Multi-user Virtual Environments
Publications and presentations
A conversation with Yoshi and Gregor at schMOOze University, circa 1996
Yoshi asks, "have you begun plannning
the demo at tesol yet?"
Colega grins.
Gregor laughs. "Begun, yes."
You say, "Yes. I get to rant
on about pedagogy, they do the hard part demonstrating it."
Gregor says, "We're worried about
our tech setup...we didn't get what we asked for."
Yoshi jumps up and down and exclaims,
"earthquake here!!!"
Gregor [to Yoshi]: We proposed a
hands-on workshop in a lab....but there is no lab. :o(
Yoshi says, "and its terrible too."
Gregor [to Yoshi]: Are you serious!?
Yoshi nods.
Gregor helps Yoshi hold onto his
computer!
You ask, "Are you okay?"
Yoshi says, "yes."
Gregor's eyes widen!
Gregor can't believe he and Colega
are "witnessing" this!
Yoshi says, "sorry to interrupt.
please go on."
Gregor laughs out loud!
You exclaim, "Yoshi!"
Gregor exclaims, "Sorry to interrupt?!?!?!?!
Ha ha ha ha!"
Yoshi asks, "what?"
Colega [to Yoshi]: You're incredible!
Yoshi asks, "what's so funny about
it? my language?"
Colega exclaims, "Such calm! Such
composure!"
Gregor exclaims, "I think an earthquake
is well worth interrupting a chat about our stupid presentation!!!
Hee hee!"
Yoshi smiles.
Gregor grins at Yoshi, shaking his
head in amazement.
Colega stares, open-mouthed, at
the screen.
Yoshi says, "every time when there's
an earthquake, I feel as if it's the end of my real life."
Yoshi exclaims, "but i'd rather
be in that situation while I'm mooing here!"
Yoshi laughs out.
Gregor exclaims, "Colorado has no
earthquakes you can feel... I have only felt one tiny tremor in my life,
when I was maybe 5 years old. When I think of earthquakes, I think of San
Fran and Kobe... I'm not so calm about it!"
Yoshi says, "we have several of
them a year here."
Gregor exclaims, "I know...I can't
imagine!"
Yoshi says, "and I hear it's one
of the very first thing that frightens people from other countries without
it."
Yoshi says, "so,...do you have at
least ethernet line from the local net? if you want me to, I can
bring some 8-port hubs there."
Gregor says, "Here in Colorado,
the earth seems very solid... with the mountains thrusting out
of the plains, it's as if we can see the bones of the earth...when
I see earthquakes on TV, it's as if there is nothing solid in the world."
Gregor says, "Hee hee! Back to business."
"MOO!" - Holstein cow, Syracuse, NY, 1997