The Birth and Death of Cyberspace

How and why cyberspace was created and what impact does it have? (The birth and death of cyberspace and how it relates to real life)

Cyberspace = the creation of a new world.

                                (google images showing the electronic world, cyberspace that later creates world that resemble the one we live in )

The creation of a new electronic world. A world of which anything can happen, away from the normal world. The term cyberspace was first used by William Gibson, it's all about science and electronic communication.

To understand the idea of cyberspace i found that thinking of  the 'Matrix' helps as it is along the lines of that.

Its a virtual world, the characteristics of which are made up by the computerised environment.

Virtual worlds are common nowadays, it's like a separate online community, they can be found in online games and video games such as 'Halo' and 'Second Life

"cyberspace is socialising however through a computer, it's all quite technical when you look at it in depth"

(Charlie Nelson, computer graphics expert)

Birth:

The creation of cyberspace itself, when the whole idea was made real. People being able to connect and interact in a virtual world with a character as to represent themselves.

When the cyber/ online world was created/born.

Death:

The world of cyberspace is now seen as so normal, ordinary and like an everyday thing that it is starting to loose the its label. Before cyberspace was a whole new world, away from real life. But no, cyberspace is real life, it is the way of the world. 

People now use Internet social networking and online sites as though they are a part of everyday life and so the term 'cyberspace' is being used less and less.

How is cyberspace similar and different to real life?

similar:   Every one is presented visually as human

                 anyone and everyone is welcome

different: Online 

                 Everyone is more friendly

                 Not face to face

                 No full contact or interaction

                 have to access via computer

There was recently a documentary on channel 4 about a boy addicted to porn. You may be thinking what has this got to do with cyberspace... well... he would connect to the porn sites through chat rooms and virtual sites. Additionally he would watch avatars/ virtual world characters have sex like in this image below taken from the website wwww.moove.com.

This obsession lead to him loosing his girlfriend as she could understand how someone could happily stay in the house 3 days in a row watching porn instead of going out with her! 

 The sites are a world that does not exist although he knows this he found it more interested in meeting people and connecting with them on websites rather than in real life. He claimed that 'it's easier' people out there on these particular sites no what you want and you no what they want. In some way this proves to be true, the link below shows the story of a man caught by his wife having avatar intercourse.
http://men.webmd.com/guide/virtual-sex

Second Life is the perfect example:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruMi3MAGkvc&feature=related

This link takes you to a great explanation on you-tube of second life, how it works and who uses it. This video was made and uploaded in 2008, and second life has adapted and changed since then however the overall aim for this part of second life is the same.

 Peoples opinions of second life vary, below is one person opinion after seeing the you-tube video.

It is clear that this person either dislikes the overall idea of second life or is just very opinionated about the people who use it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

                                

Many people have strong views about cyberspace, it's all based on the individual. It's also up to them the impact of which it has on their lives. Some people rely on cyberspace to pay the bills where as others have absolutely nothing to do with it.