The Extensions of Cyberspace

The Extensions of Cyberspace (Part 1)

“Speed and Information: Cyberspace Alarm!” – Paul Virilio

According to my understanding, it means that through Cyberspace to use the fastest speed to spread the useful information to different people of the world. Simply said, it means that we can use different way communicate in Cyberspace.

Related from my last post, in the developed world Cyberspace has leaded us into the electronic information age. The following are some used communicate skills of Cyberspace:

1. Web sites. Web sites as the most important part of internet, which can be a vast multimedia online library covering any topic you can imagine, such as Google. In addition, Web sites can also include pictures, video clips, sounds, music and flash, such as YouTube. Therefore, a web site is a richest multimedia of Cyberspace. (http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html)

2. Email. Email is one of the easiest ways to use for communication. When you exchange emails with others, it is not only an electronic letter launched through the internet, but also it is a way of conversation. Unconsciously, some relationships will form through frequent email interaction. However, email becomes a kind of “space”, connect people live together. (http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html)

3. Chat rooms, Instant Messaging (IM). Through in chat rooms or instant messaging, People can communicate with each other in real time, such as QQ, MSN. Everyone just needs to sit in front of their computer at the same time, and then they can type any word they want to say on the screen. In the other side, their friends can see the messages from the screen as people are talking to them. (http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html)

4. Message Boards. A message board such as an electronic bulletin board, people can use a link to a specific site on the internet and post their messages to each other. Whenever you want, you can go to the site and read the messages that others have written, such as the Breo of University (http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html)

5. Blogs. Blogs are a kind of online journal or diary. It is a type of text communication of Cyberspace. People always use blog to record their thinking, feeling and events of their everyday. They can choose post their blog publish or not publish to the others, and the viewer can read and leave some comments if they feel interesting. (http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html)

6. Video-conferencing. Video-conferencing is another newer feature of cyberspace. Usually it is used by some international companies. When someone at other places or countries, just use a video camera and microphone to conversation with others, people can see and also hear each other as they talk. (http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html)

In a word, Internet and digital culture have become the dominant in the developed world. Cyberspace enlarged the communication range between people and made the information spread become farster and easier.

Reference

Paul Virilio, Le Monde Diplomatique, (1995), University of Amsterdam

http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html (accessed on 30/10/2008)

The Birth (and Death) of Cyberspace

The Birth of Cyberspace

The word “cyberspace” was coined by science fiction novelist and seminal cyberpunk author William Gibson in his 1982 story “Burning Chrome” and popularized by his 1984 novel Neuromancer. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberspace) However, according to the lecture notes on breo, I realized the term cyberspace was originally used in a short story by William Gibson, he develops this idea by describing as:

"Cyberspace, a consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts... A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding."

-- William Gibson (in "Neuromancer", 1984, page 51)

Interpretation of Cyberspace

In basically, Cyberspace is a concept of space or a digital space. Usually, Cyberspace attribute to computer software, internet and a virtual world which consist in network. Therefore, Cyberspace is not the reality of the physical space. In which, there is not any physical binding and even not limited into three- dimensional form. It can be multi- dimensional, non- continuous and self mapping. The Appearance of Cyberspace promoted human and social practice by the growing reality of daily life in space to cyberspace, which also made the world communication become quicker and easier. In the developed world, network technology has radically changed everyday life for people. So once Cyberspace appeared in people’s daily life, it has become a global control and communication system.

In my personal opinion, I think Cyberspace is an interesting communication system. Because of that in my daily life, when I check my spaces, in which I will find many different people have visited. Of course, some of them are my friends, but there are still a part of them I do not know. However, some of them still leave their comments for me and I will also reply. In Cyberspace, it created out a special space and connected the different people. Maybe they have never seen before in their real life and they do not know each other. However, through Cyberspace, they can get the extra relationships. That is why I think Cyberspace is an interesting virtual world.

In this post, I have given a general introduction about the birth of the word Cyberspace, and also included a basic interpretation of Cyberspace. In next post, I will introduce more new skills of Cyberspace.

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberspace(accessed on 28/10/2008)

Neuromancer, (1984) William Gibson, Canada

ABOUT MEDIA

About Media

Media is plural of medium and which means a form and technology used to communicate information with others. Actually, the means of Media are very difficult to define, which refers to many different means of communication. For example, television, radio, mobile and newspaper are all different types of Media. In another way, we can say that media is one kind of multimedia presentations, for example, combine sound, pictures and videos, all of them are also different types of media. (http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/M/media.html) In addition, Media in Cyberculture means another way. In which we called it computer media. In Computer media the objects on which data can be stored. It includes the hard drives, removable drives, such as Zip disks, CD-ROM or CD-R discs, DVDs, Flash Memory and USB drives. (http://www.iwebtool.com/what_is_media.html) In computer networks, media refers to the cables linking workstations together. There are many different types of transmission in media, the most popular is the normal electrical wire such as twisted-pair wire; the type of cable used for cable television such as coaxial cable; and also the cables made out of glass such as fiber optic. (http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/M/media.html)

In my opinion, with the development of technologies and the effect of culture, Media has become an important form to get information and communicate with others for people. In our normal life, Media enlarges the spaces for communicating and renews the information quickly at all time for people’s requirements. However, most of people cannot live without Media now.

I found that there are so many different definitions about Media and Cyberculture. Therefore, I believe that Media and Cyberculture are not only limited on a computer or a network. They still have many interesting subjects which are waiting for us to explore and improve.

References

http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/M/media.html (accessed on 21/10/2008)
http://www.iwebtool.com/what_is_media.html(accessed on 21/10/2008)

ABOUT CYBERCULTURE Part 2

About Cyberculture Part 2

According to the context, I have given many explanations from my opinion about cyberculture in my first one blog. When I get more researches from books and webs, I find out some professional definitions of Cyberculture and Media:

1. Cyberculture is the culture that has emerged, or is emerging, from the use of computer networks for communication, entertainment and business.（http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberculture）

2. Cyberculture is the developed culture which has sprung up around internet use. Cyber not only means internet, but also it means control, which comes from a Greek word. However, in cyberculture control becomes an important element. For example, we can control everything through internet, which means we can control our normal life online instead of control or cannot be controlled in our real life. Therefore, Cyberculture means a kind of abilities to control aspects of our life culture.(http://www.blurtit.com/q183015.html)

3. Cyberculture is broad, deep, and in a constant state of flux (http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/introducing_cyberculture.html) Therefore, cyberculture in normal life is closely related to us, however, it also need to renew and improve the useful imformation in shortly time for people.


4. According to the meaning of Cyberculture, it is a collection of cultures, cultural products and social effect between people and digital devices, such as computer internet, TV, radio and mobile phones. (http://gebrint.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-do-we-mean-by-media-and.html)

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberculture (accessed on 16/10/2008)
http://www.blurtit.com/q183015.html(accessed on 16/10/2008)

http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/introducing_cyberculture.html (accessed on 16/10/2008)http://gebrint.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-do-we-mean-by-media-and.html (accessed on 16/10/2008)

ABOUT CYBERCULTURE Part 1

About Cyberculture Part 1

Cyberculture is the culture that has emerged, or is emerging, from the use of computer networks for communication, entertainment and business. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberculture)

In my opinion, Cyberculture is the developed culture of internet. People can through internet, television, radio and video games to communicate with others. Cyberculture makes different kind of people create out many new ideas for a same subject and let them free to share their information and technologies for everyone. In addition, Cyberculture influenced the society and politics culture for everyone, because of the communication is becoming so easy now.

I am also one of the participators in cyberculture, and I think I must be the momentous one. I have two myspaces, three blogs, I also usually play some video games and talk to others online and sometimes I will watch some online TV programs or news. Cyberculture has also affected my normal life. I can order my food through internet, such as Pizza, chips, Chicken and Drink. I can buy everything online if I want, the books, clothes, shoes, and even the computers and so on. Although I am in the UK now, I can still keep touch with my parents and my friends who live in China by just going online. Every time, when I get ready to airport, I can check in my ticket on the internet first.

However, Cyberculture also has some disadvantages for people. For example, people can easily to find out anythings about you. Some of people will bring some baleful information into your computer, and then make your internet attack by virus.

In conclusion, I think Cyberculture is a predominant internet culture. Through cyberculture, I have understood how easy to communicate with others is to get online and how easy I can find out everything I need. Day by day, Cyberculture has become an important part in my life and I think it will be more perfection in the future.

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberculture (accessed on 12/10/08)