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ENTRY

Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008

You don't hear the term virtual reality much anymore. It was coined more than twenty years ago and was a hot technology until the Web really took off. I was reminded of the phrase the other day when I discovered a fictional character I'd created had come to "life."

I was googling something, can't remember what it was now, and one of the search results summary was for a "Tina Suzuki" on ZoomInfo, a site for business people information. That's funny, I thought. Tina Suzuki was one of the main characters in The Fourth Treasure. Of course, I clicked on the link to find out more about this flesh-and-blood Tina Suzuki.

Indeed there was a page for Tina Suzuki. She was, amazingly, listed as a graduate student just as my Tina. Even more amazing, her school was listed as the Berkeley Brain Institute. That sounded familiar. Wait, I thought, I'd made up the institute. It was supposed to be a completely fictional institution.

I felt bad, and worried. I'd slandered some great scholarly research institution and even stolen the name of one of their star students. I was going to have to get a good lawyer. All this had happened in a second or two. Then my rational side took over and told me that the ZoomInfo site must automatically search websites, plucking info about people (supposedly real people), putting that information in a database, and then build a page whenever the name was searched for.

Indeed when I looked closer, I saw the ZoomInfo disclaimer: "This profile was automatically generated using 6 references found on the Internet. This information has not been verified." I guess not. I checked a couple of references and saw that they were from descriptions or reviews of The Fourth Treasure.

Anyway, it was a disconcerting few moments.

#

© 2010

COMMENTS

Number of comments: 4
click here to add a comment

Teresa Funke
Hi Todd, Well, that's just wierd. Now I'm going to have to google my characters and see if they come up. I've always thought of my characters as real people. Helps me to write them. But it's wierd to think they might have a "virtual" life of their own.

Jean Hanson
That's completely wild. Now, not only will we get our 15 minutes of fame, but our characters might, too.

Todd
Teresa, I'd be interested to hear if any of your characters have come to life too.

Jo Reed
That's hilarious. And kind of Kafka-esque. You could create a whole fake life for a character using these kinds of social websites. Then publish a book by or about her/him. It would be a (virtual) bestseller.

ARCHIVE

date (comments)

Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)

Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)

Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)

Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)

Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)

Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)

Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)

Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)

Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)

J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)

2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)

Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)

Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)

Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)

Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)

Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)

Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)

The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)

October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)

Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)

The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (1)

The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)

Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)

Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)

Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)

Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)

The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)

"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)

John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)

2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)

Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)

Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)

The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)

David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)

Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)

The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)

Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)

"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)

Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)

Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)

To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)

Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)

The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)

Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog home \| current \| forthcoming \| past \| contact
ENTRY Virtual unreality May 31, 2008 You don't hear the term virtual reality much anymore. It was coined more than twenty years ago and was a hot technology until the Web really took off. I was reminded of the phrase the other day when I discovered a fictional character I'd created had come to "life." I was googling something, can't remember what it was now, and one of the search results summary was for a "Tina Suzuki" on ZoomInfo, a site for business people information. That's funny, I thought. Tina Suzuki was one of the main characters in The Fourth Treasure. Of course, I clicked on the link to find out more about this flesh-and-blood Tina Suzuki. Indeed there was a page for Tina Suzuki. She was, amazingly, listed as a graduate student just as my Tina. Even more amazing, her school was listed as the Berkeley Brain Institute. That sounded familiar. Wait, I thought, I'd made up the institute. It was supposed to be a completely fictional institution. I felt bad, and worried. I'd slandered some great scholarly research institution and even stolen the name of one of their star students. I was going to have to get a good lawyer. All this had happened in a second or two. Then my rational side took over and told me that the ZoomInfo site must automatically search websites, plucking info about people (supposedly real people), putting that information in a database, and then build a page whenever the name was searched for. Indeed when I looked closer, I saw the ZoomInfo disclaimer: "This profile was automatically generated using 6 references found on the Internet. This information has not been verified." I guess not. I checked a couple of references and saw that they were from descriptions or reviews of The Fourth Treasure. Anyway, it was a disconcerting few moments. # © 2010	COMMENTS Number of comments: 4 click here to add a comment Teresa Funke Hi Todd, Well, that's just wierd. Now I'm going to have to google my characters and see if they come up. I've always thought of my characters as real people. Helps me to write them. But it's wierd to think they might have a "virtual" life of their own. Jean Hanson That's completely wild. Now, not only will we get our 15 minutes of fame, but our characters might, too. Todd Teresa, I'd be interested to hear if any of your characters have come to life too. Jo Reed That's hilarious. And kind of Kafka-esque. You could create a whole fake life for a character using these kinds of social websites. Then publish a book by or about her/him. It would be a (virtual) bestseller.	ARCHIVE date (comments) Review: Kissing the Mask August 22, 2010 (1) Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins July 12, 2010 (2) Review: Love in Translation June 22, 2010 (3) Jose Saramago June 18, 2010 (0) Marketplace of Ideas interview June 11, 2010 (2) Imagining Memory May 6, 2010 (1) Upcoming Los Angeles events April 7, 2010 (2) Time and energy March 30, 2010 (2) Review: Botchan February 28, 2010 (2) J.D. Salinger January 28, 2010 (1) 2009 Reviewed December 31, 2009 (5) Review: The Word Book December 12, 2009 (1) Chaat and Chat event with OH! November 6, 2009 (2) Home at last November 2, 2009 (2) Los Angeles events October 17, 2009 (1) Poets and poetry October 7, 2009 (1) Time + place September 24, 2009 (1) The future of books September 23, 2009 (1) October book tour September 6, 2009 (1) Blogging at Powell's Books August 28, 2009 (2) The evolution of an idea August 3, 2009 (1) The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey July 9, 2009 (2) Tour debrief July 2, 2009 (3) Book tour events May 18, 2009 (3) Simply in the mood April 24, 2009 (2) Book tour April 8, 2009 (6) The Necessary Book March 2, 2009 (2) "Murder Makes the Magazine" February 7, 2009 (3) John Updike January 27, 2009 (2) 2008 misc. (good news, bad news) January 1, 2009 (3) Publishing woes and query letters December 13, 2008 (4) Punctuation compunction November 16, 2008 (3) The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas) October 10, 2008 (2) David Foster Wallace September 14, 2008 (2) Ending it all September 12, 2008 (2) The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries August 29, 2008 (3) Blocking out the block August 20, 2008 (3) "What kind of books do you write?" August 8, 2008 (2) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4 July 21, 2008 (3) Show and tell July 14, 2008 (3) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3 July 7, 2008 (7) Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me) June 30, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2 June 18, 2008 (3) To be or not to be June 10, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1 June 3, 2008 (6) Virtual unreality May 31, 2008 (4) The purpose of this blog May 21, 2008 (5)