Now if only I could port those ideas to real life. The Brazillian music would serenade in the background, in the perpetually sunny weather. The mailman would arrive and throw my junk mail straight to the sharks, and put the ham in the refrigerator for me to read later. On leaving, the mailman gives the windchimes a little tinkle just so I know the mail has arrived...

No way. I just want to deal with email with a minimum of fuss. I'll save "sensual experiences" for other things than email.

I was wondering whether any of the virtual life-like environments (like 3D mailbox) can be applied to other things, other than email and page visits, for example:
- Web dev languages
- Servers maintenance: imaging showing the server room as something totally different (like the beach) and creating a better mood for tech people.
- Support and client servicing software. Each client live chat request can be visualized where the support person can right click and interact with him...

Just ideas... maybe you (Robert) can make them real one day, like the other great software you are already doing.

I dont understand anything to do with computers :(i need help asap :) With any ideas contact me as the only programme i know how to use is fireworks and garage band the only website i understand is google help me... rhiannon x

I think one area that might really fit with visualization (doesn't need to be real-time 3D, I suppose good 2d or isometric pseudo-3D would also be an option) is contacts management. This program would analyze your emails and then come up with ways to visualize your content network based on how long you know someone, how much you email with them, based on other people they or you CC'd in certain threads (thus creating contact groups, like: family, workplace, blog-related stuff etc.). There'd be lots of lines leading from different persons to each other. Also, the visualization could use e.g. the avatars Gmail brings (the avatar being customizable by you if the one found doesn't work out well), and it could also add some clues from e.g. the person's name (male vs female). The program could also analyze the signatures of a respective person, like an address or job title, and render it in some way. The program could even get clues about time zones one lives in by anaylzing the average times mails were sent. Also, the program could analyze how often a person sends something vs how often you reply – it could then 1) move persons more out of sight which you seem to never to reply to (maybe someone spamming you with their product?) or 2) add a little animation when you didn't reply for some days to a person you usually always reply to quickly... and so on...

TechCrunch has b***s and says this is the worst app ever:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/18/3d-mailbox-worst-app-ever/

I like this comment: "Hey if Duncan hates it, it must be good."

And I agree with the TechCrunch. The good visualization of data is very important, but people want to be able to deal with their mail very quickly, and not to watch it walking on the screen. That could be a good toy for a 6 year old, but not anybody who use e-mail at work. We should try to think how we make managing of e-mail easier and more in context (eg. conversation view in Gmail) and not how to make it as something entirely else.

Here are examples of a good data visualization:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/92
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/144

I can' get it to work in Vista because Roxio uses files it needs to install

The software is on the front page of digg right now, with more than 2 400 digs so far.

The description says everything: "This is a joke, right? Please, kill me now.."

http://www.digg.com/software/This_is_a_joke_right

;)

Some of the comments:

"Somewhere, in a darkened office in Redmond, Clippy the Dancing Paperclip is laughing hysterically: "How do you like that for a productivity enhancer, b-i-t-c-h-e-s!""

"Sometimes reality is stranger than parody"

"yes, how can we make checking email take up more time and effort than it does now?"

"But does it work with BonziBuddy?"

"People at work must think I'm crazy. I can't stop laughing."

"The time machine! It works! This must be 1999!"

"If that thing catches on I'm quiting my IT job and moving to a deserted island with no computers."

"This has to be a joke!!!"

"BonziBuddy 2.0."

"She's naked on the diving board. I'm sold."

"And you thought bonzi buddy was bad!"

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/07/19/3d-mailbox-so-bad-its-bad/

I've seen it all, now. How ridiculous.

lol. Look at the comments.

I love it when TechCrunch criticizes something and everyone else feels compelled to echo their judgments. I didn't try the software, but I love it just because of all these senseless echoes.

> I love it when TechCrunch criticizes
> something and everyone else feels
> compelled to echo their judgments.

I don't think digg users read the TechCrunch article...

Robert pointed me to his reply – I think by now he now takes it with some humor:

http://www.3dmailbox.com/postmastercorner/index.html

He doesn't really care what people say, I like that.