Race the net

nap+forum::für::umläute (2006)

This is a 3D-webbrowser.

YOU can explore the world wide web with it.

When you start, watch out for a rotating cube with an image of a website on it. This cube represents this website. When you move into the cuboid, you will be „linked“ to this website (similar to entering a URL into the navigation bar of a traditional web browser). Now all the websites that are linked from the current website will get displayed in the world. Each webpage is displayed at the (approximate) position on the world's surface, where the server of this page is located. (e.g. http://umlaeute.mur.at is located in Graz, http://www.kiberpipa.org/ is in Ljubljana). When two pages live on the same server, they will be stacked on top of each other.

Pages you have already visited will slowly become invisible as your memory of them fades away...

How to use it:

1. Stand and relax – feel like in a car with an automatic gearbox and at home – you are safe and cannot get crashed.
2. Here is a short short overview on your car:

   Views

   You can choose between two views: the "normal" view shows you the webworld outside of your imaginary windscreen. Web-Servers appear as towers of web-pages. The second view gives you an overview of the entire world: your current position is marked as a small white point on a globe. The red points around you indicate active web-servers (possible destinations of your cruise). Press one of the 2 buttons on the steering wheel to turn this second view on/off.

   The Pedals (located behind the steering-wheel)

   The "pedal" on the right side is the accelerator pedal, the one on the left side is the brake pedal.

   Directions

   Use the steering-wheel to turn left/right.

   Navigation

   In the upper left corner of the screen you see your current position on the earth's surface (given in lattitude and longitude). When you turn around using the steering wheel, you will occasionally notice a vertical line: this is a meridian (a line from North Pole to South Pole) to show you where North and South are.

   Get into Pages

   When you have found a server (with lots of active rotating pages ), just drive into it. This will "link" you to the selected page.

3. You cannot do anything wrong – so try all the buttons. RST is Reset, so you are able to "jump home" after driving in a wrong direction.
4. Enjoy your drive and explore your world.