Hi all you current and ex-cyberspacers!

Just in case there is not enough sunshine and other non-academic activities to entertain you I have seen an interesting article in the June edition of The Psychologist called 'Get a second life' by Christian Jarrett. It covers a lot of the topics from the module as well as looking at the conduction of therapy in second life. I will try and email it as an attachment onto the webct discussion forum and to Debbie.

Happy hols
Polly

Party!

By the time you read this , it will, for most of you be allllllllllllllll (see? emotext!) over. No more exams; no more essays! Congratulations all of you! We hope you enjoyed The Psychology of Cyberspace......it's been a pleasure teaching you on this (and other) modules and we wish you all the best in your future careers, whether that be more study or the real world (work - ugh).

Do drop by here when you have anything say that's internet-related. Once a member of Neuroromantics, always a member!

Adios!

Debbie
Paul
John C

Ive just watched the Gadget Show and its really made me think about blogging. The presenters were doing Facebook vs. Twitter, one presenter had a facebook profile and asked all her 'friends' to meet at a certain location for a dance off and the second presenter had a Twitter blog and did the same to his 'followers'. Twitter won by a mile with a lot more people turning up at the location. This has made me see a positive social element to blogging, they also gave a little info on Twitter and how Steven Fry and Phillip Scofield are big users of Twitter. I like the thought of blogging to spark debate and intelligent conversations that I may not be able to have (with as much input) in my every day life. I feel I may of come across a little cynical in my response to Haylee's last post, i did not mean to sound so agasint blogging. I actually think bloggging can be good socially and especially good for those who need debate and creativity to boost their professional lives.

I may create a Twitter account, has anybody else got one?

Opinion - Good blog, bad blog: does the value of blogging outweigh its risks?

After the lecture on internet deaths and such I searched the web to see if blogs are involved. i found an interesting debate at the link below:http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_ journalism/2008/04/good_blog_bad_blog_does _the_value_of_blo.php

As to be expected the blogosphere has exploded with commentary following the New York Times' "death by blogging" article.

The New York Times suggests that the ceaseless work required to stay afloat led, at least partly, to the recent death of two "prolific" bloggers. This, however, leads to the larger question: does the value of a non-stop internet economy outweigh its risks? We can all agree that blogs have become an integral part of how we consume news.

Blogging's viral nature, as well as the chance to engage without a major-up front investment, has enabled the "little guy" in a way never before possible.

Take the recent success of a covert video by an animal rights activist who posed as a slaughterhouse worker for six weeks. The undercover vegan citizen journalist released the video, which went viral within hours on the blogosphere, reports the New York Times. Consequently the slaughterhouse was closed, the United States Congress held hearings, and the Agriculture Department recalled 65 million kilograms of meat, the largest recall in American history.

"to be sure, there is no official diagnosis of death by blogging." But they do hit on a nasty side effect of the ceaselessness that has made bloggers a success; the around-the-clock demands of the internet forces bloggers work extreme hours in order to keep up. The same concerns of excessive overtime hours are weighing on newspaper journalists, who are being encouraged to blog on top of producing articles. It also stands to detract from quality journalism; if journalists have to compete in the same "pay-per-click economy" in which bloggers exist, quality inevitably slides. With these two opposing pulls on journalists' time, it is hardly surprising that newspaper blogs are not yet perfectly oiled machines,

So does blogging need regulation? Healthwise, perhaps the answer is yes. But that would go against the essence of blogging, which owes its popularity and its relevance to its 24/7 engagement. Even the stress-level issue is up for grabs.

mine: i feel that blogging is a way to show the world what interests you, even if no one is looking, its a place to vent and a place to debate, but addicts are risking health due to pressures to blog 24/7. All day bloggers - go watch a movie or play in the park every now and then! Personally i feel there is a psychological issue with blogging.. when no one reads your posts, sometimes it is annoying, and some people could take it the wrong way and become really upset. Also, blogs can be used to say aweful things which can impede on the health of both the blogger and the reader.

what are your views on the health risks of blogging?

Cyber-self-defence

For even those of you who are vets of web 2.0 sites such as Facebook, here's a heads-up on how the site can be infiltrated by fraudulent users to gain access to your personal info.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2343484,00.asp

On a related theme....a blog for those of you interested in the (expontentially evolving) field of cybercrimes. Cybersleuth http://www.thecybersleuth.blogspot.com/2009/03/monday-morning-news-and-notes.html

Superlash

Superlash is wearing a blue sparkly ballgown to convey the image that she is sophisticated and sassy and a classy bird.

Superlash enjoys wine and posh dinners and prefers to date rich guys, particulary tall , handsome and dark (they may happen to look like steve jones or jamie theakson).

Superlash is deeply sensual and cannot stand fakery.

Superlash is 21 years old and lives in a mansion in bramhope with her parents and her pet cat
Even though she looks rich her past is full of harship and trials that she has faced ,her familys money came from a fortunate win on the lottery of 25 million pounds

Superlash enjoys spending the money on different charities especially animal charities!

Behind the beautiful looks and hollywood film star dress lies a family girl who loves her Sunday dinners especially yorkshire puddings!!

Superlash’s favourite country is italy and one day she aspires to live in italy and have lots of bambini and a hot italian husband who treats her the way she deserves !!!

RaphaelGuy

Steph

Moo

This is Moo, she's 21. Moo likes music, checkered Vans and dying her hair strange colours. She sepnds her free time relaxing with friends and going to see her favourite bands play live.

button

Flo

I am Flo, I am 22. I live in the country and love to be outdoors. I like to be with friends but there is nothing better than a long walk, on my own on a summers afternoon. when I am not outside or with friends I am working in the local tea rooms where I make bread and cakes. Although most of the time I am covered in either mud or flour I have a definite passion for fashion

Ashlee

I'm Ashlee. I'm in my early 20's and like to have fun! I don't have a favourite type of music just like anything that i can dance to. I like fashion and films especially chick flicks. I also enjoy getting dressed up and going out and partying with my friends.

Miss d

joanne

This is Joanne she is 21 years old and is newly single, she is wearing a wedding dress because she has just left her fiance at the alter and decided to go on her honeymoon by herself hence the cocktail in her hand...she also wants a tan!!! She likes shopping going to gigs and watching movies.

Nacho Panda

Jen Beaumont

This is Jen, She is a 23 year old single lady, she has no worries and lives for the weekend. She loves the Hip Hop scene and loves to dance the night away. She likes to go to concerts and dress in the latest urban wear. Jen has lots of friends and continuously smiles as she has no reason not to. When she isn't partying she likes to stay in with the girls and watch a movie or go for a meal and to the cinema.

dolfinwisperer

Raven

My name is Raven, I am in my late 30's, Living the SJP Sex and the city life, I am a free spirit who likes to dance and laugh, I like to wear things that sparkle and have fun

meezpscyberspace

Hello, I'm PScyberspace!
I am 25 and enjoy friends, alcohol and chat - usually simultaneously and regularly.
My musical tastes are broad but Prince features heavily. I watch films regularly and particularly seek out foreign cinema. Sporting activities include pole dancing and martial arts.

Hayleebob

This is Hayleebob, shes 20 and she is a little bit punk and loves her indie bands. she dresses a little bit emo, but insists that she isnt one :p she loves going to the cinemas and loves to rave! Shes dating ajkiwi88 and he sometimes pops in to visit. Hayleebob loves the great outdoors and is athletic, she loves climbing, bmxing and playing at parks. All in all shes one cool, popular and care free girl!

Me Meez (Part Deux)

Me...or rather my Second Life character (part Deux) in Meez. How much is me? Well.....We'll discuss that. :)

If you're uploading your character image to this blog (you'll have to be a member of the blog to be able to do that, remember), upload it via the Meez Export page (see handout) then email me some text describing her / him. His or her name, interests, personality, etc....whatever you want to include to describe the online character, based (or not) on you, that you've created. I'll add it to your image. Remember to tell me the name of the Meez character you've posted on here!

If you DON'T have membership here, you can download the image to My Pictures on your My Docs uni account and email it to me along with your description. I'll then create a 'gallery' of your Meez people on the WebCT site.

'Self'-worth

How much is an online identity worth? $9500 apparently :

http://www.destructoid.com/geek-sells-warcraft-account-for-9-500-idiot-buys-warcraft-account-for-9-500-45135.phtml ...and this is purported to be a pic of him.

The BBC website also has a decent article on it. http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44130000/jpg/_44130914_worow-blizzard203.jpg&imgrefurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/technology/7007026.stm&usg=__0nzkKRnLdYnLk-y69HoZd_fiAUM=&h=152&w=203&sz=14&hl=en&start=7&tbnid=0mI_YlXU7MJVFM:&tbnh=79&tbnw=105&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dzeuzo%2Bworld%2Bof%2Bwarcraft%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGLR_enGB311GB315

What price your online cyber-identity? What does this say about ownership and 'authenticity' of those characters that we create online, invested with 'self'? I guess the power of the mighty buck outweighs all....

The Limits of Technological Determinism

The topic of yesterday's lecture may have left the impression that, due to the affordances of the technology we currently have, online communication is pretty much a negative experience in 'human terms', i.e. we're destined to communicate and perceive the communictions of others (and our co-communicators) online rather negatively. "The message is salient but the person isn't"...."Lack of social context clues leads to present-focused, self-absorbed, de-regulated possibly de-individuated behaviour", etc, etc, but I hope that, by the end, you concluded that these early models, those that essentially took the 'human' out of the human, computer-mediated, communicative process, were only really nibbling at the tip of the iceberg. They were somewhat, perhaps necessarily given the pioneering nature of them, simplistic and totally failed to consider the influence of individual personality on the noted 'affordance effects'.

Given that a lot of this early theory and some of the later, (as you'll see), hinges on the possibility of de-individuation and group influence, I thought it might be a good point at which to have you revisit the classic studyof de-individuation, i.e. Stanford Prison Expt. You can read about Zimbardo's study here http://www.prisonexp.org/ and see a short Youtube clip on it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxGEmfNl-xM. In the 'Discussion Questions' page of the prison experiment website, it asks the following question...What prevented "good guards" from objecting or countermanding the orders from tough or bad guards? This cuts to the essence of de-individuation....and brings us back to the impact of individual personality traits on group influence in both real life (like Stanford) and online. Those 'good guards' in Stanford who DIDN'T object to the orders of bad guards simply didn't have the psychological profile to resist de-individuation and assimilation of group identity. I'm reckoning that if they'd tested enough people as gaurds, they would have encountered those that did. They certainly found a prisoner who refused to de-individuate into a 'prisoner role' (Prisoner 416).

So what about online? Isn't it the same? There are those who are inherently incapable of resisting the de-individuation that the medium encourages whereas others are armed with an arsenal of attributes to deflect the draw of de-individuation. Spend some time considering the types of traits and abilities that would make one naturally resilient.....do you possess them? Furthermore are the technological determinants of online behaviour situationally dependent?

OMG! :0

**may disgust and/or offend**

While checking out the internet today i was thinking of cyberspace related things to look up, and my thought turned to debbies chat about the cybersex toy. I decided to see if there have been any more advances and i was shocked!! If you go to this link http://web.archive.org/web/20050108090347/http://www.fu-fme.com/

it will explain this wacky device. Basically its a device to enable sex with another via your computer. Just wondering.. does anyone think this is a joke? have i stumbled upon a fake site with fake products? If not then personally i think this truly is too far for most. Some people may benifit from it if they have trouble in social situations, but i believe that a healthy sexual relationship should involve a room, not a 'space.

give me your thoughts..

The Psychology of Facebook: Profile Pics.

On the subject of avatars yesterday....a short clip on the psychology of profile pics (Part of an upcoming book on 'The Psychology of Facebook' (sounds an interesting read).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEpKH4t8x5U&NR=1

Some people mentioned not being familiar with online acronyms ....so here are some of the most common (and not so common). If you're offended by swearing, I'd give this one a miss. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffqzajg4keA

Lastly, emoticons (old skool). For the less initiated, remember to tilt your head sideways (or hold your laptop on it's side) and you'll be shocked how quickly you get used to 'seeing' them straight away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbwJcWGMho0 and, to give you a mere taste of the range of emoticons available on IMs and in chat http://messenger.yahoo.com/features/emoticons/ .

Want to see (yet another) product of bored internet addicts? Google or YT 'Emoticoncerts'. 8> )

Virtual walking??!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHfUpI66tfo&feature=related

i cant quite work out how to get videos from youtube on to here so you will have to click the link, its a little boring but totally illustrates my point.
With new advances in technology, it looks like we might soon be able to take a walk in the park while stood on a piece of carpet embedded in our living room floors using a 'Cyber carpet' and a vr headset. To me, this begs the question ' are we taking this too far?' surely if you want to go for a walk in the park, it would be a much better experience to actually, go to the park and walk there, rather than pretend you are in the park. Don't get me wrong, i love games and i love having a 'second life', i like the wii and id like to try the cyber carpet out. but i have to say that i would choose a day walking in the real hills, with real wind and real floor and real dogs.
I understand that these treadmill like objects would help medically, for physiotherapy for example. but why not just go for a walk round the block??
this notion baffles me, in worried that in the future, people are simply going to live in their houses, but 'visit' their friends and 'visit' the shops and try things on. As amazing as the internet is... people really do need to bear in mind the Amazingness (is this a word?) of the outdoors.
What do you think?

Lord of the (Net)Things

Had to show you this. For those of you blessed to love both Tolkien and 'puter, nerdy stuff, here's the ultimate t-shirt. I want one. :) You can find more of the same at the creator's website: telcontar.net/Artwork/ThinkNerd/tech.php

What is Cyberspace? (Reply 1)

Hey! The blog has been going strong for three years...thankyou very much. :p Not that many posters (except me) but there have been TONS of lurky hits. (Yes, YOU out there....I know you're watching) :)

Do read the archive of previous entries. Some interesting stuff there (if I say so myself).

Ok, my cyberspace mental model. What I 'see' it as in my mind's eye is, perhaps, something like this picture that I very recently found. Futuristic, digital architecture in a vast dark void....islands of neon that are welcoming evidence of 'life' accenting the shadows and connected by autobahn-like grids of twinkling binary code.

I'm probably very much influenced by William Gibson's description. Or am I? It's not too surprising how a limited palette of colours and common themes dominate most peoples' conception of the place....is it? ' Think about it.

What is Cyberspace?

What is your interpetation of Cyberspace?

OK, so, i figured it might be interesting to see what image represents cyberspace to each of us. Start off by thinking of a few words that sum up your idea of cyberspace and type them in google images. See if any of the pictures that come up are relevant, if not, just describe them in your post. In my eyes, the matrix (films/books, etc) truly sum up my interpretation of cyberspace. this picture isnt quite right, i believe that it is a big black place with a destination at the otherside like a door open with light shining through, and that in between the start and the finish is a 'matrix' of words, zooming to get to places. In the film, while in the matrix you can do and be whoever you want to be, which i believe thoughroughly shows the advances in communication. You could be chatting to a lovely hunk of a man on facebook, or bebo, or even yahoo.... never meet these people, you will probably be dissapointed when you open the door and see a 25 stone bloke with long greasy hair holding a bunch of garage bought flowers that should have died before you were born. In cyberspace, you can fly, and everyone is thin and sexy and you look exactly like what you want to, just like the matrix.

ok, so ive rambled on a bit... this blog may take off, or it could be a major flop, or it could have already been done before... we will soon find out.

also, if this doesnt work on the blog site, dont blame me, its my first ever blog.. take care, and reply x

Reality is in the Eye of the Beholder?

Find the notion that, if fully immersed in cyberspace via Virtual Reality (VR), this dominant, first-person visual perspective may dictate, after some time, our accepted 'reality'? Some of you seemed to be a little dubious on Thurs. The following article details how VR is increasingly being used to assist in therapies for psychological disorders...and that it relies on the fact that the client suspends disbelief in the VR visual world enough for it to become, 'real', relevant and thus facilitates successful treatment. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3945251.ece


The second link wanders into the realms of 'futures' and where it might all be going...sooner than we anticipate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlBgIO6Mp9A&feature=related


Question is (and its a question I continually pose about technology)....just because we can, should we?

Welcome Class of 2009

Hi all and welcome to the blog for PSC3233 'The Psychology of Cyberspace'. You will all have, by now, received an email invitation to join the blog (check your uni email account) so you can not only read the previous years' entries (see Blog Archive on the right menu) but also add posts to the blog. Anything internet or cyberspsychology related is welcome. Keep it clean or it'll be deleted!).

I add my ramblings on cyber-issues to it on a regular basis throughout the module and would welcome discussion. This isn't a place where "I teach you"; it's a place where we all debate, discuss and inform each other.

By the way, the image is a picture of 'me' (Hetty Harlequin) taken at the UoB homeroom in Second Life last year. It's planned that we'll have something similar this year.

Enjoy this space on here....it's far nicer to post to than the boringforum on WebCT!

Debbie