Actual Object (AO)

The Virtual Age, which began in the 2020s, initially created linguistic ambiguity when people wished to refer to objects that they now viewed primarily as holograms. This led to the practice of referring to non-holographic "things" as being "actual." Ultimately, this ambiguity was largely resolved, as people understood that objects in plain view of participants in a discussion could be referred to without the application of the modifier "actual." That modifier was reserved for objects referred to in holocoms. Hence, an Actual Object (AO) referred to in a holocom became simply an "object" when discussed "in person," provided the object, too, was present at the discussion.