Unification of computer reality

TL;DR

This paper proposes a unified conceptual model for user virtual environments, integrating local operating systems and global internet spaces into a single virtual space based on general principles.

Contribution

It introduces a spatial conceptual basis using 'object - place' concepts, unifying local and global environments and replacing traditional metaphors like 'desktop' and 'personal computer'.

Findings

Unified virtual environment model based on 'domain' and 'site' concepts.

Separation of user environment from hardware concepts.

Integration of local and global spaces through the 'portal' concept.

Abstract

The work attempts to unify the conceptual model of the user's virtual computer environment, with the aim of combining the local environments of operating systems and the global Internet environment into a single virtual environment built on general principles. To solve this problem, it is proposed to unify the conceptual basis of these environments. The existing conceptual basis of operating systems, built on the "desktop" metaphor, contains redundant concepts associated with computer architecture. The use of the spatial conceptual basis "object - place" with the concepts of "domain", "site", and "data object" allows to completely virtualize the user environment, separating it from the hardware concepts. The virtual concept "domain" is becoming a universal way of structuring the user's space. The introduction of this concept to describe the environments of operating systems provides at the mental level the integration of the structures of the local and global space. The use of the concept of "personal domain" will allow replacing the concept of "personal computer" in the mind of the user. The virtual concept of "site" as an environment for activities and data storage will allow abandoning such concepts as "application" (program), or "memory device". The site in the mind of the user is a virtual environment that includes both places for storing data objects and places for working with them. The introduction of the concept "site" into the structure of operating systems environments and the concept of "data site" into the structure of the global network integrates the structure of the global and local space in the user's mind. The introduction of the concept of "portal" as a means of integrating information necessary for interaction, allows ensuring the methodological homogeneity of the user's work in a single virtual environment.