At 11:38 AM 20/07/2000 -0400, you wrote:
> > When a person enters a world they get to choose one of the
> > standard avatars or a custom one (in VNet). Perhaps we need
> > a default or previous one listed in some kind of VNet settings
> > file on the user's machine.
>
>the problem with this is
>an applet cannot open a file on your local machine...
>this violates the security model
>
>I am trying to avoid making this an application
>which one has to download and install
>
>as an applet
>they need not download and install anything
>and they are guaranteed to get the latest version
>each time they go to the site
Hmmm... yes. I can't see any way around it unless cookies are used.
The user could be asked if they want to download a tiny (a few k) applet
that would enable them to keep their own cache of info locally on their
machine. They wouldn't have to download it if they didn't want to, but if
they didn't the choices I mentioned earlier could be greyed out.
Hmmm... it is more complex than that though isn't it... if you have the
separate small applet, how does it get started? Does the user run it
explicitly? or is it started by VNet? and then we are back at the original
problem: that violates security.
[groan] There must be some way...
> > enter the world as the penguin from Wallace & Grommit, doesn't ruin your
> > desire to be taken seriously when attempting to deliver a heavy talk on
> > quantum mechanics. :-)
>
>what
>you don't take "The Uninvited Guest" seriously??
><g>
heheh In Wallace & Grommit the penguin is a serious character indeed, not
to be trifled with. But I am not sure that students of quantum physics
would have the same view of their professor coming dressed as him. :-)
> > Your avatar may have certain capabilities built into it (e.g. humanoid
> > movement allowing it to dance), but a world owner may decide to
> > limit what can be done in their own world. I can, for example, imagine the
> > owner of a maze world wishing to disable the ability to fly so that people
> > can't cheat.
>
>currently one would use the VRML NavigationInfo node's type field
:-) Yep, realised that after I wrote it... but was too lazy to think of a
better example.
> > I am not keen on feudal systems and hierachies in VR. This is
> > what they do in ActiveWorlds and I am sure this is why it is
> > so rife with petty jealousies and hatred.
>
>hmmmm
>do you think that
>"user" [can gag others]
>"expert" [can eject the unruly]
>and "superuser" [can restart/stop system and maybe modify DB]
>is too much?
>
>I'd hate to see everyone able to "boot" others off
>and yet I'd like some folks to be able to restart/stop the server
>and maybe modify the database...
Yep, that is what I mean by visitors and owners. Only the owners can
operate the server. They may confer that ability upon others, but it should
always be the owner's choice to give honorary ownership ability to others.
Hmmm... your categories and mine are the same, just using different words I
think. What you are talking about is having a variety of aspects to
ownership that may be shared with trusted people. In that case there are as
many levels as there are flaggable capabilities worth sharing.
- Building and deleting objects (modify database) -- 2 functions really
- booting someone off
- start/stop system
- ignoring others (all should be able to do this)
- entry to certain restricted areas (useful for X-rated wrls you don't
want kids or politicians to see)
- more?
> > >rights tied to user-in-a-place
> > >[not to avatar]
> >
> > Not sure what is meant here...
>
>sorry for the confusion...
>what I am after here is
>that the user should be able to change
>what avatar they use in a give VNet scene
>without their "rights" changing
>
>I was thinking about one of the DB tables
>with username as the key and containing
>password and default avatar and [fill in the blank]
>and another DB table
>with username/world as the "composite key" and containing
>last-avatar-used-in-this-WRL and [fill in the blank]
>
>I'm trying to structure things so
>one database (multiple tables) can manage
>a unified user table and many VNet scenes
>
>teleport from one WRL to another which the DB knows about
>
>use a different avatar this time without changing default
>
>etc etc
>
>just thinking aloud
>and wanting one DBMS to manage multiple scenes
good point.
> > would be done... I am not sure. The server doesn't even need to open the
> > window -- the java client on each machine could open the custom window on
> > receipt of a defined signal (which could be part of the VNet protocol).
>
>lemme see if the security model will allow this...
>I honestly don't know ;^}
>
> > I am rapt more is happening on VNet.... slow though it is... wish I
> > could help more.
>
>sorry for the slow pace of things ;^{
>and
>the discussion is a *big* help
No, no, not a criticism, but delight that it is happening. If it waited on
me then nothing would happen at all for much longer periods. Thank heavens
you take the bit between the teeth.
>jeffs
>
>--
>Jeff Sonstein
>Assistant Professor
>Department of Information Technology
>Rochester Institute of Technology
>----------------------------------------
> http://ariadne.iz.net/
> http://www.it.rit.edu/~jxs/
> http://ariadne.iz.net/~jeffs/jeffs.asc
>----------------------------------------
>There are no bugs,
>there are just undocumented features
How I wish I could enumerate PI easily
3. 1 4 1 5 9 2 6
---------=---------=---------=---------=---------=---------=------
http://werple.net.au/~miriam
http://web.access.net.au/miriam
http://ariadne.iz.net/~miriam
Virtual Reality Association http://www.vr.org.au
AWABA - free kids' world http://www.awaba.com
