Call for Papers: WWW5 workshop on VEs and the WWW
[Note: This page sitting at Tecfa
is copy of the page sent to the organizers of the
Fifth International World Wide Web
Conference. You can read read the official version too.]
Virtual Environments and the WWW
The focus of this workshop is the emerging technologies associated with
combining Virtual Environments (VEs) and the WWW. It will look at ways to
improve the structures of webbed VEs, to enhance navigation and
collaboration within them, and examine where research and development in
this area should be directed.
Format:
Full-Day
Workshop Committee
The Chairman, and committee members contacts:
Jenifer Tennison
jft@psyc.nott.ac.uk
http://www.psyc.nott.ac.uk/aigr/people/jft.html
Department of Psychology, University of Nottingham
Daniel Schneider
Daniel.Schneider@tecfa.unige.ch
http://tecfa.unige.ch/tecfa-people/schneider.html
TECFA, FPSE, University of Geneva
Gavin Bell
grb@psyc.nott.ac.uk
http://www.psyc.nott.ac.uk/aigr/people/grb.html
Department of Psychology, University of Nottingham
Abstract
The goal of this workshop is to discuss the emerging technologies
associated with combining Virtual Environments (VEs) and the WWW. The
synthesis of VEs and the WWW has developed from three directions. Firstly,
those involved with the construction of text-based VEs such as MUDs and
MOOs have tried to make the experience richer by adding other media.
Secondly, people working with the WWW need more adaptive and flexible ways
of representing the information they want to publish. Thirdly, the desire
for a more collaborative, social, browsing experience has led to several
adapted servers and browsers which keep track of who is accessing a WWW
page, and in some cases allow communication between them. In the last few
months, a number of new proprietry multi-user 2/3D worlds as well as the
proposed VRML 2.0 standard have triggered wide-spread interest in
interactive "cyberspaces". The outcome of this combination of technologies
is adaptive, structured, collaborative hypermedia.
The main goal of the workshop is to come up with a series of
recommendations for VEs integrating the WWW, or future WWW standards for
synchronous and asynchronous extensions. The focus is not on the technical
details of webbed VEs (such as WWW-MOO protocols; VRML 2, Moving Worlds &
Live3D; or proprietry "World Chat/VR" systems like Worlds Away or Intel's
Moondo), but on the common conceptual basis they share. By overviewing
systems such as these, we hope to generate a set of guidelines for
WWW-integrated VEs to be successful.
The workshop will include an overview talk by one of the chairs outlining
users' needs for future VEs; presentation and demos of major systems; and
special technical sub-groups according to the interests of the
participants.
A WWW-based discussion/annotation forum is available at
http://spsyc.nott.ac.uk:5555.
This is intended as a forum for workshop
preparation and preliminary discussion amongst potential participants so
that the workshop itself can concentrate on discussion rather than
presentation.
Position papers
Those wishing to attend should have at
least some knowledge of VEs, with preferably some experience in running
such a service. Prospective participants for the workshop should submit a
short position
paper outlining their interest in VEs and the WWW, suggesting a couple of
important items for discussion and detailing their present
knowledge and experience of webbed VEs.
Demos of existing systems are welcome. Position papers attached to a demo
should outline interesting conceptual aspects of their systems.
All those who submit a position paper will be registered on the
electronic discussion forum, whether they are accepted for the workshop or not.
Deadlines & Workshop preparation
The last day for position paper submissions is Monday April 8th.
Participants will be notified of acceptance by the 15th April.
However, please get in touch as soon as possible with the organizers
so that we can register you on the
discussion forum and effectively plan for getting the most out of
this workshop.
Jeni Tennison
29th Feburary 1995
UP to workshop page
D.K.S.