mTropolis was killed by Quark

This product was killed and many were not happy.

https://code.swimisca.org/mtropolis-inspired-multimedia-software-and-its-licensing-proposal/

Email about the Avatar Book and concepts with author

Date: March 18, 1997
From Mark R (helper guy)
To Peter Small - Author of the Web Avatar Project

Hi Peter,

All along one of my biggest pushes for you have been to "write some example, real-world avatars." In a selfish way, I've got some needs for them now. But I was thinking that the avatars would be good end of book example cases. I said you should start working on the end of book now, getting an income, and getting those all-important examples working, filtering, generating results. The examples are going to take time.

You seemed to want to delay avatar creation.

Well, after seeing these reviews -- I think my original ideas were on the money. I should speak it even louder. You need to give Avatar Examples (specific case studies with big results) right away before anything else. Do the book in reverse order. All the philosophy, A-Life examples and wonderful things you've already expressed need to be headed to the back of the book.

This is a how to book. Even better, learn how the sport surf network put avatars to work on its web site and became the #1 web-site in the world.

NEW BOOK OUTLINE:

1. This is me and my "client". (who)
2. Here is what we did:
3. Here is what could be done in general for your business.
4. Here is how we did it:
5. Here is why we did it:
6. Back of book timeline (when)

7. Here is why you too will be faced with avatars today and tomorrow. (your book goes here)
8. Prepare yourself so you can sell these ideas to your organization.

Peter asked:
I now appeal to you for you help in getting this book across. Where am I >going wrong? Where do I go from here?
Examples: Working Models. Prove it from the get go. You gotta put the cart before the horse. The good get delivered - and it is easy to see that the goods are good. Put some avatars right into their faces from the get-go. Then, you can put chapter 1 as chapter 10 (nine examples later). Proof of what I'm thinking is found in the reviewers notes:

>without a strong endorsement from people more expert in the field than I am, I cannot pursue this book.
Have them endorse the avatar or the agent. Not the concept of the avatar book.

> I need books that are cutting edge, yes, but also books with a clear purpose, tight focus, and solid grounding in available technology.
Clear purpose! - this pathway for this avatar is x --> y --> Z. Very clear. Very focused. Very tight. The grounding is solid in a commercial endeavor.

>I could find no interesting technical insights
The technical insights are right in the example avatars. Put the avatars and agents in there first and then you have interesting technical insights.

> I think the majority will be broadly interested in the techniques and applications,
Let's do a book on the interesting techniques and applications that you applied to Sport Surf.

>In my experience people buy technology books to understand technology on a high level (business managers), or to solve technical problems on a detailed level.
Give the readers the - solved problems on technical level first - I did X, Y, Z with sport surf - . Then give them the high level business manager for the later part as to the wave of the future.

>This book doesn't state what it will help you achieve.
The Sport Surf site is going to jump from nothingness to greatness with avatars. Your site can do the same. Let's make a fairy tale come true and then people will know it is not a fairy-tale any longer.

---

Nuff said on that.

Now what. I think I need to give you a better tour as to what I have in mind with my mega site and my plans.

There are areas in my plan where I can see you playing a key role. I visualize this whole operation. How to share all of these ideas (mine and yours) is another matter that would best be solved with a face to face visit of a few days.

How are your frequent flyer miles? Can you come to Pittsburgh, PA, USA?

---

Things to still talk about:
• Peter building a list of lists
• Peter building the list avatars for Sport Surf.

Take care.

Mark Rauterkus mrauterkus@pittsburgh.net

Tehran, Iran, seeking our software