The Metaverse As Our New Reality

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson is a shocking glimpse into our possible future. Our country has become an almost post-nuclear war seeming disaster area, and the only refuge one has is to join with part of a franchise, such as the Mafia or with Mr. Lee’s greater Hong Kong. Each one of these promises somewhere to live and protection from whatever goes on outside of these walls.
Hiro has found employment with the Mafia, working as a pizza delivery guy, and if he does not make his delivery in time, the Mafia will “take care of him” in a certain way. On the side, he is a hacker, and a star in his digital metaverse, which he had a hand in creating. The Black Sun is his escape from everything. In this area, he can talk to fellow hackers, and rule over his own universe.
The metaverse can be described as such: According to Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins, P. 9, “A process called “the convergence of modes” is blurring the lines between media, even point to point communications, such as the post, telephone and telegraph, and mass communications, such as the press, radio, and television. A single physical means- be it wires, cables or airwaves- may carry services that in the past were provided for by separate means.” The way to get into the metaverse is to put on a pair of goggles and “jack in” meaning get in via airwaves or through a localized land line- much like our infrastructures we have today. While in the metaverse, one can use all things as one- telegraphs, radios, televisions, and papers. It is much like going online with PS3 or Xbox360, where one can get into a room with many people in it and play games, talk to them, watch TV with them, and go to an apartment set aside for them. In NG’s case, he has himself a whole setup going on inside the metaverse- people working in rice fields, a geisha rubbing his shoulders, the whole nine yards. What if one day, we could have the same thing happening in a universe? I believe it is not far away from what we have now with the previously mentioned PS3 and Xbox360.
I believe that the term “snow crash” can apply to modern day also. The snow crash is a virus that one’s computer catches, and then it enters the hacker’s mind and makes him very sick. The way the snow crash entered was simple enough, and it was almost comical. It reminded me of a “Trojan horse” virus- it comes in simple enough, innocently, and comical, and has devastating effects on the system itself. A virus (through binary) that hurts people, however, is one that is yet to be seen. I believe it could be possible somehow though.
The tracing of the virus all the way back to ancient Sumeria was interesting. Does this mean that the bible actually nods its head towards the age we are in now of development? Has culture actually been infusing technology in it for thousands of years before now? I think it has. There have been machines found in the ocean that have copper spooled around the inside of them that create an electrical force, making electricity. Not saying that there were cell phones back in ancient Egypt, but maybe there was more to it then we think.
The story tells us basically that the future may be a grim one if we do not pay attention to what direction we go with our technology. The way that it ends up this way is not made evident, but we must just learn to be more careful with technology, or it can become something out of control.

Works Cited:

Lessig, Lawrence. Remix: Making Art And Commerce Thrive In The Hybrid Economy. New York: The Penguin Press, 2008.
Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old And New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press, 2006.
Stephenson, Neal. Snow Crash. New York: Bantam Books, 1992.