disinformation | mark pesce

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What The European Papers Say
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Violence Mars Nigerian Strikes
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Religion in the News: June 2003
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mark pesce
by Alex Burns (alex.burns@disinfo.net) - October 18, 2000

What do the Sex Pistols, Hakim Bey's 'Temporary Autonomous Zone' concept, Ms. Pacman, Husker Du, Aleister Crowley, psychedelics, and nanotechnology all have to do with each-other? They are all hyper-linked in the mind of Mark Pesce, co-creator of the 'Virtual Reality Modeling Language' (VRML) and a true cyberspace avatar.

Most people know Pesce's computer industry credentials. After ten years at 'Shiva Corporation' he left in 1991 to co-found the 'Ono-Sendai Corporation', an early VRML developer. In 1993 he left to work on 'Labyrinth', an early VRML prototype, and in 1994 he established the 'VRML Mailing List', which led to Pesce developing the online community through extensive networking with enthusiasts, academics and industry.

But despite frequently contributing to magazines such as 'Wired', 'Mondo 2000' and 'Network Computing', Pesce's vision was hijacked by 'Silicon Graphics' and other companies. In 1996 he resigned from the 'VRML Architecture Group' and the 'VRML Consortium', highlighting conflicts of interest amongst key industry players.

VRML had been conceived as a tool to liberate consciousness, a digital mandala for the Cyberian Age. Pesce's vision was prominently featured in Neal Stephenson's high-octane classic book 'Snow Crash' (1993), which bridged the gap between early antinomian Cyberians (who had experienced a symbolic distance from society) and contemporary spirituality. Pesce's work on 'WebEarth', a real-time VRML model of Earth received an Honorable Mention from the 'Ars Electronica Foundation'. These long-term perspectives are not surprising considering Pesce's personal exposure to Ted Nelson's 'Xanadu' project at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pesce was recently appointed Chair of the Interactive Media Program at the University of Southern California 'School of Cinema-Television' in Los Angeles. A true survivor, Pesce's forthcoming book 'The Playful World: Interactive Toys And The World They Portend' (Ballantine Books) will unleash unleash new ideas that will re-invigorate an otherwise increasingly drab neo-corporate culture.

Talkback To Jesse Berst: Mark Pesce
Mark Pesce is nominated for a 'ZDNet' award: summarizes his impact upon cyberculture.

Information vs. Meaning
Brief biography and presentation plan for the 'Livescope' conference (held 30th - October 1st, 1999). An insight into Mark Pesce's current research.

Mark Pesce
A brief Mark Pesce biography for a 1996 conference, mentioning a shamanic performance.

VRML Suppository
VRML weird web art and wacky humor. Definately worth checking out!

Thinking Small
This 'Feed' magazine essay (8th November, 1999) by Mark Pesce examines the future trajectory of nanotechnology and its socio-political implications for science. Riveting material.

WW5 Conference: Mark Pesce
Audio and video clips from a 1996 conference featuring excerpts from Mark Pesce's presentation 'Connective, Collective, Corrective: Lessons From VRML'. Conveys Pesce's Vision of VRML during the mid 1990s.

Resource Guide For VRML
An excellent resource for studying the 'Virtual Reality Modeling Language' (VRML) created by Mark Pesce, including FAQs, test pages, FTP sites and more.

The Power Of Babel
This 'Feed' magazine article (18th March, 1998) by Mark Pesce examines XML and the fears of the Balkanization of the World Wide Web. Also features some intriguing commentary on the climatic 'Microsoft vs Netscape' browser wars.

Virtual Reality Modeling Language
This is the 'WC3.org' page relating to the 'Virtual Reality Modeling Language', including links to several technical monographs by Mark Pesce.

VRML Works: The History Of VRML
A collection of documents, links and brief essays surveying the early history and probable fate of the 'Virtual Reality Modeling Language', including several key essays by Mark Pesce. Useful for an overview of the field.

Pesce Resigns In Disgust From VAG And Consortium
This 1996 article by Adrian Scott describes Mark Pesce's resignation from the 'VRML Architecture Group' and the 'VRML Consortium', offering an insight into Machiavellian industry politics.

Techweb: Q&A With Mark Pesce
This 'TechWeb' article (23rd February, 1998) is a Q&A with Mark Pesce in his mainstream media guise. Useful for industry research.

Media Mente: Mark Pesce
A biography and in-depth interview with Mark Pesce regarding the 'Virtual Reality Modeling' language, recorded 31st May, 1996. Offers insights into early VRML industry politics and worldviews.

VRML Works: VRML Galleries And Worlds
A great collection of links to VRML worlds, galleries, art and more. Discover applications of VRML to political science, sports and biology!

Background On The Virtual Reality Modelling Language
An invaluable historical essay by Mark Pesce (March 1995) on the 'Virtual Reality Modeling Language' with a list of interesting sites.

Outside The Light Cone
A mammoth collection by Mark Pesce of essays, artwork, interviews and random thoughts, covering such diverse topics as freedom in cyberspace, VRML and contemporary spirituality, nanotechnology and more.

Virtual SOMA
Visit the first-ever VRML city on the Internet! A compelling showcase of vast architectural mindscapes.

VRML User Perspectives: Mark Pesce
A ZDNet collection of essays and commentaries by Mark Pesce regarding the 'Virtual Reality Modeling Language' and the latest industry news and developments.

The Great Leap Downward
This 'Feed' magazine article (27th February, 1997) by Mark Pesce is an outstanding exploration of VRML politics. Learn about the early role of 'Wired' and the questionable tactics of 'Silicon Graphics' to create the international VRML business.

Cybertown
One of the best online VRML cities, Cybertown is a place that you can get lost in for hours!

Emerging Geeks: Mark Pesce
An uncut version of one of the most eye-opening Mark Pesce interviews ever! Pesce talks about the influence of the Sex Pistols, Mondo 2000, San Francisco, psychedelics, the Temporary Autonomous Zone and more. After reading this, you will never look at Pesce the same way again!

The VRML Repository
Now managed by the 'Web3D Consortium', the 'VMRL Repository' is a leading resource for VRML utilities, authoring tools, documentation, sites and tutorials.

Cyberia: Life In The Trenches Of Cyberspace
Douglas Rushkoff's classic book 'Cyberia: Life In The Trenches Of Cyberspace' (Harper SanFrancisco, 1994) conveys the kind of environment that surrounded Mark Pesce and early VRML developers. Very useful for understanding the consciousness-changing aspects of VRML that were overlooked by industry developers. You can now download the ENTIRE text here!

Ars Electronica
This Dutch organization examines the ongoing interface between technology, society and humananity. Mark Pesce's 'WebEarth' project has received an Honorable Mention from 'Ars Electronica' for accurately conveying the 'Overview Effect' experienced by astronauts when viewing the Earth from outer space.

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