<i>----- respectful interfaces e-note 022010 - cyberspace - -----</i><br><br>Please note the link flush left on the next line for one sort of reference:<br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybernetics">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybernetics</a><br>
<br><br>Dear James,<br><br>Thank you, your post is terrific and I would like to share it with others. And we've met now. Well met!<br><br>You so appropriately raise many challenging and frontal issues and I say this not to flatter but with some genuine appreciation - though the lore is that flattery rarely fails in full.<br>
<br>I am going to take some time before responding to your individual posits and I think others will also be intrigued.<br><br>I respond here, of course welcoming feedback, only re the l<i>inguistic </i>or <i>psycholinguistic </i>(themselves perhaps historically fleeting) terms that start with "cyber." <br>
<br>Except for one of the U.N. Security "canines" at N.Y. Headquarters that bears this name and thus maybe sort of an absolute in this time/space slice, is it not the case that since at least Norbert Weiner's '48 "cybernetics" re. control and systems theory (we can check this) the term has attached itself to electronic communications in <u>descriptive </u>not necessarily <u>prescriptive </u>fashion (?) - as many terms do,operationally, as tools (some say tools of thoughts). <br>
<br>Excellent if it can expand beyond the narrow bandwidth of the Web or the Internet - and not indeed shrink down to a hardened set of frozen, non-evolving verbal cliches.<br><br>So, <u>accord </u>on many of your challenging points. Thanks ever so much for your post - and your presence., itself supporting an enlarging evolution of concepts and facts.<br>
<br>With sincere regards, and *respectfully interfacing*, Linda M F. <br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 2:13 AM, James T. Mc Guiness <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jamesmcguiness@cox.net" target="_blank">jamesmcguiness@cox.net</a>></span> wrote:<br>
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Dear Dr. Misek-Falkoff,<br>
<br>
I don't believe we've met as I was active in the CCC as their
newsletter editor back in the 90's and, though I've paid my dues to
revive my interest, I've moved to Virginia and am not likely to be
showing up at any general meetings any time soon . I felt compelled to
comment (even if I'm far afield of the intent), I have made cyberspace
and cyber culture theoretics my passion for almost two decades and just
hearing or reading expression of issues "cyber", jump-starts my
interest. <br>
<br>
In my view, the phenomenon we see spun around the press as "cyberspace"
and it's offshoots such as "cyber-libel" is little more than
sensationalist "buzzwordism" as cyberspace is still an unrealized
potential far beyond what the Internet amounts to. Forgive my
forwardness and please don't take this as a personal criticism as it
seems your writing is a reaction to floating misnomers and not a
personal assertions of their validity. If it's OK with you I just like
to share insights and vision to voice my perspective on the subject.
Firstly, there is no such thing as cyberspace. I wish there were but
there isn't. I hope to be part of creating the real thing. The Internet
can not live up to the phenomenon called cyberspace. The Internet is an
expansion of a single computer to all whom avail themselves to it--a
grand extension of Microsoft DOS, an alpha-numeric internal
computer-focused set of formalities. So-called search engines are sets
of rather limited algorithms only cable of bring back "pages" in which
the alpha-numeric criteria appears in the name or content of "computer"
files. This makes finding information a process in which one may
retrieve hundreds of "pages"--all designed with no universal design
criteria which often amount to a different interface for each site
retrieved. It leaves a lot of "browsing"--none of which may produce a
satisfactory result. The are of course public <br>
forums" and conventionalizing like "Face Book" et al in which people
may post directed messages open to perusal and commentary by other
persons. And there are "blogs" as well--running journals or series of
commentary in which the righter basically pacifies them self by telling
them self they've published something whereas in fact they have filed a
document that one may stumble over or not. <br>
<br>
What real cyberspace is starts with the knowledge that no one has yet
designed cyberspace per se. Cyberspace is analogous to a beehive--no
one bee designs the hive but the result of their collective actions
build a structure that keeps swelling as small groups work on focused
tasks. Cyberspace is a potential rather than an entity. It is based
upon the collective endeavor of the myriad efforts to develop
technology though not specifically and purposefully to achieve a
comprehensive phenomenon in which collective ideals well beyond today's
Internet are achievable. An example of a cyberspace interface as
opposed to an Internet browser would be to, say, use Google Earth s an
interface to the world and create separate strata which are linked to
the geography of the planet in which one can turn on and off the
various strata so that commerce is not mixed with something like the
eco-sphere, or socio-sphere et al. In this modality people return to
being deliberate on what specifically they are trying to do and make
the computer a tool of exploration and connection with other entities.
The Internet, conversely, is a device designed in large fashion to do
the thinking for the user and provide the user with a house of cards of
information in which the person learns no navigational technique and, I
assume, is left to marvel at the technological ability to capture
information willy-nilly and the peruse it--establishing no sense of
navigation or connection with geography et al. I believe we are in the
dark ages of the Informations Age, and until cyberspace become a matter
of idealistic deign meant to improve the human who uses it, will will
continue to Twitter and while away millions of hours getting a "NO"
whereas with design rather than default of a true cyberspace beyond the
Internet, we will never settle for "NO" and build a progressive culture
that prepares, builds and always expect that query to be answered
"YES". Tis is just a part of how I envision what I call a sustainable
progress engine in which I have inventoried many nuances that would
help the community that uses the real cyberspace break away to a new
level of modernity in which the world would be forced to choose which
era it lives in--the new progress? or the come-see come-sa era of
"acceptable NO's". Respectfully and sincerely, James T. McGuiness <br>
<br>
linda misek-falkoff wrote:
<blockquote type="cite"><span> </span>
<div>
<div><div><div></div><div>
<div>
<div>Dear Colleagues:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>A while back I posted an announcement when Google's BUZZ started
buzzing. It came supplied in my gmail one day, already stocked with
buzz buddies - as in "six degrees of separation" calculated by automata
(computational "intelligence"). Well it's no secret I've over 50 years
in computing and have seen a lot of social and other including
antisocial networking "CyberSpaceWise." I wondered electronically with
one of our colleagues here, how is this different? One aspect that
occurred to me was just simple set stuff. You start with an empty set
or a non-empty set like an instant community. Or maybe index origin 0
or 1, I'm not an expert on these math things per se; others here are.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Have you dabbled? Buzzed (and also perhaps embeddedly as R.P.
has, still tweeted)? Hard to resist jumping in to test "waters" or is
it "tides.".</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I'm biased a bit yes, and very concerned with privacy but ...
older I get more interested in potential networking; had my days taking
cyberlibel (read also identity theft through misrepresentation) Cert.
Petitions to the Washington Supremes (said with reverence). Still (the
bias) I'm curious. But yes still "on the third hand" feel a bit moved
in on and concerned. And I imagine many <i>older and younger and
midder</i> persons might feel just the opposite; enraged to find
they're being followed and can follow (stalk) by machines (we hope its
machines) matchmaking. And if they try to eliminate or reduce the
(can we call it social group?) what other side-effects might be
triggered? </div>
<div> </div>
<div><i>e-perish the e-thought</i>.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>"AnyOlTechWay", Google's allegedly been sued with a CAass action
complaint (not yet e-surfaced?) from it looks like a lady in silicon
valley area, in the name of many millions of gmail users, </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Request: whoever first sees the actual (said to be Federal)
Complaint on the Net, please post a link?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>For some time it's seemed the <i>interfaces</i> of computing
with law might come up here. I've moderated a cyberlibel list for
several years, in the area of tort law mainly, and with this note will
scamper over there on this one to see what folks think. In fact, via
this email as it isn't apparent that will violate privacy ... hope you
agree. At least - such is not "intended."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Enjoy your weekend! If you are going out there via social
networking, don't talk to strangers; or do.</div>
<div>Best wishes and *Respectfully Interfacing*</div>
<div>LDMF.<br clear="all">
<br></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div><font size="1">For identification only:<br><br>
> Founder/Director *Respectful Interfaces*;</font> <font size="1"><br>> Member, Board, Secretary (Officer) - Communications Coordination Committee for the<br>> U.N.;<br>> World Education Fellowship;<br>> Member Committees on disability, ageing, health, values, development, Gray Panthers, Committee on Mental Health Media and ITC, Discrimination SubComs.<br>
> President, National Disability Party (NDP); Steering Seat, International Disability Caucus;<br>> Persons with Pain Intl., co-founded with Carol J. Levy; <br>> ICT multiple decades - authored and taught original GML tages - became HTML; developed internet law on cyberlibel, reputation management etc.<br>
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