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I still can't believe the Metaverse is the core strategy of a major global corporation. I've been deep in technology my entire life and I honestly couldn't even

I still can't believe the Metaverse is the core strategy of a major global corporation. I've been deep in technology my entire life and I honestly couldn't even tell you what the Metaverse is. I can talk all day long about AI or crypto or online gaming or how to build web apps but gun to my head, I could not give even a rough definition of what the metaverse is or is supposed to be.

krapp 4y ago
Have you tried googling it?
- croes 4y ago
  Which of the dozens of definitions is the right one?
  - krapp 4y ago
    I'm not aware of dozens of definitions, at least not which apply to the context of this particular thread. Maybe you should start at the Wikipedia page[0] for what is commonly accepted as the general definition. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaverse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaverse
    - standardUser 4y ago
      Based on what I just read, I think it would take significant effort to outline the precise differences between the Metaverse and the Internet. Kind of like "Web 2.0" which was just a bizarre way of saying "The internet, but it has changed gradually over time, as most thing do", as if we needed to be reminded that technologies are not eternally static.
    - croes 4y ago
      It's a buzzword that is used for multiple similar things without a clear definition: "Broadly speaking, the technologies companies refer to when they talk about “the metaverse” can include virtual reality—characterized by persistent virtual worlds that continue to exist even when you're not playing—as well as augmented reality that combines aspects of the digital and physical worlds. However, it doesn't require that those spaces be exclusively accessed via VR or AR. Virtual worlds—such as aspects of Fortnite that can be accessed through PCs, game consoles, and even phones—have started referring to themselves as “the metaverse.” Many companies that have hopped on board the metaverse bandwagon also envision some sort of new digital economy, where users can create, buy, and sell goods. In the more idealistic visions of the metaverse, it's interoperable, allowing you to take virtual items like clothes or cars from one platform to another, though this is harder than it sounds" https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-the-metaverse/ https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-the-metaverse/
- standardUser 4y ago
  I guess I don't often google things that have zero bearing on my life. I'm not even sure if the Metaverse exists, or is it some kind of proposal? I keep waiting around for it to matter enough that I have no choice but to know something about it (as has happened with a dozen other technologies since the metaverse was announced, with no special effort on my part).
  - krapp 4y ago
    I just don't know why, if it has zero bearing on your life and you never even bothered to put forth even minimal effort towards understanding it, you would even bother to comment about it. Like, who goes out of their way to boast about how little they care about something? I mean, you at least knew what "metaverse" meant a year ago[0]. What happened? [0]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30151069 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30151069
    - standardUser 4y ago
      Haha, ok, I both admire and am creeped out by your thoroughness! That was my take on the Metaverse when I first came across it, based on what little I had gleaned at that point. The situation now is, I have gleaned nothing new despite seeing many headlines and references. And I assumed that my initial take - that the Metaverse is a avatar-based chatroom like the kind that have been around for 30 years - is simply too absurd to be on the mark.
    - standardUser 4y ago
      As for boasting about something I don't care about, it comes back to what I implied in my original comment. One of the largest and most influential global corporations seems to have pivoted their entire business strategy towards something that, as of today, does not exist, is ill-defined, and is not even widely understood (or cared about) by people who work in technology. That, to me, is fucking crazy. And I suppose I was hoping someone would take umbrage at my comment and proceed educate me as to why it might not be completely fucking crazy. So far, no one has (they've taken umbrage, just not offered any reason for me to think my initial take isn't exactly right).
gardenhedge 4y ago
> I've been deep in technology my entire life > gun to my head, I could not give even a rough definition of what the metaverse is or is supposed to be I don't think you're as deep as you think you are then. Come on give it a try - what is the metaverse?
- standardUser 4y ago
  Based on my discussions in this thread, maybe I've learned a little more! First and foremost, I believe that the Metaverse is something that does not exist and is mostly corporate jargon. I don't think I can "log on to" or "download" Meta's Metaverse at this point in time. I believe it is intended to be a 3D, avatar-based chatroom, presumably with some yet-to-be-defined killer feature that is intended to differentiate it from the kind of avatar-based chatrooms that have existed for a generation. Am I close?
  - gardenhedge 4y ago
    Here's how I would sum it up: A virtual space that allows users to interact with each other
    - standardUser 4y ago
      Yeah, we call that the internet. Been around a while now!

krapp 4y ago

Have you tried googling it?

croes 4y ago
Which of the dozens of definitions is the right one?
- krapp 4y ago
  I'm not aware of dozens of definitions, at least not which apply to the context of this particular thread. Maybe you should start at the Wikipedia page[0] for what is commonly accepted as the general definition. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaverse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaverse
  - standardUser 4y ago
    Based on what I just read, I think it would take significant effort to outline the precise differences between the Metaverse and the Internet. Kind of like "Web 2.0" which was just a bizarre way of saying "The internet, but it has changed gradually over time, as most thing do", as if we needed to be reminded that technologies are not eternally static.
  - croes 4y ago
    It's a buzzword that is used for multiple similar things without a clear definition: "Broadly speaking, the technologies companies refer to when they talk about “the metaverse” can include virtual reality—characterized by persistent virtual worlds that continue to exist even when you're not playing—as well as augmented reality that combines aspects of the digital and physical worlds. However, it doesn't require that those spaces be exclusively accessed via VR or AR. Virtual worlds—such as aspects of Fortnite that can be accessed through PCs, game consoles, and even phones—have started referring to themselves as “the metaverse.” Many companies that have hopped on board the metaverse bandwagon also envision some sort of new digital economy, where users can create, buy, and sell goods. In the more idealistic visions of the metaverse, it's interoperable, allowing you to take virtual items like clothes or cars from one platform to another, though this is harder than it sounds" https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-the-metaverse/ https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-the-metaverse/
standardUser 4y ago
I guess I don't often google things that have zero bearing on my life. I'm not even sure if the Metaverse exists, or is it some kind of proposal? I keep waiting around for it to matter enough that I have no choice but to know something about it (as has happened with a dozen other technologies since the metaverse was announced, with no special effort on my part).
- krapp 4y ago
  I just don't know why, if it has zero bearing on your life and you never even bothered to put forth even minimal effort towards understanding it, you would even bother to comment about it. Like, who goes out of their way to boast about how little they care about something? I mean, you at least knew what "metaverse" meant a year ago[0]. What happened? [0]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30151069 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30151069
  - standardUser 4y ago
    Haha, ok, I both admire and am creeped out by your thoroughness! That was my take on the Metaverse when I first came across it, based on what little I had gleaned at that point. The situation now is, I have gleaned nothing new despite seeing many headlines and references. And I assumed that my initial take - that the Metaverse is a avatar-based chatroom like the kind that have been around for 30 years - is simply too absurd to be on the mark.
  - standardUser 4y ago
    As for boasting about something I don't care about, it comes back to what I implied in my original comment. One of the largest and most influential global corporations seems to have pivoted their entire business strategy towards something that, as of today, does not exist, is ill-defined, and is not even widely understood (or cared about) by people who work in technology. That, to me, is fucking crazy. And I suppose I was hoping someone would take umbrage at my comment and proceed educate me as to why it might not be completely fucking crazy. So far, no one has (they've taken umbrage, just not offered any reason for me to think my initial take isn't exactly right).

gardenhedge 4y ago

> I've been deep in technology my entire life > gun to my head, I could not give even a rough definition of what the metaverse is or is supposed to be I don't think you're as deep as you think you are then. Come on give it a try - what is the metaverse?

standardUser 4y ago
Based on my discussions in this thread, maybe I've learned a little more! First and foremost, I believe that the Metaverse is something that does not exist and is mostly corporate jargon. I don't think I can "log on to" or "download" Meta's Metaverse at this point in time. I believe it is intended to be a 3D, avatar-based chatroom, presumably with some yet-to-be-defined killer feature that is intended to differentiate it from the kind of avatar-based chatrooms that have existed for a generation. Am I close?
- gardenhedge 4y ago
  Here's how I would sum it up: A virtual space that allows users to interact with each other
  - standardUser 4y ago
    Yeah, we call that the internet. Been around a while now!