Meta struggles with harassment in VR, where solutions like letting users record everything need to be balanced with privacy and headsets' storage and power
Sydney Smith had dealt with lewd, sexist remarks for more than a month while playing the Echo VR video game. Tweets: @techledes , @jeskillings , @avibarzeev , and @stshank Tweets: Connie Guglielmo / @techledes : Worth a read by @QWongSJ: Yes, Oculus & Echo VR, both owned by Facebook/Meta, have ways to report users who violate their rules. But people been harassed or see bad behavior in virtual environments say the company process deters them from filing a report. https://www.cnet.com/... Jonathan Skillings / @jeskillings : Oculus researchers found that the sense of presence in VR makes harassment feel more intense. Says @brittanheller: “It feels real, like a person is stepping next to you and saying and doing things that violate your personal space.” https://www.cnet.com/... via @QWongSJ @CNET @avibarzeev : Some folks want the Metaverse to be one big objective space. Many seem to dismiss harassment as a blocker, or think real-names or magic AI tech will fix it. The more likely solution has many /consensual/ realities each limited to people we trust or otherwise safe interactions. https://twitter.com/... Stephen Shankland / @stshank : I've seen this movie so many times on the internet, starting with Usenet: interesting new medium arrives, people connect and open up to each other, trolls/bots/scammers/abusers arrive and spoil it. https://www.cnet.com/... Expand More For Next Unexpand More For Next
Worth a read by @QWongSJ: Yes, Oculus & Echo VR, both owned by Facebook/Meta, have ways to report users who violate their rules. But people been harassed or see bad behavior in virtual environments say the company process deters them from filing a report. https://www.cnet.com/...
@jeskillings
Jonathan Skillings on x
Oculus researchers found that the sense of presence in VR makes harassment feel more intense. Says @brittanheller: “It feels real, like a person is stepping next to you and saying and doing things that violate your personal space.” https://www.cnet.com/... via @QWongSJ @CNET
@avibarzeev
@avibarzeev on x
Some folks want the Metaverse to be one big objective space. Many seem to dismiss harassment as a blocker, or think real-names or magic AI tech will fix it. The more likely solution has many /consensual/ realities each limited to people we trust or otherwise safe interactions. ht…
@stshank
Stephen Shankland on x
I've seen this movie so many times on the internet, starting with Usenet: interesting new medium arrives, people connect and open up to each other, trolls/bots/scammers/abusers arrive and spoil it. https://www.cnet.com/...
@philiprosedale
Philip Rosedale on x
It is entirely possible to offer a ‘metaverse’ service without damaging humanity through behavior modification and advertisements: Second Life makes about $80/year on average per person in subscription fees. No ads, no suggestions, and basic access is free.
@philiprosedale
Philip Rosedale on x
We've been led by the bad examples of a few big tech companies to think that the only way to make big money is to make people hate each other. It doesn't have to be that way.
@meathamski
@meathamski on x
Just tried Horizon Worlds. It's just AltSpace mixed with second life primitive building. All the worlds are probably gonna be flat colors and made of squares, triangles, and spheres. I still think VRChat needs an events tab so we can go to church one Sundays.
@dylhun
Lhun on x
@UploadVR I think the 18+ age requirement will be well received, but I wonder how they'll enforce that.
@1029chrisb
Chris B. on x
I don't understand why these metaverse platforms seem to insist on limiting self expression when it has no benefit. For myself, I just end up less comfortable with a body I can't fully control, and I get harassed anyways. What's the point?
@jayhadhope
JustDaven on x
Pretty smart of Meta to look at demographics, realize it's mostly kids getting Quest 2's for Dec 25th ...And age gating Horizon Worlds to be 18+ Less $$$ to moderate / monitor kid's safety Plus it means anyone who wants to hang with other adults? WELL GUESS WHERE YOU CAN GO 😉
@dbreunig
Drew Breunig on x
I sympathize with the challenge Meta faces: on one hand it would be great to give their users the tools to be weird and see what innovation emerges...on the other hand they'd need a comical amount of resources (and nuance!) to police what we *know* would also emerge.
@dbreunig
Drew Breunig on x
Fortnite and other open world social network contemporaries dial up the avatars as well, with people showing off their wares and more. Meanwhile, Meta is the VR equivalent of Microsoft Teams. (Which is fine if your pitch is for workplace stuff!)
@dbreunig
Drew Breunig on x
When you're the ubiquitous social network, the challenge is to defend against less boring, unencumbered upstarts — whom have a more easily managed userbase, less regulatory attention, and less to lose. https://www.dbreunig.com/...
@megfitz
Meaghan Fitzgerald on x
So excited to share that @HorizonWorlds is officially open to anyone 18+ in North America with a Quest 2 or Rift headset! This milestone is truly a celebration of the creators and beta users who have been part of the journey so far! https://www.oculus.com/...
@horizonworlds
Horizon Worlds on x
Starting today, Horizon Worlds is available for free to everyone 18+ in the US and Canada. Bring your imagination and start building amazing new worlds in Horizon Worlds! Check out more here: https://www.oculus.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@kentbye
Kent Bye VoicesOfVR on x
Honesty wasn't sure when or if @meta's @HorizonWorlds was ever going to move out of closed beta. They've made a number of false starts with social VR, & incubated this for a long time. I don't see how they'll reasonably prevent folks <18-years old from getting in & using it. http…
@rachelmetz
Rachel Metz on x
i'd like to note it's very easy to make your avatar's face look happy but it's a lot trickier to make it look sad!
@ldignan
Larry Dignan on x
It'll be fascinating to see how the social fabric emerges in Meta's Horizon Worlds. Fortunately there's a “personal Safe Zone” just in case. My safe zone will be letting the first movers figure it out since I'm still not into clunky VR glasses. https://www.techmeme.com/...
@pucknorris
Vivek Sharma on x
Our amazing creators have taken the tools in @HorizonWorlds to create the most original and imaginative spaces that are just 🤯. Starting today, you'll be able to check it out yourself (and build your own world too!) https://www.youtube.com/...
@dbreunig
Drew Breunig on x
The other aesthetic disconnect I keep getting from Meta is that everyone looks like themselves in the UX, even the clothes are mundane. Compare this to Second Life's bonkers surrealism, which took full advantage of the fact that you could be *anything* in it.
@dbreunig
Drew Breunig on x
Help me out here... Is this legless design a creepy aesthetic on it's own or is the creepiness being evoked by the surrounding context of FB? https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@kantrowitz
Alex Kantrowitz on x
Torsos of the world unite https://twitter.com/...
@alexeheath
Alex Heath on x
Meta's VR social platform, Horizon Worlds, is no longer in private beta. It's Roblox meets Minecraft meets the OASIS https://www.theverge.com/...
@can
@can on x
tired: skipping leg days wired: skipping legs??? https://t.co/o537JBCu5l