P3D RE: did stereograms advance interest in 3-D?

[Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997
>From: roberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (John W Roberts) writes:
>...............
>One interesting feature of the popularity-versus-time curve of SIRDS is that
>it was basically known ahead of time. The 3D mailing list was active when
>SIRDS started to become very popular - it was pointed out that there had
>been a similar craze in Japan, which had faded out after a few years, so it
>was a pretty good bet that the same thing would happen in the US. Given
>that previous experience, SIRDS are probably doing better in the US at this
>point than I would have expected.

****  It started in the US, but an airline magazine containing an early
advertisement featuring an RDS was seem by a Japanese businessman. One thing
led to another, and Japan started on the popularity curve ahead of the US.
Later it transferred back to the US... along with predictions based on the
Japanese reaction cycle.

What's bogus about the prediction is that they insured the same curve by
doing nothing different or better in the marketing department. Part of what
really killed them for good was the *magic eye* folks getting a patent for
the *unpatentable* at the most critical of moments in the whole cycle thing.
They forced  everyone else, those who were already making far better
stereograms than magic eye has ever dreamed of, to pay an unwarranted
license fee or stop making stereograms. Most quit making stereograms rather
than fight about it. The incentive of doing their own thing was gone... The
marketplace dried up for lack of creative input along with the timing of the
*end of the predicted popularity curve*. The prediction curve alone prompted
several publishers to not plan further books, thus helping bring about a
real end.  With the patent issue added on top, why try swimming upstream?

It's amazing how much value we attribute to our own artificial
limitations... (to paraphrase from *The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy*,
*... convinced that black is white, we get killed at the next zebra crossing.*)

>>Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997
>From: Mike Province writes:
>
>For my 2 cents worth, Stereograms (SIRDS) are on the level of "Rohrshach
Tests" 
>for the stereo impaired. At best they are nothing but shapes shown at various 
>depths.
>

**** That description could be applied to stereo photos too... we *are*
talking about images here. It sounds like you've only seen Magic Eye
stereograms. I've seen quite a few real stereograms by some artists that are
FAR better than *Rohrshach Tests*!!!

Then, there is more to stereograms than hidden patterns alone. They contain
quite a *natural* tutorial on stereoscopic principles. Though I suppose few
would find the tutorial on their own...

Larry Berlin

Email: lberlin@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.sonic.net/~lberlin/
http://3dzine.simplenet.com/


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