Cyberspace - the new dimension of human interaction (original) (raw)

Cyberspace and its effect on cultural-political and social processes

2011

Cyberspace and its effect on cultural-political and social processes Forward The Invention of the computer in the middle of the 20th century has changed the daily life in most of the world, and its impact on economy, culture, and even war, is overwhelming. It has created a new dimension of human activity beyond the physical dimension-the cyberspace. Cyberspace has a new role in the political-cultural world by allowing social communication, which can be very meaningful in the context of political turmoil. Furthermore, it is also an important means to improve and create knowledge required for a social revolution. In this sense, the impact of the computing revolution is similar to the impact the print revolution had on the world in the middle of the 15th century. This article presents two main arguments. The first is a philosophical argument that the revolutionary process in the Middle East (˝Arab Spring˝) did not occur because of change in interests, but because of a fundamental change in consciousness and perception of reality of the individuals in these societies (especially among the young). Therefore, they are inevitable and cannot be stopped. The second argument is that activity in cyberspace creates trust between the demonstrators and allows the necessary cooperation to exercise the protest embedded in each of them. The result is a unified revolt against the ruling powers and militant organizations in these countries. Dr. Assa analyzes the revolutionary dilemma using game theory, by a variation on the ‹Prisoner›s Dilemma» game, examining an iterative process of cooperative behavior. Dr. Assa›s original and unique observation is significant for understanding the current processes in the Middle East and be prepared for the future.

Thoughts on an appropriate understanding of the relationship between cyberspace

Jogelméleti Szemle, 2021

Society moving into cyberspace began almost a quarter of a century ago with the emergence of e-mail. Today, accelerated by the need for pandemic-induced closure, it has created a range of social activities in cyberspace. And if we read the reports of the information science research laboratories on the already developed developments of the Internet of Things, smart homes and smart cities, in 15 to 20 years we can assume that most of the social activities will move from physical space to cyberspace. In addition to the many benefits, the resulting problems (e.g., from the sovereignty concerns of states organized in physical space, to the dramatic concerns of children's socialization inextricably linked to physical spatial contact, to the disintegration of local cultures) have already been voiced in research. The magnitude of the shift, however, suggests that our old familiar concepts of physical-spatial society are inadequate to describe the phenomena of the new cyberspace society. However, because of the rapid changes, we cannot help using the concepts we have developed over the past hundred years to express the new phenomena in cyberspace society.

Reflections on the Psychology and Social Science of Cyberspace

Personal computers and computer networks began to take over offices and increasingly the public in the 1980s, but the extensive adoption of the Internet did not come about until the introduction of the first browsers and the overwhelming acceptance of Microsoft Windows and Apple systems -equipped with advanced graphics -both in the mid-1990s. The world changed in many ways for numerous people from that point, as both social institutions and individuals have witnessed and participated in another social revolution: the availability and accessibility of information of all kinds and the dramatic innovation in interpersonal communication. With the assistance and encouragement of governments and many organizations (acting out of a variety of reasons), computers, linked to ever-growing networks, penetrated the general public rather quickly and relatively easily. It did not take long before numerous technological firms around the world, acknowledging significant improvements in a broad array of personal, work-related, social, businessrelated, and government-related activities, joined a competitive race for this line of business, marked by its creativity and high potential. Accordingly, they advanced and reinforced more intensive use of computers and numerous computer-related activities. This race, in turn, brought about fantastic technological developments that have changed people's world order and lives in many ways, from seeking and using information on any topic to shopping and trading, from communication with acquaintances and with strangers to virtual dating and a love life, from learning and teaching to doing research, from helping others and being helped to improved use of medicine and other facets of health care, from entertainment and leisure to self-expression. These changes in exposure to numerous areas, patterns of behaviors, and priorities are dynamic and continuously emerging, as technology is still developing rapidly and people are not only more open to such changes, but in fact expect them.

Community-Building in Cyberspace

Javnost - The Public, 1998

This article explores two of the central theoretical perspectives for promoting and understanding community-building initiatives in cyberspace. One is referred to as virtual democracy and contains reference to many of the key concepts taken from classical democratic theory: universal access to information, participation in public debate and political decision-making, empowerment and equality of citizenry. The other perspective, urban entrepreneurialism, is based on an analysis of late capitalism and the place of consumption in determination of self, culture and society. Proponents of this second perspective see possibilities for urban regeneration and economic renewal through emphasis on locally-situated entrepreneurialism operating within a global market. A case study of community-building in cyberspace currently being compiled the Craigmiller Community Information Service (CCIS) Network in Edinburgh, Scotland is sketched in the remainder of the article. Although the case clearly reflects aspects of these two perspectives in its stated objectives, limited evidence is found among user groups in the housing estate expressing value for and use of network services. In spite of this, both users and network spokesmen remain optimistic that the initiative will eventually contribute to both entrepreneurial and community-building aspirations shared for the Craigmiller housing estate.

Averting the Catastrophe of Cyberspace

Social Responsibility Journal, 2007

PurposeTo address the impact of information technology on culture and society, in particular the potential for control and manipulation afforded to state, government and unregulated corporations, by the medium of sophisticated communication networks. The paper sets out to expose the corporate world's manipulation of IT and the multi‐media as it exercises a powerful coercive force, constituting a legitimating principle for economic and cultural domination. It is suggested that the relentless progression of science as profit and the individual as profit‐generating automaton constitutes the subversion of a world rightly ordered by human principles. The paper calls for the ethical regulation of cyberspace, necessitating a philosophical approach and one which prizes human endeavour.Design/methodology/approachExamples from the technosocial world taken from across a range of uses, providers and users are explored according to their impact on everyday life. The ontological and phenomeno...

The Experience of Cyberspace: A Survey of Internet User's experience Executive summary

The rapid evolution of technology, the development of information and the widespread use of the cyberspace have brought revolutionary changes in all daily activities Cyberspace is a place that everyday thousands of people visit and spend hours, for various reasons. According to Rice et al (2007, pg 7) 'the Internet has been a major social and technical innovation, ranging from household use of the web for electronic messaging accessing information and operating ones' financial affairs. This worldwide multimedia computer and transmission network of networks is altering access to important intellectual resources and dramatically changing lives and social arraignments in many places around world'. The life of every person changed after the Internet got a space in daily actions.

Cyberspace, International Encyclopedia of Communication Theory & Philosophy

This entry traces the origins, development, and decline of the use of the term cyberspace as applied to computer-networked communication since the 1980s. It pays particular attention to the blurring, in critical studies of cyberspace, of fictional visions and futures from SF literature and film, with actual technological and cultural applications and practices.