Webislands of Vr

As an avid user of myNoise (soundscape) and a reader of Dr. Ir. S. Pigeon’s blog, I appreciated his latest post describing how each website is like an island, with each backlink a small waterway to it. Previously, based on the algorithms from major players, there were a lot of visitors to his island. Now, with AI spuriously creating content based on human creativity, there are fewer visitors to his island. This makes sense, as the best way to beat an algorithm is to create another algorithm that creates content to rig the game. This will finally result in lots of channels and bots creating AI soundscapes based on the original content that creators like Dr. Pigeon have been maintaining for years, thereby eroding the creation of new creators in this space.

The purpose of this essay, albeit different, is to share that as someone who got into VR from Oculus’s initial days and still believes there is potential for the tech, I was always disappointed with surfing the web in VR. When we watch video in VR, the enticing difference between watching a video on your phone is that in VR you have 360° immersion that creates a radically different experience. Surfing a website in VR and on mobile, however, is still the same, but much worse in VR.

It does not have to be. What if we not only consider each website like an island, but what if it actually is? As this essay started with the website of myNoise, I would like to continue this metaphor. Currently, each webpage of the website drives users to a different soundscape. In the VR version, each webpage could be an area of the island where, instead of just a soundscape, it becomes a landscape. The homepage, which shows links in the current form, could be a map that you see when you reach the beachhead. This also opens a lot more possibilities. What if users could also interact with each other when they are on the island, thereby connecting more with people who share similar interests? Once you have explored this island, you get back on your VR boat, and then you will have a map of the next island you want to go to.

The whole experience of using the web could change and also allow for a completely different experience for the next generation. This experience will be similar to how we feel when we explore new places in the world, instead of the same experience that you get when you visit any webpage.