Grid

The Grid is a non-Matrix internet system created and maintained by New Light Media for Withmore City. NLM also handles the city's GridWorks network backbone.

Grid 3.0

Grid 3.0, known by most simply as 'The Grid', was a non-matrix-based internet. While most of the world used Matrix software for a more interactive and fully immersible cyberspace, Withmore City used the Grid. It was most comparable to the limited functionality of the early 21st-century Internet.

The software was created and maintained by New Light Media.

The grid could be accessed using StreetTerms, QuickTerms and LiteTerms.

Users could register for a Grid Account which was tied to their SIC ID for identification purposes, though any user could access another Grid Account if they had the correct user name and password.

The Grid had limited functionality but was capable of hosting nodes and message boards that served as a forum for the citizens of Withmore City and news.

The Grid was initially accessible from outside Withmore City but due to its lack of use in other parts of the world, that service was discontinued. It was still possible to access the Grid outside Withmore City as a subscription service.

Grid 4.0

In July 2110, NLM released version 4.0 of its proprietary Grid software, introducing major changes to its infrastructure and capabilities. The release was followed by a sharp rise in NLM's CorpShare price.

The upgrade retained existing accounts and supported the city's StreetTerms, QuickTerms and LiteTerms. The NovaTerm offered greater capabilities for deckers, while the GridSight cybernetic interface allowed a compatible terminal to be operated hands-free through a visual overlay and small gestures.

Grid 4.0 expanded control over nodes, allowing owners to appoint editors, restrict access, keep backups and transfer ownership. Forums gained editable posts and moderation tools, and Gridmail gained read receipts.

Its expanded decking capabilities connected the network more closely to the physical city. Programs written in Brlang could interact with scanned devices and locations, including security cameras and local SIC coverage. ICE protected nodes and terminals against intrusion, while suspicious activity could draw responses from GridWorks.