Inactive Worlds

February 26, 2003 D. H. McKee

This site is one of the first websites to go for the deep virtual reality experience. It’s been around for a number of years now, but hasn’t improved the look or function since I’ve been viewing it (and I’ve been back a couple of times over the years). Essentially the engine is about the level of Castle Wolfenstein, and you can still get through any wall or door simply by going sideways. Other than the technical drawbacks, there’s no real reason to be in here, since there’s never anyone around. Most “tourists” congregate near the starting portal and chat for free. Other members–those who allegedly pay for this service–aren’t anywhere to be seen, but they’ve created some god-awful nightmare buildings and landscapes. It’s about as fun as exploring the Ontario Science Center (without all the science stuff). Big, lonely, and ugly-looking.

Download the client and try it for yourself. But be aware there are far better games out there.

http://www.activeworlds.com

One Response to “Inactive Worlds”

Alpine Dragon
20 years ago

A once bustling but now dead 3D chat. ‘People’ have become such a scarce commodity to the point that world owners are now fighting amongst themselves dishing out insults as a result of the desperate grab for what little people there are in Activeworlds.
It’s a real pity as it was once a good place to spend an evening on after a hard day’s work, now it’s a ghost town.

About This Site

As a guy who occasionally curates art shows and wrangles artists together, I often have to edit and post artist bios, profile pictures, and artwork images. This can be a problem, since many artists and writers aren’t used to selling themselves. Artists rarely know how to present their art for display in a brochure, and writers aren’t used to writing about themselves.

Writers often treat the bio like it’s an interview or something. Maybe like they’re having a conversation with you, the reader. While it may work sometimes, the most common way to write a bio is to write in the 3rd person.

I’m like those writers, and I’m talking to you directly, unlike the common way to do a bio. You should see my About page. It makes sense to me, since this is a bit which describes my blog’s website. When I get famous enough that I don’t have time to talk to you, I’ll have an intern write everything in 3rd person. Until then, you get to talk to me.

Like blogs of old, this one is a personal document of the comings and goings of me. Articles I’ve written, links I’ve posted, videos I liked, etc. Here, a first-person perspective is the way to go, at least for now. So, this is my site. I’m D. H. McKee, a sometimes artist, sometimes writer. Mostly just a guy on the internet.