77 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
77 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
What is the Nature of Cyberspace?
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by Justin McHale
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(jmchale@gmuvax.gmu.edu)
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The word "cyberspace" is being used a lot lately, mostly in vague reference to
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what goes on in the Internet or on BBSs. But the word has a much wider meaning,
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it derives from the word "cybernetics," which is the science of communication and
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control theory.
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Cyberspace: The entire human information space
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considered as a whole.
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It is the information space which we all operate in -- radio
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waves are as much a part of the cyberspace matrix as are the
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means by which you are currently reading this article.
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Anything which is a means of communication, or a
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"communication" itself could arguably be considered part of
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cyberspace.
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What does a "human information space" really mean? Let's take each of those
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words a step at a time, because each is important:
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Information: The building blocks of cyberspace is information which can be
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communicated. It is digital information in computers, radio signals, television
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signals, telephones, i.e. digital recordings of all sorts - video tape, magnetic
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tape, compact discs, etc.
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Space: This potential for communication creates a space in two senses: (1) a
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virtual area people may communicate (2) a virtual environment where
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information can be stored.
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Human: Cyberspace would not exist without us to "activate" it, otherwise it
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would only exist as communication channels and information stored in
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various locations across the world.
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So at its most basic level cyberspace is just the "space" created when information
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is communicated. But it is the speed at which communication takes place in
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cyberspace which makes it what it is.
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Identity In Cyberspace
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In cyberspace you really have no identity until you create one. For most people on
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the Internet or BBSs, your identity is nothing beyond the textual voice of the
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messages you send, or on-line conversation. The common term for this kind of
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"being" in cyberspace is "telepresence" or just a "presence."
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Being a simple "presence" in cyberspace creates an interesting situation. The
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identity you create in cyberspace does not necessarily have any connection with
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your "real" identity outside of cyberspace. You can take the role of another
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identity, even a completely artificial identity. But even if you don't take on a
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different identity in cyberspace, you will still present a different side of your
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personality, and interact with people differently. This is a natural effect of
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cyberspace environment. Because everything is remotely communicated in
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cyberspace, your "presence" is always a "tele" or a "far off" presence. No matter
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how good the connection is between you and those you are tele-linked with (i.e.
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even real-time video images for example), you are not present in the flesh.
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The "World" Of Cyberspace
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Cyberspace is a world of hyperreality. Hyperreality is place where "real" objects
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are replaced by representations of objects. Thus in a hyperreal world, the "real" is
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indistinguishable from illusion and simulation. In cyberspace for example, you
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might find an image of a tree instead of a real tree, or perhaps you will simply
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have the description "There is a tall tree here" substituting for a real tree.
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Like identities in cyberspace, objects do not necessarily have to relate to anything
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in "real" world at all. Objects or "things" in cyberspace can be as fantastic as can be
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imagined.
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Why not try to design the most fantastic cyberspace object your can imagine, and
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contribute it to this magazine? Click here to jump to more information.
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This discussion of the basics of cyberspace will continue in the next issue.
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