Michael Heim
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195092585
- eISBN:
- 9780199852987
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195092585.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
Computers have dramatically altered life in the late 20th century. Today we can draw on worldwide computer links, speeding up communications for radio, newspapers, and television. Ideas fly back and ...
More
Computers have dramatically altered life in the late 20th century. Today we can draw on worldwide computer links, speeding up communications for radio, newspapers, and television. Ideas fly back and forth and circle the globe at the speed of electricity. And just around the corner lurks full-blown virtual reality, in which we will be able to immerse ourselves in a computer simulation not only of the actual physical world, but of any imagined world. As we begin to move in and out of a computer-generated world, this book asks, how will the way we perceive our world change? This book considers this and other philosophical issues of the Information Age. With an eye for the dark as well as the bright side of computer technology, it explores the logical and historical origins of our computer-generated world and speculates about the future direction of our computerized lives. The book discusses such topics as the effect of word-processing on the English language. The book also looks into the new kind of literacy promised by Hypertext. And it also probes the notion of virtual reality, “cyberspace”—the computer-simulated environments that have captured the popular imagination and may ultimately change the way we define reality itself. Just as the definition of interface itself has evolved from the actual adaptor plug used to connect electronic circuits into human entry into a self-contained cyberspace, so too will the notion of reality change with the current technological drive. Like the introduction of the automobile, the advent of virtual reality will change the whole context in which our knowledge and awareness of life are rooted. And along the way, the book covers such intriguing topics as how computers have altered our thought habits, how we will be able to distinguish virtual from real reality, and the appearance of virtual reality in popular culture (as in Star Trek's holodeck, William Gibson's Neuromancer, and Stephen King's Lawnmower Man).Less
Computers have dramatically altered life in the late 20th century. Today we can draw on worldwide computer links, speeding up communications for radio, newspapers, and television. Ideas fly back and forth and circle the globe at the speed of electricity. And just around the corner lurks full-blown virtual reality, in which we will be able to immerse ourselves in a computer simulation not only of the actual physical world, but of any imagined world. As we begin to move in and out of a computer-generated world, this book asks, how will the way we perceive our world change? This book considers this and other philosophical issues of the Information Age. With an eye for the dark as well as the bright side of computer technology, it explores the logical and historical origins of our computer-generated world and speculates about the future direction of our computerized lives. The book discusses such topics as the effect of word-processing on the English language. The book also looks into the new kind of literacy promised by Hypertext. And it also probes the notion of virtual reality, “cyberspace”—the computer-simulated environments that have captured the popular imagination and may ultimately change the way we define reality itself. Just as the definition of interface itself has evolved from the actual adaptor plug used to connect electronic circuits into human entry into a self-contained cyberspace, so too will the notion of reality change with the current technological drive. Like the introduction of the automobile, the advent of virtual reality will change the whole context in which our knowledge and awareness of life are rooted. And along the way, the book covers such intriguing topics as how computers have altered our thought habits, how we will be able to distinguish virtual from real reality, and the appearance of virtual reality in popular culture (as in Star Trek's holodeck, William Gibson's Neuromancer, and Stephen King's Lawnmower Man).
Douglas E. Cowan
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195177299
- eISBN:
- 9780199785537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195177299.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter considers NRMs and the Internet from two broad perspectives: (a) new religions on the Web, and (b) the Internet as both a pedagogical tool for teaching about NRMS and a sociological or ...
More
This chapter considers NRMs and the Internet from two broad perspectives: (a) new religions on the Web, and (b) the Internet as both a pedagogical tool for teaching about NRMS and a sociological or anthropological research site for the study of NRMs. In terms of the Internet as a research site, the chapter offers some suggestions for the exploration online discussion forums as evidence (or not) of emergent electronic communities. It concludes with a discussion of the Internet as one component in a responsible research and teaching agenda, and suggestions for teaching students how to employ the World Wide Web usefully and responsibly.Less
This chapter considers NRMs and the Internet from two broad perspectives: (a) new religions on the Web, and (b) the Internet as both a pedagogical tool for teaching about NRMS and a sociological or anthropological research site for the study of NRMs. In terms of the Internet as a research site, the chapter offers some suggestions for the exploration online discussion forums as evidence (or not) of emergent electronic communities. It concludes with a discussion of the Internet as one component in a responsible research and teaching agenda, and suggestions for teaching students how to employ the World Wide Web usefully and responsibly.
Lawrence B. Solum
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199561131
- eISBN:
- 9780191721199
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199561131.003.0003
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology, Political Economy
This chapter presents a typology of various models of governance forms that impinge, or are assumed to impinge, on the Internet. Five such models are analysed. One model is based on a view of the ...
More
This chapter presents a typology of various models of governance forms that impinge, or are assumed to impinge, on the Internet. Five such models are analysed. One model is based on a view of the Internet as a self-governing realm of individual liberty beyond the reach of government control. Another model takes as its point of departure the inherently cross-border nature of the Internet and sees transnational, quasi-private cooperatives or international organizations based on treaty arrangements as the most relevant institutions for Internet governance. A third model is based on the notion that many regulatory decisions are made by the code and architecture of the Internet. A fourth model is premised on the idea that as the Internet grows in importance fundamental regulatory decisions will be made by national governments through legal regulation. Finally, there is the model of market regulation and economics which assumes that market forces drive the fundamental decisions about the nature of the Internet. The chapter argues that no single one of these models captures all of the facets of Internet governance or offers the solution to all of the problems raised by Internet governance. It concludes with a discussion of the issue of network neutrality and attempts thereby to cast light on the future utility of the models concerned.Less
This chapter presents a typology of various models of governance forms that impinge, or are assumed to impinge, on the Internet. Five such models are analysed. One model is based on a view of the Internet as a self-governing realm of individual liberty beyond the reach of government control. Another model takes as its point of departure the inherently cross-border nature of the Internet and sees transnational, quasi-private cooperatives or international organizations based on treaty arrangements as the most relevant institutions for Internet governance. A third model is based on the notion that many regulatory decisions are made by the code and architecture of the Internet. A fourth model is premised on the idea that as the Internet grows in importance fundamental regulatory decisions will be made by national governments through legal regulation. Finally, there is the model of market regulation and economics which assumes that market forces drive the fundamental decisions about the nature of the Internet. The chapter argues that no single one of these models captures all of the facets of Internet governance or offers the solution to all of the problems raised by Internet governance. It concludes with a discussion of the issue of network neutrality and attempts thereby to cast light on the future utility of the models concerned.
Laura DeNardis
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780300233070
- eISBN:
- 9780300249330
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300233070.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Public Policy
The Internet has leapt from human-facing display screens into the material objects all around us. In this so-called Internet of Things—connecting everything from cars to cardiac monitors to home ...
More
The Internet has leapt from human-facing display screens into the material objects all around us. In this so-called Internet of Things—connecting everything from cars to cardiac monitors to home appliances—there is no longer a meaningful distinction between physical and virtual worlds. Everything is connected. The social and economic benefits are tremendous, but there is a downside: an outage in cyberspace can result not only in a loss of communication but also potentially a loss of life. Control of this infrastructure has become a proxy for political power, since countries can easily reach across borders to disrupt real-world systems. This book argues that this diffusion of the Internet into the physical world radically escalates governance concerns around privacy, discrimination, human safety, democracy, and national security, and it offers new cyber-policy solutions. The book makes visible the sinews of power already embedded in our technology and explores how hidden technical governance arrangements will become the constitution of our future.Less
The Internet has leapt from human-facing display screens into the material objects all around us. In this so-called Internet of Things—connecting everything from cars to cardiac monitors to home appliances—there is no longer a meaningful distinction between physical and virtual worlds. Everything is connected. The social and economic benefits are tremendous, but there is a downside: an outage in cyberspace can result not only in a loss of communication but also potentially a loss of life. Control of this infrastructure has become a proxy for political power, since countries can easily reach across borders to disrupt real-world systems. This book argues that this diffusion of the Internet into the physical world radically escalates governance concerns around privacy, discrimination, human safety, democracy, and national security, and it offers new cyber-policy solutions. The book makes visible the sinews of power already embedded in our technology and explores how hidden technical governance arrangements will become the constitution of our future.
Howard A. Schmidt
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780823244560
- eISBN:
- 9780823268948
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823244560.003.0016
- Subject:
- Information Science, Information Science
This chapter first discusses the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), established by the White House in 2010 in response to a near-term action item in President Obama's ...
More
This chapter first discusses the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), established by the White House in 2010 in response to a near-term action item in President Obama's Cyberspace Policy Review. The strategy calls for the creation of an Identity Ecosystem. The ecosystem's core is for the key components of a cyber transaction—namely the individual and organization identities, along with the identities of the infrastructure that handles transactions—to operate in a streamlined and safe manner, moving away from the culture of having different user names and passwords for each website. In its place, individuals voluntarily choose a secure privacy-enhancing credential to verify themselves for all types of online transactions from online banking, sending email, maintaining health records, or for any other personal cyber uses. The chapter goes on to describe the Comprehensive National Cyberspace Initiative (CNCI), which outlines a plan for sharing situational awareness among federal, state, and local governments, and private industry partners.Less
This chapter first discusses the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), established by the White House in 2010 in response to a near-term action item in President Obama's Cyberspace Policy Review. The strategy calls for the creation of an Identity Ecosystem. The ecosystem's core is for the key components of a cyber transaction—namely the individual and organization identities, along with the identities of the infrastructure that handles transactions—to operate in a streamlined and safe manner, moving away from the culture of having different user names and passwords for each website. In its place, individuals voluntarily choose a secure privacy-enhancing credential to verify themselves for all types of online transactions from online banking, sending email, maintaining health records, or for any other personal cyber uses. The chapter goes on to describe the Comprehensive National Cyberspace Initiative (CNCI), which outlines a plan for sharing situational awareness among federal, state, and local governments, and private industry partners.
Gary R. Bunt
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781469643168
- eISBN:
- 9781469643182
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469643168.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
This book explores the diverse ways digital technology is shaping how Muslims across vast territories relate to religious authorities in fulfilling spiritual, mystical, and legalistic agendas. From ...
More
This book explores the diverse ways digital technology is shaping how Muslims across vast territories relate to religious authorities in fulfilling spiritual, mystical, and legalistic agendas. From social networks to websites, essential elements of religious practices and authority now have representation online. Muslims, embracing the immediacy and general accessibility of the internet, are increasingly turning to cyberspace for advice and answers to important religious questions. Online environments often challenge traditional models of authority, however. One result is the rise of digitally literate religious scholars and authorities whose influence and impact go beyond traditional boundaries of imams, mullahs, and shaikhs. The book shows how online rhetoric and social media are being used to articulate religious faith by many different kinds of Muslim organizations and individuals, from Muslim comedians and women’s rights advocates to jihad-oriented groups, such as the “Islamic State” and al-Qaeda, which relied on strategic digital media policies to augment and justify their authority and draw recruits. Hashtag Islam makes clear that understanding CIEs is crucial for the holistic interpretation of authority in contemporary Islam.Less
This book explores the diverse ways digital technology is shaping how Muslims across vast territories relate to religious authorities in fulfilling spiritual, mystical, and legalistic agendas. From social networks to websites, essential elements of religious practices and authority now have representation online. Muslims, embracing the immediacy and general accessibility of the internet, are increasingly turning to cyberspace for advice and answers to important religious questions. Online environments often challenge traditional models of authority, however. One result is the rise of digitally literate religious scholars and authorities whose influence and impact go beyond traditional boundaries of imams, mullahs, and shaikhs. The book shows how online rhetoric and social media are being used to articulate religious faith by many different kinds of Muslim organizations and individuals, from Muslim comedians and women’s rights advocates to jihad-oriented groups, such as the “Islamic State” and al-Qaeda, which relied on strategic digital media policies to augment and justify their authority and draw recruits. Hashtag Islam makes clear that understanding CIEs is crucial for the holistic interpretation of authority in contemporary Islam.
Susan W. Brenner
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195385014
- eISBN:
- 9780199855414
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195385014.003.0007
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter analyzes why the nation-state monopolization of power arose and why it is eroding. As technology evolves in sophistication and pervasiveness, the impact of the virtual overlay cyberspace ...
More
This chapter analyzes why the nation-state monopolization of power arose and why it is eroding. As technology evolves in sophistication and pervasiveness, the impact of the virtual overlay cyberspace has given us will only become more profound. This creates the problem we now need to address: How can our social systems maintain order in a world in which the limitations of physical reality and the influence of territorial boundaries become increasingly irrelevant? It argues that our conceptual and operational approaches to the problem of maintaining order of whatever type are inextricably bound up with the strictures of physical reality and territorial sovereignty.Less
This chapter analyzes why the nation-state monopolization of power arose and why it is eroding. As technology evolves in sophistication and pervasiveness, the impact of the virtual overlay cyberspace has given us will only become more profound. This creates the problem we now need to address: How can our social systems maintain order in a world in which the limitations of physical reality and the influence of territorial boundaries become increasingly irrelevant? It argues that our conceptual and operational approaches to the problem of maintaining order of whatever type are inextricably bound up with the strictures of physical reality and territorial sovereignty.
D. Frank Hsu and Dorothy Marinucci (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780823244560
- eISBN:
- 9780823268948
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823244560.001.0001
- Subject:
- Information Science, Information Science
In this book, the world's foremost cyber security experts share critical practical knowledge on how the cyberspace ecosystem is structured, how it functions, and what we can do to protect it and ...
More
In this book, the world's foremost cyber security experts share critical practical knowledge on how the cyberspace ecosystem is structured, how it functions, and what we can do to protect it and ourselves from attack and exploitation. It collects the wisdom of cyber security professionals and practitioners from government, academia, and industry across national and international boundaries. It provides readers with the information they need to secure and sustain the cyberspace ecosystem and to defend themselves against all kinds of adversaries and attacks. It provides critical intelligence on cyber crime and security—including details of real-life operations. Among the many important topics it covers are: building a secure cyberspace ecosystem; public-private partnerships to secure cyberspace; law enforcement to protect cyber citizens and to safeguard cyber infrastructure; and strategy and policy issues relating to the security of the cyberecosystem.Less
In this book, the world's foremost cyber security experts share critical practical knowledge on how the cyberspace ecosystem is structured, how it functions, and what we can do to protect it and ourselves from attack and exploitation. It collects the wisdom of cyber security professionals and practitioners from government, academia, and industry across national and international boundaries. It provides readers with the information they need to secure and sustain the cyberspace ecosystem and to defend themselves against all kinds of adversaries and attacks. It provides critical intelligence on cyber crime and security—including details of real-life operations. Among the many important topics it covers are: building a secure cyberspace ecosystem; public-private partnerships to secure cyberspace; law enforcement to protect cyber citizens and to safeguard cyber infrastructure; and strategy and policy issues relating to the security of the cyberecosystem.
David C. Neice
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198296553
- eISBN:
- 9780191685231
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198296553.003.0003
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology, Innovation
There are two different types of experiences and interactions that can be encountered in cyberspace. The first is shown in the form of social metaphors about cyberspace that focus on folk theories ...
More
There are two different types of experiences and interactions that can be encountered in cyberspace. The first is shown in the form of social metaphors about cyberspace that focus on folk theories and ‘common-sense’ explanations particularly on Internet participation. The second is presented in the form of social distinctions within cyberspace; this concerns social theory and the signs and rules that comprise the interaction processes. This chapter presents the results from a qualitative empirical study that examined the perceptions and interpretations of intensive Internet-users on social distinctions relevant in cyberspace interactions. Here, it is pointed out that changes involving themes like freedom and creativity, persona, skill, and other such themes are brought about by processes of network peer reciprocity and that processes occurring over the internet can affect the social signification for Internet-users.Less
There are two different types of experiences and interactions that can be encountered in cyberspace. The first is shown in the form of social metaphors about cyberspace that focus on folk theories and ‘common-sense’ explanations particularly on Internet participation. The second is presented in the form of social distinctions within cyberspace; this concerns social theory and the signs and rules that comprise the interaction processes. This chapter presents the results from a qualitative empirical study that examined the perceptions and interpretations of intensive Internet-users on social distinctions relevant in cyberspace interactions. Here, it is pointed out that changes involving themes like freedom and creativity, persona, skill, and other such themes are brought about by processes of network peer reciprocity and that processes occurring over the internet can affect the social signification for Internet-users.
Manuel Castells
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199255771
- eISBN:
- 9780191698279
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199255771.003.0007
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology
This chapter begins by discussing how countries, particularly the United States, control the flow of information in the Internet, as well as the challenges encountered in doing so. It then examines ...
More
This chapter begins by discussing how countries, particularly the United States, control the flow of information in the Internet, as well as the challenges encountered in doing so. It then examines privacy issues occurring in different industries, and the exercise of sovereignty, liberty, and property when privacy vanishes. Next, it discusses several firms that counteract technologies of control by technologies of freedom. Lastly, it talks about the relationship of the society and the government in exercising their rights and power through the use of the Internet.Less
This chapter begins by discussing how countries, particularly the United States, control the flow of information in the Internet, as well as the challenges encountered in doing so. It then examines privacy issues occurring in different industries, and the exercise of sovereignty, liberty, and property when privacy vanishes. Next, it discusses several firms that counteract technologies of control by technologies of freedom. Lastly, it talks about the relationship of the society and the government in exercising their rights and power through the use of the Internet.
Mary Poovey (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226675329
- eISBN:
- 9780226675213
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226675213.003.0011
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
This chapter returns to the topic of the hierarchy of the modern disciplines, and also offers some thoughts about the new genres that are proliferating in cyberspace, apparently beyond the reach of ...
More
This chapter returns to the topic of the hierarchy of the modern disciplines, and also offers some thoughts about the new genres that are proliferating in cyberspace, apparently beyond the reach of all academic programs. The genres of cyberspace are not expected to replace academic disciplines or the genres they have bred anytime soon. Disciplines are too inertial, and too many people have too much invested in systems of credentialization and evaluation simply to let established practices go. Nor will society's appetite for easily managed information likely diminish in the near future.Less
This chapter returns to the topic of the hierarchy of the modern disciplines, and also offers some thoughts about the new genres that are proliferating in cyberspace, apparently beyond the reach of all academic programs. The genres of cyberspace are not expected to replace academic disciplines or the genres they have bred anytime soon. Disciplines are too inertial, and too many people have too much invested in systems of credentialization and evaluation simply to let established practices go. Nor will society's appetite for easily managed information likely diminish in the near future.
Susan J. Brison and Katharine Gelber (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- March 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190883591
- eISBN:
- 9780190883638
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190883591.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This collection of thirteen new essays is the first to examine, from a range of disciplinary perspectives, how the new technologies and global reach of the internet are changing the theory and ...
More
This collection of thirteen new essays is the first to examine, from a range of disciplinary perspectives, how the new technologies and global reach of the internet are changing the theory and practice of free speech. The rapid expansion of online communication, as well as the changing roles of government and private organizations in monitoring and regulating the digital world, give rise to new questions, including: How do philosophical defenses of the right to freedom of expression, developed in the age of the town square and the printing press, apply in the digital age? Should search engines be covered by free speech principles? How should international conflicts over online speech regulations be resolved? Is there a right to be forgotten that is at odds with the right to free speech? How has the Internet facilitated new speech-based harms such as cyber-stalking, twitter-trolling, and “revenge” porn, and how should these harms be addressed? The contributors to this groundbreaking volume include philosophers, legal theorists, political scientists, communications scholars, public policy makers, and activists.Less
This collection of thirteen new essays is the first to examine, from a range of disciplinary perspectives, how the new technologies and global reach of the internet are changing the theory and practice of free speech. The rapid expansion of online communication, as well as the changing roles of government and private organizations in monitoring and regulating the digital world, give rise to new questions, including: How do philosophical defenses of the right to freedom of expression, developed in the age of the town square and the printing press, apply in the digital age? Should search engines be covered by free speech principles? How should international conflicts over online speech regulations be resolved? Is there a right to be forgotten that is at odds with the right to free speech? How has the Internet facilitated new speech-based harms such as cyber-stalking, twitter-trolling, and “revenge” porn, and how should these harms be addressed? The contributors to this groundbreaking volume include philosophers, legal theorists, political scientists, communications scholars, public policy makers, and activists.
Nevill Drury
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199750993
- eISBN:
- 9780199894871
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199750993.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
If we are to understand the nature of contemporary magical practice and its relationship with the “virtual” world of the Internet, it may well be that new paradigms are required—new paradigms for ...
More
If we are to understand the nature of contemporary magical practice and its relationship with the “virtual” world of the Internet, it may well be that new paradigms are required—new paradigms for research into altered states of consciousness and new paradigms for the study of magic, as well. This chapter explores magic in the digital age, commencing with Terence McKenna’s “cyberdelic” fusion of shamanism and technology. We then extend into the specifics of cyberspace itself, for it now seems that the Internet has become an extension of the human psyche—a forum for both its realities and its fantasies. From an esoteric or mystical perspective, what we are really exploring here is a form of interplay between technology and the human imagination that can be expressed as a simple equation—As I imagine, so I become—and this is the very essence of magic. It comes as no surprise that neopagans and occultists of all descriptions have been quick to embrace the Internet as a new means of communication and fantasy role-play. For many, the World Wide Web provides a pathway into the mythic conjurings of the world-at-large—an enticing and increasingly seductive means of engaging with the global imagination. This chapter explores the surprising connections between the contemporary techno-digital age and the American counterculture that preceded it and explains how many neopagans now regard technology and magic as interchangeable. Also considered here are the possible magical cosmologies of the future, with special emphasis on the visionary surreal creations of Swiss artist H. R. Giger, creator of the Alien.Less
If we are to understand the nature of contemporary magical practice and its relationship with the “virtual” world of the Internet, it may well be that new paradigms are required—new paradigms for research into altered states of consciousness and new paradigms for the study of magic, as well. This chapter explores magic in the digital age, commencing with Terence McKenna’s “cyberdelic” fusion of shamanism and technology. We then extend into the specifics of cyberspace itself, for it now seems that the Internet has become an extension of the human psyche—a forum for both its realities and its fantasies. From an esoteric or mystical perspective, what we are really exploring here is a form of interplay between technology and the human imagination that can be expressed as a simple equation—As I imagine, so I become—and this is the very essence of magic. It comes as no surprise that neopagans and occultists of all descriptions have been quick to embrace the Internet as a new means of communication and fantasy role-play. For many, the World Wide Web provides a pathway into the mythic conjurings of the world-at-large—an enticing and increasingly seductive means of engaging with the global imagination. This chapter explores the surprising connections between the contemporary techno-digital age and the American counterculture that preceded it and explains how many neopagans now regard technology and magic as interchangeable. Also considered here are the possible magical cosmologies of the future, with special emphasis on the visionary surreal creations of Swiss artist H. R. Giger, creator of the Alien.
Michael Heim
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195092585
- eISBN:
- 9780199852987
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195092585.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
The chapter outlines humanity's dependency and marriage to machines. The marriage began with appliance. Applied technology filled our lives with familiar routines. So embedded are machines to our way ...
More
The chapter outlines humanity's dependency and marriage to machines. The marriage began with appliance. Applied technology filled our lives with familiar routines. So embedded are machines to our way of living that we seldom notice them until they breakdown. Appliance gave way to interface. Interface is a phenomenon when two sources of information come face-to-face. This change is made possible by advances in technology such as the development of computer where a human sits in front of it and creates an interactive relationship with it. The human gives input, while the computer enhances and modifies the human's thinking power. Finally, the chapter moves on to the concept of cyberspace, an artificial or represented world that is made up of information that our system produces and that we feed back into the system. The issue the chapter asks is about how humans figure in cyberspace. It asks: what is the human's significance in the virtual landscape designed by software programs?Less
The chapter outlines humanity's dependency and marriage to machines. The marriage began with appliance. Applied technology filled our lives with familiar routines. So embedded are machines to our way of living that we seldom notice them until they breakdown. Appliance gave way to interface. Interface is a phenomenon when two sources of information come face-to-face. This change is made possible by advances in technology such as the development of computer where a human sits in front of it and creates an interactive relationship with it. The human gives input, while the computer enhances and modifies the human's thinking power. Finally, the chapter moves on to the concept of cyberspace, an artificial or represented world that is made up of information that our system produces and that we feed back into the system. The issue the chapter asks is about how humans figure in cyberspace. It asks: what is the human's significance in the virtual landscape designed by software programs?
Ronnapoom Samakkeekarom and Pimpawun Boonmongkon
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789888083046
- eISBN:
- 9789882207325
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888083046.003.0007
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
Cyberspace provides a venue for virtual communities in which face-to-face communication does not rely upon physical space. Within this virtual domain, individuals are able to leave aside normative ...
More
Cyberspace provides a venue for virtual communities in which face-to-face communication does not rely upon physical space. Within this virtual domain, individuals are able to leave aside normative attachments to aspects of individual identity, such as sex, class, or ethnicity. This chapter presents the results of a research project based on anthropological concepts and approaches that was conducted to provide an account of the perceptions, explanations, assumptions, belief sets, and meanings related to sexuality and gender among Thai MSM (men who have sex with men) on Camfrog. This study revealed that many MSM used Camfrog to find temporary sexual partners who were particularly able to respond to their specific sexual desires. Some sought long-term relationships. Furthermore, MSM and DJs of all sexual identities could express themselves freely and openly on Camfrog.Less
Cyberspace provides a venue for virtual communities in which face-to-face communication does not rely upon physical space. Within this virtual domain, individuals are able to leave aside normative attachments to aspects of individual identity, such as sex, class, or ethnicity. This chapter presents the results of a research project based on anthropological concepts and approaches that was conducted to provide an account of the perceptions, explanations, assumptions, belief sets, and meanings related to sexuality and gender among Thai MSM (men who have sex with men) on Camfrog. This study revealed that many MSM used Camfrog to find temporary sexual partners who were particularly able to respond to their specific sexual desires. Some sought long-term relationships. Furthermore, MSM and DJs of all sexual identities could express themselves freely and openly on Camfrog.
John Perry Barlow and Adolfo Plasencia
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780262036016
- eISBN:
- 9780262339308
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262036016.003.0021
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Technology and Society
John Perry Barlow starts the dialogue explaining the reasons that led him to draw up and disclose his Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace, in Davos. He then discusses why he believes that ...
More
John Perry Barlow starts the dialogue explaining the reasons that led him to draw up and disclose his Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace, in Davos. He then discusses why he believes that people who use the term ‘intellectual property’ have got the wrong idea about it, and puts forward his ideas about frontiers in general and in particular the electronic frontier. He deliberates on whether the Economy of Ideas is capitalist, socialist or Marxist, and whether it should be supervised by someone or not. He also explains why cyberspace has still not been dominated by any world power, and explores the contradiction of why the differences between the rich and the poor have increased considerably since the onset of the global Internet revolution, what the cause of this is, and what has happened to all the hopes placed in the Internet by the underprivileged. Finally, he talks about how the structure of local cultures in cyberspace and their relationship with the global culture of the Internet is evolving.Less
John Perry Barlow starts the dialogue explaining the reasons that led him to draw up and disclose his Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace, in Davos. He then discusses why he believes that people who use the term ‘intellectual property’ have got the wrong idea about it, and puts forward his ideas about frontiers in general and in particular the electronic frontier. He deliberates on whether the Economy of Ideas is capitalist, socialist or Marxist, and whether it should be supervised by someone or not. He also explains why cyberspace has still not been dominated by any world power, and explores the contradiction of why the differences between the rich and the poor have increased considerably since the onset of the global Internet revolution, what the cause of this is, and what has happened to all the hopes placed in the Internet by the underprivileged. Finally, he talks about how the structure of local cultures in cyberspace and their relationship with the global culture of the Internet is evolving.
Laura DeNardis
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780300233070
- eISBN:
- 9780300249330
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300233070.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Public Policy
This introductory chapter provides an overview of how digital systems have leapt from human-facing display screens into the physical world of material objects and artificial intelligence. The ...
More
This introductory chapter provides an overview of how digital systems have leapt from human-facing display screens into the physical world of material objects and artificial intelligence. The Internet is no longer merely a communication system connecting people and information. It is a control system connecting vehicles, wearable devices, home appliances, drones, medical equipment, currency, and every conceivable industry sector. Cyberspace now completely and often imperceptibly permeates offline spaces, blurring boundaries between material and virtual worlds. This transformation of the Internet from a communication network between people to a control network embedded directly into the physical world may be even more consequential than the shift from an industrial society to a digital information society. The potential for human advancement and economic growth is as staggering as the accompanying society-wide dilemmas. Indeed, the Internet of things bleeds into the real world in ways that enhance life but also can compromise personal safety and security.Less
This introductory chapter provides an overview of how digital systems have leapt from human-facing display screens into the physical world of material objects and artificial intelligence. The Internet is no longer merely a communication system connecting people and information. It is a control system connecting vehicles, wearable devices, home appliances, drones, medical equipment, currency, and every conceivable industry sector. Cyberspace now completely and often imperceptibly permeates offline spaces, blurring boundaries between material and virtual worlds. This transformation of the Internet from a communication network between people to a control network embedded directly into the physical world may be even more consequential than the shift from an industrial society to a digital information society. The potential for human advancement and economic growth is as staggering as the accompanying society-wide dilemmas. Indeed, the Internet of things bleeds into the real world in ways that enhance life but also can compromise personal safety and security.
Vinay Lal
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195672442
- eISBN:
- 9780199081929
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195672442.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Historiography
This book explores the politics underlying the rise of history to prominence in modern India. It offers an account of the nationalist obsession with history in nineteenth-century India, examines the ...
More
This book explores the politics underlying the rise of history to prominence in modern India. It offers an account of the nationalist obsession with history in nineteenth-century India, examines the relationship between nation-building and the making of Indian history, and discusses the emergence of subaltern history in relation to strand of Indian historiography known as the Cambridge School. It also looks at the debate between historians over the origins of the Babri Masjid, recent attempts to communalize such figures as Vivekananda, the attempted legitimization of ‘fringe’ historical scholarship, and the revisionism of those who purport to establish Aryanism as the only foundation of Indian civilization. Finally, this book extends the discussion of Indian histories to those being generated in cyberspace in the North American Indian and specifically Hindu diaspora.Less
This book explores the politics underlying the rise of history to prominence in modern India. It offers an account of the nationalist obsession with history in nineteenth-century India, examines the relationship between nation-building and the making of Indian history, and discusses the emergence of subaltern history in relation to strand of Indian historiography known as the Cambridge School. It also looks at the debate between historians over the origins of the Babri Masjid, recent attempts to communalize such figures as Vivekananda, the attempted legitimization of ‘fringe’ historical scholarship, and the revisionism of those who purport to establish Aryanism as the only foundation of Indian civilization. Finally, this book extends the discussion of Indian histories to those being generated in cyberspace in the North American Indian and specifically Hindu diaspora.
Vinay Lal
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195672442
- eISBN:
- 9780199081929
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195672442.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Historiography
This chapter explores how the politics of Hinduism has played itself out in cyberspace and how Hinduism itself gradually merged into Hindutva politics. It considers the Indian diaspora in the United ...
More
This chapter explores how the politics of Hinduism has played itself out in cyberspace and how Hinduism itself gradually merged into Hindutva politics. It considers the Indian diaspora in the United States, where nearly 1.7 million Indians, most of them Hindus, reside. It then discusses the state of democracy and authoritarianism in cyberspace. It argues that cyberspace has become the true home of those Indians in North America who imagine themselves as the authentic Aryans. It looks at the predominance of Indians in Silicon Valley, and suggests that Hinduism and the Internet were made for each other. The chapter analyses the websites of the Hindu Students Council, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, the Global Hindu Electronic Network, and other similar organizations to show how the work of earlier generations of Hindu nationalist historians has acquired a new and dangerous kind of urgency and plausibility.Less
This chapter explores how the politics of Hinduism has played itself out in cyberspace and how Hinduism itself gradually merged into Hindutva politics. It considers the Indian diaspora in the United States, where nearly 1.7 million Indians, most of them Hindus, reside. It then discusses the state of democracy and authoritarianism in cyberspace. It argues that cyberspace has become the true home of those Indians in North America who imagine themselves as the authentic Aryans. It looks at the predominance of Indians in Silicon Valley, and suggests that Hinduism and the Internet were made for each other. The chapter analyses the websites of the Hindu Students Council, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, the Global Hindu Electronic Network, and other similar organizations to show how the work of earlier generations of Hindu nationalist historians has acquired a new and dangerous kind of urgency and plausibility.
Katsuhiko Suganuma and Siu-lun Wong
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789888083701
- eISBN:
- 9789882209053
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888083701.003.0006
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
Chapter 6 positions the discussion of the deployment of the ‘Japan’ versus the ‘West’ binary within the context of Japan's queer culture in the age of Internet communication. This chapter focuses on ...
More
Chapter 6 positions the discussion of the deployment of the ‘Japan’ versus the ‘West’ binary within the context of Japan's queer culture in the age of Internet communication. This chapter focuses on a Japanese gay Internet news portal, Gay Japan News in the year 2006. By examining the ways in which the binary comparison of ‘advanced Western gay culture’ versus ‘developing Japanese gay culture’ is put to use, the chapter argues that a use of this binary trope does not necessarily make a site such as Gay Japan News a replica or an exact copy of Western gay cyberspace. It is argued, instead, that such a cross-cultural contact not only brings new sexual knowledge and cultures into Japan, but also sheds light on the history of Japanese queer cultures prior to the Internet age, and puts them into the present context.Less
Chapter 6 positions the discussion of the deployment of the ‘Japan’ versus the ‘West’ binary within the context of Japan's queer culture in the age of Internet communication. This chapter focuses on a Japanese gay Internet news portal, Gay Japan News in the year 2006. By examining the ways in which the binary comparison of ‘advanced Western gay culture’ versus ‘developing Japanese gay culture’ is put to use, the chapter argues that a use of this binary trope does not necessarily make a site such as Gay Japan News a replica or an exact copy of Western gay cyberspace. It is argued, instead, that such a cross-cultural contact not only brings new sexual knowledge and cultures into Japan, but also sheds light on the history of Japanese queer cultures prior to the Internet age, and puts them into the present context.
