Enhanced VRS via Internet

[Tdarcos]

Network Working Group Paul Robinson
Request for Comments: &XXX Tansin A. Darcos & Co.
April 1, 1993

Enhanced V R S via Internet

Status of this Memo

This note is an overview of an experimental protocol. This RFC provides information only, and does not specify an Internet Standard.

Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

This RFC outlines an improved method for the performance of Virtual Reality Services, Enhanced eXchange and transfer of associated information. This document examines use of means which have overhead (including "current methods") and other means not going over the head at all, and compares these to some of the more traditional methods being used in ordinary, "live" interactions.

The concepts being discussed here can provide for both user to system transfers (i.e. with a machine on one end), as well as inter- and multi-system transfer, and computer simulations without human intervention. Current methods (such as wireheading) do not provide for multiple user access.

This memo defines the general idea and concepts behind the proposal, and why it was necessary to propose it; detailed technical information are in other RFCs which should be published later. Comments and/or suggestions on improvement of this method are welcomed. Additional features and services which could be provided are also encouraged to be submitted.

This document is an overview of a elective optional experimental protocol and is provided for informational purposes to enable those who wish to offer the capability to be aware of it (and security risks inherent in VR technology) and to understand differences in various implementations as documented in the media (literature, motion pictures and television shows).

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Table of Contents

Status of this Memo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Background: Methods and Equipment in use . . 3
Method of operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
References of interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Other RFCs that may be of interest . . . . . . . . . 9
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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Introduction

Methods of Virtual Reality in the Special Experimental eXchange (hereafter referred to as VRS) protocol have tended to be primitive in execution [1], when specifically used with current methods, using cheap pulsed-wire [2] which have had limited use, or involve expensive implant technology for radio-based computer connection [3] or for direct implant connector blocks [4]. None of these provided for virtual interexchange; at best they could be used as an enhancement to methods which required live operators on the ends of the connection. The method outlined in this RFC provides for interexchange over Internet connected systems with zero or more persons on hand as a part of the transaction.

Extremely limited forms of the capability discussed in this RFC are available via telephone systems. [5]

This document outlines a method using the Internet to make connections for this service instead of the much costlier (and inferior) commercial methods which are in use. [6] Research indicates this to be the most popular service available: in some instances the mail, C and Fortran compilers, SMTP, TFTP, FTP, UUCP, Rlogin, Kermit, ZMODEM and Telnet services were down for days to weeks before anyone noticed, while failures of VRS for even extremely short periods of time were complained about almost immediately. [7]

Background: Methods and Equipment in use

In the media regarding this particular subject [8], equipment has tended to go from intrusive to non-intrusive. In the Niven text (Ringworld/Ringworld Engineers), the device was essentially a form of external antenna implanted in the head and used exclusively as a receiving device for electrical stimulation, and referred to as a "current method". There was no means available for sharing of information. In the Effinger text (Gravity), the access means was a direct connection to a software module or add on. In the Pournelle and Niven text (Feality), the implant is internal and is used for computer connection only; it is essentially an access device rather than a means for a complete simulation.

A slight additional mention of the movie "Robocop" should be made as being non-typical since the title character is a "cyborg" or "cybernetic organism": half-human, half machine. The person in this circumstance cannot discontinue using the mechanism and go back to being just an "ordinary" person; the appearance is clearly obvious. Therefore the topic of cyborg use is generally not covered by this RFC except to the extent one of them is one of the ports or servers of a VRS transaction.

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Recent developments in virtual reality have moved to non-invasive forms. A somewhat older motion picture, "Brainstorm" used a headset and a connection to a very high density optical data tape.

This still suffers from the same problem as described in Ringworld, i.e. that the information is one-way only, i.e. there is no means to transfer information directly in real-time or to simulate a experience with changes. [9] It also had problems (best described as a security issue) in the classes and kinds of data transmitted.

A close second example was described in the motion picture "Total Recall", where a large chair is used to transmit data or even personality modifications. The basic problem with this is still that, with limited exceptions, the information being transmitted is still unidirectional, and little or no interaction with others is possible. [10]

A book entitled "Wargames," (having nothing to do with the motion picture of the same name) did this also; several people would use a large interface device and would run war games to see which of them survived (in the game). It was in this book where a perfect example of the method outlined herein was used. There were two minor problems; use of the device required drugging to withstand the images, and lack of security features. [11] It was due to these type problems that this method is not recommended.

The latest and best reasonably achievable implementation appears to be that as noted in "The Lawnmower Man" which is essentially the mode this RFC refers to: full motion video, indistinguishable with real-life visual images, with sound and sense impressions.

I note that in the motion picture "Brainstorm" a complete (one way) transaction, with full graphics and sense of the type indicated by this RFC was available on a tape; why this method was not available for that film is uncertain; it may be that the people developing the technology were unaware of each other, or there may be problems involving underlying patent or government technology secrets. That particular tape mentioned in "Brainstorm" was widely circulated and one man cut a piece out and ran it many times.

The television show "Star Trek: The Next Generation" speaks of the next level of technological development, the "Holodeck" wherein the computer uses the capability to manipulate matter directly to implement objects which appear to be real. It is not clear whether the type of application used in this RFC is being done. [12] As we do not now have the ability to direct manipulations of matter in the real world, we are restricted to computer simulation via device. [13]

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Method of operation

Generally, there are three forms of VRS connections. The most common connection is made via Binary Access Routing for Horizontally Orga(BARHOP). Generally, eight bit systems will connect using "well ksing "well known" service port 69, sixteen bit systems using "registered" service port 6969, and 32-bit or larger systems using unregistered service 06996690. In the event these service ports are busy, inverted port numbers [14] may be used, with caution. [15]

To distinguish between the usual TFTP access on Well Known service port 69, VRS connections are also made by doing a simultaneous connection at the same time on the ports for FTP, NNTP and SMTP. This is colloquially referred to as a "banging on all fours," due to the requirement that it signal all these ports simultaneously to override the usual use of service 69. [16]

For the first class of VRS connection, semaphores are sometimes used, involving the usual P and V modes. A P, or Point, requests a connection to a Virtual Access Generic Inter Network Activator [17] server. Optionally, some users choose point-to-point connections.

Whether this is due to preference or is a physical requirement is beyond the scope of this document. One of the points must generally be a recipient, so the point that is the recipient, for the purpose of this explanation, is called a server. [18] There are two forms of connection request. A request by a point to any available server is made in promiscuous mode. Where a point has a dedicated server or regular access to a specific server, a Linked Object for Virtual Access Reconnect (LOVER) is used. A server may also go out and search for a point, as a Synchronous Linked Usage Tie (SLUT) but this is not recommended.

The second class of VRS connection is done where a point desires a server but none is available. The point may test its own operation on a Single Bus Master using service 8. This mode is referred to as "Master B-8".

The third class permits optional VRS connections to be made where one or more points is to be connected to one or more servers, and declaring the connection to be a group which others may join or leave. This connection is called Optional Routing Group Interconnect Enhanced Services (ORGIES).

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In the first class of connection, there is often consideration about the age of the server. If a server has not been aged long enough, concerns about Junk Access Interconnect Linkage - Binary Activator Incorrect Transmission (JAIL-BAIT), e.g. a bad condition, can occur. However, even with a sufficiently aged server, there is an unusually strong interest by ports for first access to servers.

The older DecSystem-20 computer running TOPS-20 had this feature built in through the ability to request a "virgin" process. Others do prefer access to older often-used servers because of the higher experience rating.

During the negotiation process, there is some information passed between the point and server. At some specific time, either a connection is accepted or rejected. In some cases a rejected connection is taken by a point as an acceptance anyway. This condition is referred to as a Refuse Access Point Exception (RAPE).

We are not sure why this happens. Some people have suggested that the point be killed for this; others indicate this may be too drastic a solution, and suggest disconnecting portions of the point to discourage this practice. Others surprisingly don't see this as a problem, saying that a server never really means "no" when it allegedly refuses a connection.

A proper access point usually ensures that the server is properly initialized and ready to accept a connection and the transmission ensuing therefrom. In radio connections spread spectrum is often used. In wire connections, wideband is used. For this reason, a proper connection to a server is colloquially referred to as having "made it spread/wide".

Assuming a connection is made, under ideal conditions the appropriate information is transferred on an equal basis to both sites (or to all sites when there is a group transaction in progress.) It is considered a problem when all of the access time is dedicated to the point with little or none to the server. Smart servers have been known to refuse further connections from a point that does this until better access is made.

Generally, once the connection is made, the transaction begins and continues in almost all cases until the point terminates it. There is a general flow of information during the entire transaction.

The flow usually operates in a back and forth manner, starting slowly but building up to faster and faster back and forth flow until the point indicates completion by transmitting to the server a large termination packet. The connection may remain for a time, but is usually exited shortly thereafter.

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank several dozen people who I have neither met nor spoken to, who helped me find exact titles and authors of references. I contacted these people exclusively by E-Mail and in certain news groups, and I wish to thank everyone who assisted me.


References of interest

William Gibson, "Neuromancer"
Motion Picture, "The Lawnmower Man"
Larry Niven, "Ringworld"
Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven, "Oath of Feality"
G.A. Effinger, "When Gravity Fails"
Author Unknown, "Wargames"
Da Cruz, F. "Kermit Protocol Specification"
Forsberg, C.A. "Zmodem Protocol Specification"
Television Series, "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
Motion Picture, "Brainstorm"
Spider Robinson, "Copyright Violation" (Short Story)
Motion Picture, "Robocop"
Motion Picture, "Total Recall" (Book tie-in of the same name)
Motion Picture, "The National Film Board of Mars Presents:
'What on Earth?'" [19]

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Security Considerations

Security can be defined in two parts: security of the material transmitted, and security of systems or equipment being accessed.

For security against contamination, there are methods available in the transmission methods used to detect contamination, but the possibility of Acquired Interconnect Demarcator Shorting (AIDS) is possible, especially on Promiscuous Connections in point-to-point mode. Use of a Computer Operated Network Demarcator Override Module (CONDOM) is recommended. Also, in some instances, spurious transmission data (especially termination packets) may lead to spawned processes. This may or may not be desirable. These conditions should be discussed in the specifications of the actual operating methods.

The referenced media brings up security issues in general [20], including:

- When Gravity Fails: software implementations may be improperly formed or intentionally malicious. [21]

- Brainstorm: failure to refuse information one is not
able to handle safety could result in serious damage. [22]

- Total Recall: the technology is subject to abuse in
nefarious ways. [23]

It is important to note that the scheme mentioned in this document is intended for the communications of informational messages between systems and across networks. Thus the same precaution and care should be applied to these files as would be to equivalent messages received from remote and possibly unknown sites.

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Other RFCs that may be of interest

1402 Martin, J. There's Gold in them thar Networks! or Searching for Treasure in all the Wrong Places. 1993 January
1394 Robinson, P. Relationship of Telex Answerback Codes to Internet Domains. 1993 January
1350 TFTP protocol (revision 2). Sollins, K.R. 1992 July
1349 Almquist, P. Type of Service in the Internet Protocol Suite. 1992 July
1345 Character mnemonics and character sets. Simonsen, K. 1992 June
1340 Assigned Numbers. Reynolds, J.K.; Postel, J.B. 1992 July
1314 File format for the exchange of images in the Internet. Katz, A.R.; Cohen, D. 1992 April
1312 Message Send Protocol 2. Nelson, R.; Arnold, G. 1992 April
1327 Mapping between X.400(1988)/ISO 10021 and RFC 822. Hardcastle-Kille, S.E. 1992 May
1282 BSD rlogin. Kantor, B. 1991 December
1281 Guidelines for the secure operations of the Internet. Pethia, R.D.; Crocker, S.D.; Fraser, B.Y. 1991 November
1135 Helminthiasis of the Internet. Reynolds, J.K. 1989 December
1036 Standard for interchange of USENET messages. Horton, M.R.; Adams, R. 1987 December
977 Network News Transfer Protocol. Kantor, B.; Lapsley, P. 1986 February
976 UUCP mail interchange format standard. Horton, M.R. 1986 February
854 Telnet Protocol specification. Postel, J.B.; Reynolds, J.K. 1983 May
822 Standard for the format of ARPA Internet text messages. Crocker, D. 1982 August
821 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Postel, J.B. 1982 August
804 CCITT draft recommendation T.4 [Standardization of Group 3 facsimile apparatus for document transmission]. International Telecommunication Union, International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee. 1981







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Notes

[1]. See the Motion Picture, "The Lawnmower Man" for a demonstration of the primitive appearance of people in Virtual Reality interface points, especially the "spiral sequence" (often used in previews for the film) where two people (in badly simulated nudity) appear to spin together in a manner similar to water running down a drain. While I suspect that full simulation with obvious graphics could have been used, it is not precisely evident why the simulation images are clearly simulated. There are probably specific reasons why this was done, perhaps for technical reasons (i.e. computer imaging capability not sufficient), for economic reasons (they preferred an "R" rating), or legal ones (the producer preferred to stay out of prison).

[2]. Niven, L., "Ringworld": a character named Louis Wu decides to shun the use of the methods outlined by this RFC in favor of a "live" transaction. In the sequel, "The Ringworld Engineers" he becomes a "wirehead" with a wire implanted in his brain as a means to hide out from some people looking for him, and essentially uses a crude form of this method. Both books discuss the practice of "tasping" in which some people force access to this method upon others without their consent.

[3]. Pournelle, J., and Niven, L., "Oath of Feality." It is noted in the text that several people have implants for computer connection; two of them use theirs for an enhanced form of telepathy during one of the crude experiments in VRS where physical connection is still involved. Note that the method discussed in this text is similar to a "daddie" mentioned in Effinger (see later cite) They are probably still working on it; consider it evolution in action.

[4]. Effinger, G. A., "When Gravity Fails" New York: Bantam Books, Inc, 1987. This discusses two types of access devices, Personality Change Modules, or "moddies" and memory access enhancement devices, called "daddies". A close example to this RFC would be the "Honey Pilar moddy" discussed in the text. The "implant" used in the Pournelle and Niven text, as mentioned above, would be equivalent to "daddies" type implants when mentioned by Effinger. A danger involved in this method is discussed under "Security issues."

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[5]. Commercial applications on a limited basis are provided in advertisements usually on late-night television involving a female who, in a hushed voice (probably to avoid waking people up who have fallen asleep during the shows) announces a telephone number in the U.S. 900 area code, or in some cases in large cities by calling a local number in the 976 exchange.

[6]. The U.S. Government, in the United States, through the NSF, picks up a large part of the cost of the Internet Backbone; using the limited services provided via telephone 900 NPA or 976 exchange numbers, which are much lower capability, run from 20c to $20 a minute.

[7]. Depending on when failures occurred, people noticed very quickly, and complained anywhere from 5 to 20 seconds after loss of service, especially if loss occurred during the common "burst" of material occurring near the completion of a transaction. In smaller systems, VRS has to use the TFTP port 69. Even on larger systems, in some cases the large Internet bandwidth and machine resources used for VRS often mandated the disabling of Telnet, FTP, NNTP and SMTP. Since these services apparently aren't of much importance to users on Internet, their unavailability was often not noticed for long periods of time.

[8]. The class of literature which introduced this concept is usually referred to as the "cyberpunk" genre, with the
introduction of the William Gibson book, "Neuromancer."

[9]. I do note that in "Brainstorm", Christopher Walken is able to receive the complete experience over a coin telephone line. Also, the means by which the material is recorded is not made very clear. Either the data runs in a special compressed mode or there is a means to run much higher amounts of data than is normally available in commercial applications being used. ISDN supposedly will allow a 56KB data channel over ordinary phone lines, but I do not think the pay station in question was an ISDN line.

It may also be noted that computer technology, then, was much less powerful and less available than today (as today's computers will be obsolete junk in five years, assuming they are going to last that long), and the idea of using a computer to select the type of experience was probably not thought of.
Also, the connection could be multiplexed, i.e. the tape could

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send the same information to several receptors, but the transmission medium was one-way; there was no means for feedback.

[10]. There is an apparent scene in "Total Recall" where the director of the office running an access chair claims to have inserted himself into the middle of a running program. ("Mr. Quaid...I'm monitoring you from the Psychoprobe Console...") Part of the plot of the motion picture is whether or not this statement is correct; i.e. that the incident is not part of the running program being experienced by the subject and that a very complicated series of experiences are in fact a simulation, or that he is really involved in a major political scandal.

[11]. In some cases, six people would interconnect to the machine, but only five would come back. In one instance, a user performed a VRS simulation on someone else, then figured a means to leave them behind in the machine. As this system could not store people longer than 1/2 hour, it meant that it is possible to kill someone using a device of this kind. Such activity is considered inappropriate as being somewhat rude, and is generally frowned upon.

[12]. I suspect the producers of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" have considered this, but the audience might feel it would damage the show's reputation. Generally, they've tended to avoid VRS in favor of live interactions.

[13]. This also brings up a new level of ethical question that the media covering this area barely skims over: if you can use a cheap means to get an experience indistinguishable from reality and have the ability to get literally anything you want in a simulation, what holds society together? People are killing each other over the unlicensed sale and use of drugs which provide a pale and vastly inferior experience; what happens when you have something better than drugs and won't damage you?

(Of course, most of the killing is caused because the product is illegal (which raises the profit level of those who supply it) and the government is predisposed to use this as a strawman to confiscate our civil rights.)

We might not have all that much to worry about: in 1913, marijuana, cocaine, opium, heroin and other addictive drugs

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were legal, and 2% of the population regularly used them. Today: 80 years; billions of dollars of illegal drug profits; hundreds of innocent people who, having done nothing wrong, have had their life savings confiscated by the U.S. Government without right of recourse; thousands dead; tens of thousands in prison; and a President of the United States who used marijuana later (excuse me, "did not inhale"), the result of the "war on drugs" is that: surprise! 2% of the population is still using drugs.

In short, the technology is either there or will be shortly; if developed properly, a large number of people can benefit: close, illegalize or restrict it and bootlegging and corruption will occur. The fact that a few people misuse something is insufficient reason to deny the benefits of it to others.

[14]. There are many complicated methods of inverting port numbers, the simplest being to write the number down, turn the paper over and use that number.

[15]. The biggest problem with inverting is the danger the process could become a Failure Access Generic (FAG) and be unable to use the standard ports unless the process is forced into Basic Indexed-Standard Enhanced eXtended User Access Load (BI-S.E.X.U.A.L) mode.

[16]. There is another "real world" use outside computer
interconnection for "service 69" but it is beyond the scope of this document.

[17]. This is the precise term but is so rarely used that spelling out the abbreviation is not needed, since we all know what it is. Other more common slang forms are in use but are not germane to this document.

[18]. Another form used is server-to-server mode. Since one of them must initiate the transaction, the one that does so, for the purpose of this RFC, is the "point".

[19]. This has nothing to do with the subject of this note; I just like the title.

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[20]. Some people don't think some of these are security issues? If the mere breaking into a computer and stealing information is a security issue, then what is breaking into someone's *mind* and stealing their personality? Business as usual? (Oh yes, for government agents it is, sorry.)

[21]. Those of us using the Internet are fully aware of the dangers of malicious software, as has been discussed many times.

Precautions should be used against interfaces to software which cannot be trusted for safety. I know people are going to try stuff anyway, because people only learn through painful experience, but at least I made the effort to raise a warning.

Effinger's work exemplifies where someone took a particular module and instead of having it analyzed, executed it, resulting in disastrous consequences.

[22]. To keep from spoiling the plot of "Brainstorm", some of the details are omitted, but here is where the Security issue comes into focus:

Someone recorded their own death onto the special tape. Someone else discovers it and proceeds to play the tape, resulting in severe pain; they disable the pain output on their terminal only, and proceeds to play the tape. Right at this point a third party at another location taps into their transmission to monitor it, and ignores the warning from someone else that they should disable part of the transmission.

Not having the pain receptors disabled, the transmission is too much for them: they have a heart attack and drop dead.

[23]. A form of security issue involves obvious misuse of the technology in disgusting ways. It could be abused to "wipe" someone's personality and replace it with some kind of construct personality complete with synthetic memories of fictional events, i.e. mind control for dissidents. As with
any technology, there is always the possibility for abuse: in
one case they planned to erase a woman's memory and change her personality; just another example of where something good can be prostituted.

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Certificate of Authenticity

As evidence that this document has been issued by and on the authority of the author, I hereby impose my servicemark upon this RFC as evidence of the validity of the issuer of this "document transmitted by computer":

Paul W Robinson, is "TDarcos ... The Standard of Immorality" or
Tansin Arogan Darcos of the District of Columbia Territory of the USA
"Grind our enemies into the dust, and drown them in their own gore."
"Exploiting humanity since 1986."
"Above all else...We shall go on..."
_"...And continue!"_

- Servicemark Registered Commonwealth of Virginia, USA May 25, 1990;
Servicemark Registered State of Maryland, USA August 16, 1991.


Author's Address

Paul Robinson
Tansin A. Darcos & Company
8604 Second Avenue #104
Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA

Telex: 6505066432MCI UW
Internet Address: TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM


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