The idea of the internet as cyberspace has been a part of our contemporary culture for some time, particularly in the popular medium of film. But is the concept of cyberspace still relevant to our contemporary society? Discuss with reference to your own experience of contemporary media.
The word "cyberspace" was coined by the science fiction author William
Gibson, when he sought a name to describe his vision of a global computer
network, linking all people, machines and sources of information in the world,
and through which one could move or "navigate" as through a virtual space.(
Heylighen 1993)
In this case, Cyberspace is the ‘place’ where information and massages appears to occur. Not inside your real life, in some other places. Cyberspace is the metaphorical space of computer systems and networks, in which electronic data are stored and online communication takes place. However, cyberspace is different from internet and website. It is a virtual space but include real data. So, it has been a part of our contemporary culture for some time. Cyberspace occurs under the society, culture, internet, website, social media, online-games, and more and more space.
As the World becomes more and more connected can you keep up with the changes in Cyberspace? Nowadays, our contemporary culture of internet and digital media, the edges between real and virtual become more and more ambiguous. Many events and situations have very powerful social effect from cyberspace of today. But is the concept of cyberspace still relevant to our contemporary society? I believe that changed a lot.
The United States is trying to improve cybersecurity by building relationships
among international law enforcement agencies. State Department officials hold
out as a model the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, which took effect
in 2004 and has been signed by 22 nations, including the United States but not
Russia or China. (NY Times 2009)
Many of my friends first time read the concept of cyberspace, they will relevant of science fiction, because of William Gibson. However, cyberspace is no longer limited in traditional concept; it’s more and more popular in different areas. With the development of network and internet technology, cyberspace replaces many traditional information exchange platform. For example in cyberspace of war, the tools of war from cold-arms, gun-power, improve to use computer power as a weapon. In the meantime, cyberspace has many new features in this case, such as privacy, penetration and peril. So, from news, we can see many nations become pay more attention to build and improve cyberspace, cybersecurity and make rules for cybercrimes. Moreover, virtual reality of cyber technology is very useful in military training, as far as I know this technology is very popular in many countries simulated training for pilot, spaceman and so on.
On other hand, cyberspace has become most important part in our daily life. Millions of people stay in home, work and play depends on internet, mobile phone, blog, software. Cyberspace makes a great role in stay-at-home economy. People can finish tasks from internet, they can book food from different website, and they don’t need go outside and keep alive. Such as online/computer games, they played by consumer and the consumer provide profit to the game company. More and more people immersed themselves totally in virtual/cyberspace life. In addition, same as internet shopping such as eBay, it’s a cyberspace business. How does Cyberspace fit round the Real World? From mobile, msn, face book, and other media to connect people who already know and new friend. It’s a easy way to make cyberspace fit to real life. So, cyberspace is not only a system made by information and massages, but also we can put new blood in cyberspace.
I talked cyberspace on army and daily life before, I want to talk the effect of cyberspace to school education.
"1 million people connected - - or more often trying to connect across
rickety copper cables - to a kludgey, text-driven computer network choked with
E-mail and binary scientific gibberish." (Ramo, 1997)
In this huge informational time, Education officer, government and teachers must think about how cyberspace and internet technology working in school/classroom study. Students are moving closer to the actual knowledge itself as "teaching and learning are fused and transformed into hyperlearning.( Perleman，1992) Cyberspace may be seen as a fusion of technological threads that include "artificial intelligence broadband telecommunications, information processing, and bio-technology."(Perleman 1992) In addition, Perleman(1992) points out "smart environment", "telecosm" communication, a kit of hypermedia, and brain technology are relevant this. So, from different areas of cyberspace in school, Except the benefit from I mentioned before, cyberspace in education is convenient for students and teachers. Moreover, they can share the idea of research to other students, functions of e-mal and instant message tools can lead students have better Interactive. We can get improvement from this kind of share. We can get many times benefit from an open cyberspace.
In summary, the topic asks is cyberspace still relevant to our contemporary society. However I think it’s becoming more and more relevant. It has powerful effect to various fields. Cyberspace will relevant more areas in future life. XD
List of Reference:
Heylighen, F 1993, Cyberspace, Principia Cybernetica Web (Principia Cybernetica, Brussels).
Markoff & Kramer, 2009, ‘U.S. and Russia Differ on a Treaty for Cyberspace’, The New York Times, 27 June, 2009.
Mallia, Morritt and Tigami, n.d Cyberspace in Education, viewed by 23 October 2009, < http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/soc/courses/soc4j3/stuweb/cybered2/soccyb.htm>
