them merely built the software to specification, there is no guarantee this paper wasn’t written merely as a careful marketing exercise. The fact that there are no (to repeat no) justifications for any of their conclusions, statements of beliefs makes this even more worrying. At no stage are the thought processes described, instead leaving the reader with a collection of conclusions. The references at the end of the document, whilst interesting, are not linked into the document and cannot be taken as supporting evidence
for any of the points presented.
         The paper then raises some interesting points and describes the technology of MUVEs in a way that I suspect will be familiar to many people working within the field. However, with the blatant self-promotion and the complete lack of evidence and sources this paper remains interesting but not useful, and introduces nothing of particular significance to the arguments or debates that are going on about the future of the technology.  As a statement of Sun’s intentions it is useful, but beyond that lacks any credibility. It is, as it stands, highly unlikely to sway and skeptics towards Sun’s way of thinking.

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Darkstar, MUVE, Open Virtual Worlds, Review, Sun Microsystems