Aether-Net.Org

Ah, the AetherNet.

This was an idea that I came up with in 1997, while playing Galaga at the local record shop, Cutlers.

At the time, Chatrooms and AIM was at peak popularity.  Many people would meet strangers in these chatrooms and have conversations.  At first, many of these conversations were actually intellectual.  I discovered that the atmosphere of anonynimity offered me the opportunity of going out on a limb, just to see what the 'public' had to offer in terms of feedback.

Then there was the concept of anonynms.  These were personality homonyms.  Just kidding.  But truly there were those who seemed just like many others.  It was like by allowing people to participate in this forum where all you are is a name, there were not all of these other things to hide behind, like wealth, beauty, height, weight.  Everyone was just their thoughts, exactly like the afterlife.

In the present day, we don't have anything equivolent to offer people.  The internet does not rule in favor of not being able to connect a person to the actions being conducted by that person.  Not by any scale.

That's why Chat Universes don't really exist.  I mean, yeah you can find them on gaming networks but everyone on them just wants to play. In the Aether-Net Chat universe, there is no game other than the normal games conducted by regular conversation.

How the Site Would Work


First, you Log In under an account.  Only the site administrators know what your true identity is, unless you go around giving everyone your first and last name.

Secondly, you pick a ship.  You can select from a variety of different spaceships.
In a later version, you can design your own.
In a version later than that, you can use your designed spaceship to play in "Battle Mode."
Later on, the "Battle Mode" becomes its own game.

Third, you pick a room.  The rooms are located as "Planets" in the Galaxy.  Each planet has a different theme, both visually and in the content of the conversation.

Once you get into a room, your ship begins to self-navigate.  You then control an icon which is set up to a feed contained by only the people in the room.  The Feed is the chat.  It's a group chat.  You can leave the room by exiting with your spaceship.  All the backgrounds are of great photographs of outer space.

Unless you're in the Aristotle room.  There's a big picture of Aristotle on the wall behind in the background.  I think our first competitor on Aether-Net will be Nintendo Chat Universe.  It would be not surprising, after this takes off, to see a number of different channels emerge with the pre-subcontext of interpersonal communication being the primary feature of their design.

Go to the theoretical website (design...crappy!!!) here. 








Theoretical Questions?
Wouldn't Facebook be crazy if it linked up with SimCity to produce SimFacebook?  I would be terrified of that, because that's pretty much the point where nobody ever leaves the real house anymore (too busy leaving the virtual house...  letting the real homes get sold to the mortgage/soul owners).

I know that's what it seems like I'm proposing with Aether-Net, but if you see it from my perspective, the only time you'll ever find me surfing the Aether-Net is when I'm either at home in the winter and I'm catching a break, or I'm trying to spread the word about something.  Either way, find me.  Here's my ship.

earthRockfloating's ship

The earth is a fruit.  Creatures will eat it.  You need to protect it.  
MSG FROM SPACEPIRATE