Module 3 Concept 14

As discussed in Concept 14 - Cyberspace is informationally created 'space' the word 'space', used in the context of the internet, helps us to convey an image to ourselves as to where we are in the cyber-universe. As the internet is a man made entity where people gather together, one could liken it to any other similar space in our everyday lives such as our living space, workspace etc. The only difference is, if you really think about it deeply, it is indeed a difficult phenomena to characterize. When I think of space, many aspects of its connotations come to mind, including webspace, artspace, the space I live in. Assigning analogies to describe what can't really be understood at least gives us a sense of place and location within the online environment.

Having read some of the available resources on the internet, it is interesting to note that much of the exploration concerning online location, in the context of it being a 'space', is carried out by those who use the internet as a medium for their visual art. Some interesting concepts are explored as a means to understand, to a degree, the overall concept:

"On the Web, space appears as a verb requiring constant activation, becoming "place" as it is received. We are immersed. No account from outside is available. No single account from within contitutes an adequate description".

Others have endeavoured to map the various aspects of what make up 'cyberspace' in an effort to provide us with visual images that we can associate with the 'realworld'. This can also be seen with the increasing popularity of virtual worlds, communities and games, whereby people feel more immersed in a 'space' similar to the one they know.


Web Resources:

Dodge, Martin. "An Atlas of Cyberspaces." 1997.http://www.cybergeography.org/atlas/atlas.html (accessed April 03, 2007).

Strickland, Stephanie. "Writing the Virtual: Eleven Dimensions of E-PoetryLeonardo Electronic Almanac 14. 05-06 (September, 2006), 11, http://leoalmanac.org/journal/vol_14/lea_v14_n05-06/sstrickland_lea140506.pdf#zoom=100,0,0. (accessed April 03, 2007).

"Internet Communications Concepts Document." http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_a/scripts/serve_home (accessed April 03, 2007).