Cyberspace

What is cyberspace?

An attempt by humans to understand something by making it a tangible environment. The word "cyberspace" is credited to William Gibson, who used it in his book, Neuromancer, written in 1984. Gibson defines cyberspace as "a consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts... A graphical representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the non-space of the mind, clusters and constellations of data" (New York: Berkley Publishing Group, 1989), pp. 128. But simply put it is the notional environment in which communication over computer networks occurs.

The video below outlines another explanation of what cyberspace consists of.

Is cyberspace real?

This depends on the definition that is applied to both real and cyberspace, but generally cyberspace can be considered as real as it is something that exists, though not necessarily as something physical, but a tangible environment of which we can create real world effects (Strate, 1999). 

Where is cyberspace? There is no physical location, but perhaps it can be considered as anywhere there is a digitally connected presence, where people can communicate beyond physical presence. Is Facebook in cyberspace? Yes. 

Cybernetics is the study of systems of command, control and communication in machines and animals.

What is an example of a cybernetic product from your own life? Computer, mobile. Is iTunes a cybernetic system? Maybe through its communication in podcast. Is the University a cybernetic system? Maybe through the communication of learning, especially online. Do cybernetics leave out the human element? Definitely not, it is concerned with the symbiotic relationships that can be determined between both humans and machines

What is an example of Cyberpunk from your own media consumption? Mostly movies and video games. Is Hunger Games cyberpunk or fantasy? What is the difference? There are elements of an elitist cyberpunk society, where a huge disparity exists between rich and poor, and where the poor people have no control and are subject to hardships from the wealthy. The technology of this environment is sophisticated, but is not used in typical cyberpunk tradition. Arguably, the wealthy element of hunger games could be seen as cyberprep. 

Strate, L 1999, 'The varieties of cyberspace: problems in definition and delimitation', Western Journal of Communication, vol. 63, no. 3, pp. 382-412.