Technology And Space
- 2. Social Space is the product of 3 components: Perceived realm of physical experience > hardware Conceived realm of mental experience > software Lived realm of social experience > wetware (the human element)
- 3. Cyberspace was formed through: Introduction of Electronic computing Development of Networking Invention of PCs
- 4. Atoms to Bits Close connection between ideas and printed matter – book burning Physicality of cyberspace to do with electronic movement of bits (rather than mechanistic movement of books or bodies i.e. atoms) Electronics enable spatial practices that cannot be directly perceived by the human senses.
- 5. EXAMPLE: ENIAC Panels of flashing lights added before public unveiling. To represent in some familiar and perceptible way the strange, invisible workings of the electronic computer
- 6. Computer Networking - Brought together the here and there e.g. Network space: The internet Digitise data and make it available to other researchers on the same “galactic network” Packet-switching technology and distributed network architecture provided a very ‘robust’ communications network
- 7. Developed sense of sociality among individuals at different geographical locations (they were far away but could still engage in discussion as if they were next to each other) ARPAnet veterans formed a list called SF-LOVERS, a list of researchers who wanted to participate in discussions about SF.
- 8. Personal computing Mixing together of institutional and individual online practices Development of the PC relocated the computer from institutional sites to domain of the individual (government/corporate > home) The new ‘personal’ space allows ordinary people access to computer power
- 9. Network space: The internet Digitise data and make it available to other researchers on the same “galactic network” Packet-switching technology and distributed network architecture provided a very ‘robust’ communications network Developed sense of sociality among individuals at different geographical locations
- 10. Communications in the 21st Century Tele-presence calls for a re-examination of some basic concepts in epistemology EXAMPLE: Nintendo DS
- 11. Nintendo DS “ Prescence refers to both a mode of time and to a spatial quality” – a given moment and attendance at that given moment Previously physical prescence but Could be immersing yourself in the game moment – “inhabiting a virtual environment” Being present in a chat “sharing the actual moment”
- 12. “ Prescence refers to both a mode of time and to a spatial quality” – a given moment and attendance at that given moment Could be immersing yourself in the game moment – “inhabiting a virtual environment” Being present in a chat “sharing the actual moment”
- 13. Life originates in the Here and Now The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection allows playing online games with participants from all over the world (e.g. Mario Kart) Can even limit by region
- 14. Several defining distinctions between established types of communication are no longer well founded Telephone, Radio, Computer – well defined DS includes microphone, pictochat, wi-fi connection, internet browsing, mp3 player Technologies overlap with each other, no one technology has an established role.
- 15. Discussion Think of a recent technology and list its features – does its features include a mix of technologies? Where were you when you were using this technology – does it allow you to move beyond the boundaries of the space you were in? (e.g. calling a friend situated somewhere else)