Conceptual Research & Reflection Project part 2

14. Cyberspace is informationally created 'space'
MUDs (and derivative graphical worlds) are the pre-eminent form of 'spatialising' on the Internet: they are not merely about communication, but about the construction of a 'shared hallucination' of spatial context. This sense of space, and the capacity of the talking human body to be represented within it, is formed out of descriptions and word-pictures (real pictures in the case of graphical worlds).
The sense of space is essential for humans - or at least many humans - to be able to express their identities in special and rich ways.
In most online, realtime communications (IRC, even ICQ) people tend to make ‘spatialising’ comments: they don’t just communicate, they also provide cues to an imagined physical space around them. For example, someone will, in an IRC chat, occasionally comment that they are ‘doing’ something (not in the physical world, but in the virtual space of wherever they are on IRC). Websites, indeed the Web generally, tend to work most effectively when they consciously declaim themselves as a space through which you move. However, we should also be alert to the way that the metaphors of navigation, moving, visiting, etc which make the web a ‘space’ can also mislead us: metaphors do not describe an experience but, rather, are one aspect of trying to understand it. (Concepts Document n.d.)

Response

Conceptualising interaction in a conceptual space.

George Berkeley claimed, “the world is nothing more than an idea in the mind of God”, (Stangroom, 2006, p.20) so virtual reality (VR) or informationally created space is nothing more than an idea in the mind of man. However, Immanuel Kant suggested the mind shapes and structures the known world—we impose forms of space and time upon sensation (Kemerling, 2006), which takes form, and manifests itself in VR.
Vivid fantasies, daydreaming, movies and books are all forms VR, but online VR has dramatically increased in popularity because we can interact with other people online. “The tyranny of distance” (Blainey, 1975) is no longer an obstacle, “science annihilates distance” (Waugh, 1949, p52) by giving us tools to interact and communicate with people around the globe. The ‘space’ has no physical boundaries or real world geographical location to identify with our being, but we perceive and interact with the surrounding and inhabitants as part of our normal online lives. Avatars symbolise these disembodied narcissistic online selves that reside in a “City of Bits” (Mitchell, 2000), and portray us through a technological extension of our consciousness (McLuhan, 2001, p63). However, even though these spectral identities are free to move without physical borders we still envisage spatial constraint by moving in and out of technologically induced theatres and follow similar social mannerisms to external life. It was found when people using Second Life, a VR world, they still needed to position their avatars face-to-face when communicating with others. The web feels more depersonalised and our face-to-face interaction is weakening by the increased time spent alone on the computer. Children are creating their idea world with beautiful images of them-selves and the environment—they don't deal with personal physical differences so hiding behind deception. (Gillispie & Gackenbach, 2007, p20–53) If they experience problems in one ‘space’ they simply move into the next or generate a new personality. Research has shown that our children have greater skills in analysing spatial information but at a cost of greater social anxiety. (Gillispie & Gackenbach, 2007, p46–57) Research also has shown that children learn behaviour through media and technology (Okita, 2004, p471) and by playing violent VR games they are significantly more likely to shoot another human offline. (Gillispie & Gackenbach, 2007, p124)
As the line blurs between realities, our perception of ourselves becomes more fluid, we create ‘liquid identities’ (Tofts, 2004, p147) online to experiment with self-expression that personifies our hidden nature, ideas or our most desperate desires. (Fink, 1999, p25) Berkeley also said, “to be, is to be perceived”, but this perception of ‘space’ is a type of sensory deception where the non-existent becomes reality that affects our physical life deeper than we understand. If we immerse ourselves in a fantasy world we may eventually “rewire our brains” and evolve through the use of VR by generating controlled schizophrenia. As people congregating in a metaphysical world the place become more important than the method of communication for people to relate to and identify a place for human habitation (Kalay & Marx, 2005). Descartes said, “We should concern ourselves only with those objects for which our minds seem capable of certain and indubitable cognition” (as cited by Garber, 1949, p31). Cyberspace exists by design, our surroundings identity who we are, so where will the next generation come from?

Maybe the only way to safely use VR is to compared the space with to a religious experience—only by have faith can you believe in an object that has no physical form, and with faith comes physical benefits of contentment. (Fink, 1999, p35) However, I don't think I will find enlightenment through a computer screen.

(540 words)

Annotation
Site 1:

Kalay. E., & Marx, J. (2005). Architecture and the Internet: Designing places in cyberspace. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1563

This article suggest virtual reality has become such an integral part of our lives that cyberspace is more that just a communication tool but an extension of our temporal existence. The authors’ argue that users of cyberspace have a fundamental need to connect with the space culturally is needed to maintain a socially acceptable environment. By looking at how we interact in the physical world of architecture and landscape we maybe able to design cyberspace that “give meaning to our actions and behaviours”. Making these connections clearer, cyberspaces will enrich our lives and stop the rot, which has infected our face-to-face social communication skills.
I found it difficult to decide whether this would make a significant difference in distinguishing reality from imaginary, given that the study of Ontology since Pythagoras times have not resulted in enlightenment. But off course it’s always useful to see the flip side of the argument.



Site 2:

Fink, J. (1999). Cyberseduction. New York: Prometheus Books

Dr Jerri Fink summarises a number of problems concerning the effect of living online and places it in context of how man has developed. The book investigates how our actions online relate to actions offline— being in “another place” while sitting in front of the computer has confused our sense of perception that may leads to multi-personalities. The book then discusses where cyberspace, who is in there and how these culminate into a postmodern world of social anarchy. Fink cites numerous case studies and references research into the affect of cyberspace on our subconscious.

Reference:
Blainey, J. (1975). The Tyranny of Distance. London: Macmillan.

Concept Document: 14. Cyberspace is informationally created 'space'. (n.d.) Retrieved May 13, 2009, from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=%2Fbin%2Fcommon%2Fcourse.pl%3Fcourse_id%3D_14736_1%26sc%3D%252fwebapps%252fdiscussionboard%252fdo%252fmessage%253faction%253dlist_messages%2526conf_id%253d_23724_

Fink, J. (1999). Cyberseduction. New York: Prometheus Books

Garber, D. (1949). Descartes’ Metaphysical Physics. Chicago: University of Chicago. Retrieved May 15, 2009 from http://books.google.com.au/books?id=fWmQUbsPedUC&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=metaphysical+direction&source=bl&ots=N7qk1O6SyB&sig=SS8QwumAF-IB126kNbH1-dEjK_U&hl=en&ei=4lMRSpfvHpS-tAOD7ujmAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#PPA31,M1

Gillispie, J., & Gackenbach, J. (2007). cyber.rules. New York: .W. Norton & Company.

Kalay. E., & Marx, J. (2005). Architecture and the Internet: Designing places in cyberspace. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1563

Kemerling, G. (2006). Immanuel Kant: 1724–1804. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/kant.htm

McLuhan, M. (2001). Understanding Media. Retrieved May 15, 2009 from http://books.google.com.au/books?id=R2bqSaC5TlkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=understanding+media:+the+extensions+of+man&client=firefox-a

Mitchell, W. (2000). City of Bits. Cambridge: MIT Press

Okita, S. (2004). Effects of Age on Associating Virtual and Embodied Toys. Retreived May 15, 2009, from http://faculty.tc.columbia.edu/upload/so2269/Okita_embodied_toys.pdf

Stangroom, J. (2006). Philosophy. Sydney: ABC books

Tofts, D. (2004). Cyphers of the virtual. Australian Net art and the metaphysics of telepresence. Virtual Nation: The Internet in Australia. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.

Waugh, E. (1949). Brideshead revisited. London: Chapman & Hall.
eshead revisited. London: Chapman & Hall.