The Respect Parameter in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Both VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) have the capacity for users to create persistent content. As we move forward along the development cycle it will be only natural for this content to be shared across client software. Thus, allowing one user to view/experience the content created by another user.

This sharing of content across the user-user barrier can either be a wild west circus where everything and anything goes. Or, it will be controlled by a managed system of permissions.

One of the parameters used in the permission system will be Respect. This Respect parameter will most likely be applied in several layers.

  • Personal Respect — based on personal experience and personal judgement.
  • Circle Respect — based on the compiled respect of others in one’s circles.
  • Consensus Respect — based on the respect that one earns from the consensus of users.

Obviously these layers will have a highly nuanced structure. For example, Personal Respect can be anticipated by AI, but there will need to be an overriding contribution from a users manual selection.

The permission system will form the AR world a user experiences by accepting, modifying, and/or rejecting creative content generated by other users.

If a user happened to source highly sexual content, then one’s permission system can ignore and block such content. Or, a user can choose to have all sexualized phallus graphics converted into a singing bass fish through the use of content filters.

As any gamer serious RPG player can tell you, there will be a need for multiple profiles. That’s one of the big failings with FB — no profiles. With AR it will be necessary to have profiles defined for work, family, home, street, partying, etc.

I can see a Java type class system of profiles so that a parent sub-profile can be used as a basis for several super profiles giving ease of edit on various levels.

But, … there is always a but. Since the vendors of social media have agendas and an abiding need to make disgraceful amounts of money there will be content pushed to the client software for which the users have little or no say in the permissions. Can you block ads on FB? So fully expect to see an ad for anti-aging creme promoted on the face of your partner by showing a half and half before and after. 

I fully expect AR to come with a very heavy price tag. That price will either be suffering through the junk that is pushed down to your client viewer. Or, that price will be the effort required to work within an open source clan of one sort or another.