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Papers:Sending the Right Signals: Difference between revisions
Papers:Sending the Right Signals (view source)
Revision as of 16:18, 26 January 2006
, 26 January 2006→Signals, IRL vs. Online
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* '''Tangibility:''' Perhaps the most obvious difference is that the physical world is tangible whereas the virtual world is not. When an individual visits a location in the physical world, they can examine it directly and in many dimensions. In the virtual world we are limited to the dimensions presented to us by the software used to view the virtual objects. As a result, we experience objects in the physical world in many more dimensions than those of the virtual. The additional dimensions (such as weight, smell, depth, tactile sensation) all provide contextual signals which are absent from objects in the virtual world, and which can contribute to one's evaluation of trust. | * '''Tangibility:''' Perhaps the most obvious difference is that the physical world is tangible whereas the virtual world is not. When an individual visits a location in the physical world, they can examine it directly and in many dimensions. In the virtual world we are limited to the dimensions presented to us by the software used to view the virtual objects. As a result, we experience objects in the physical world in many more dimensions than those of the virtual. The additional dimensions (such as weight, smell, depth, tactile sensation) all provide contextual signals which are absent from objects in the virtual world, and which can contribute to one's evaluation of trust. | ||
* '''Cost of Impersonation:''' Closely related to tangibility is the cost of impersonation. Impersonating physical world objects is both complex and costly because they must be convincing in so many dimensions and because the human brain is so adept at recognizing patterns and exceptions to patterns. Impersonating virtual world objects, however, is relatively easy as they exist in far fewer dimensions, and can be duplicated | * '''Cost of Impersonation:''' Closely related to tangibility is the cost of impersonation. Impersonating physical world objects is both complex and costly because they must be convincing in so many dimensions and because the human brain is so adept at recognizing patterns and exceptions to patterns. Impersonating virtual world objects, however, is relatively easy as they exist in far fewer dimensions, and thus can be duplicated much more cheaply and easily. | ||
* '''Familiarity:''' As individuals, we have existed in the physical world for our entire lives. As a civilization, we have existed in the physical world for hundreds of years. This familiarity yields expectations of how objects in the physical world will look, feel and behave. The virtual world, on the other hand, is new and unfamiliar to many of its users. As a result, there is less of an expectation of how an entity should appear in the virtual world. While it is true that many virtual entities such as banks have patterned themselves after one another (i.e.: similar features, navigation structure and use of a prominent client login area) these patterns are young and malleable. The physical world, on the other hand, has well established patterns that result in a expectation of what an entity such as a bank would look like (ie: tellers, thick doors, slips of paper, a security guard.) | * '''Familiarity:''' As individuals, we have existed in the physical world for our entire lives. As a civilization, we have existed in the physical world for hundreds of years. This familiarity yields expectations of how objects in the physical world will look, feel and behave. The virtual world, on the other hand, is new and unfamiliar to many of its users. As a result, there is less of an expectation of how an entity should appear in the virtual world. While it is true that many virtual entities such as banks have patterned themselves after one another (i.e.: similar features, navigation structure and use of a prominent client login area) these patterns are young and malleable. The physical world, on the other hand, has well established patterns that result in a expectation of what an entity such as a bank would look like (ie: tellers, thick doors, slips of paper, a security guard.) | ||