Survival of virtual settings

Eva Ekeblad (eva.ekeblad who-is-at ped.gu.se)
Fri, 26 Sep 1997 15:05:10 +0200

At 20.13 -0400 97-09-25, Judy Diamondstone wrote:
>I have in the last 2 years launched TWO, now,
>virtual settings -- progeny of xmca -- two attempts to seed
>new sorts of interactions, to create the infrastructure
>for alternative spaces -- and questions about viability
>and sustainability are foremost on my mind.

Judy, would you tell us more about your settings and what sustains them in
reality and virtuality, what is their projected timespans etc?

I listened with interest to your "speculations" about the meta-vision, the
practical enactment of CHAT-et-al (no _idle_ chat) AND the collaborative
construction of the crucial theoretical artifacts. But I'll use my time and
space today for remarking that I can appreciate the egalitarian courtesy of
attributing Wizdom to every contributor to the papery walls of this buzzing
nest... BUT at the same time I think this leaves us without means to
conceptualize what it takes to sustain a discussion through those times
when the forest of messages thins out. I am convinced that the viability of
the x-lists depends, among other things, on the fact that there is more
than one competent and commited Wiz around here, while you are still
playing the "one and lonely" role model (I have also tried it, with,
perhaps, less success. In other "places.")

=46unny that you attribute the inauguration of this thread to me! I _did_
formulate the Subject line that caught on, but the seed was planted by Mike
when he forwarded Shep White's footnote to Sarason. The master Wiz works
his magic invisibly: that, too, constitutes a lesson (to be read
collaboratively).

Eva