*urgh* no it's not, it's horrendous! people would become (eventually) Matrix-like zombies, living out their lives in a virtual fantasy. give me reality anyday.

I read a novel years ago where in a 21st Britain, and the rest of the Western world, most of the population voluntarily lived in a virtual world, and were housed in huge underground caverns of cryo-chmabers, a la Matrix, tended by automated machines that endured their bodies stayed alive and healthy. In fact, it was apparently seen as a sort of permanent retirement, like buying a villa on the Algarve, and people had saved up for years to do it. As a consequence, civiisation came to a halt and the cities fell into disrepair, there only being a small nomadic rump wandering around and some various die-hards, usually religious zealots, who refused to go to the virtual world.

I can't remember whether it was JG Ballard or Michael Moorcock *shudders* Anyway, that all started with VR games and headsets. So there. Be warned.

don't give credit to the matrix the matrix is a cheap take off of a 16 century philosphy about brains in vats (dont ask)

Taw has a point. Remember "Better than Life" from Red Dwarf? Is it really that hard to believe that such a product could exist in the near future?

Depends. Will Better than Life be affected by Rimmer?

-~-~-~-~
You have called down the Thunder. Now reap the Whirlwind.
Warning! In the intrest of safety it is advisable to keep Heltak away from Fire and Flames!
He that humbleth himself wishes to be exalted.
Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.
Friedrich Nietzsche

and it all went wrong remember? Rimmer ruined it for everyone, and they got buried in sand.

Ah yes Taw, but thankfully rimmer dosent exist int heis universe

As to red dwarf, Hmmm, yea, i'd like to play bettre than life (rimmer Free)

Rimmer doesn't exist? rubbish - there's always an Ace Rimmer in every universe!

*what a great guy!*

*Shakes head* I'm referring to "virtual" technology with potentially addictive side-effects, not Red Dwarf damn it!