Tuesday, February 17, 2009

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.

Monday, February 16, 2009

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

Friday, February 13, 2009

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?

Saturday, February 07, 2009

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

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Internet for beginners

Just a vid I found while not revising lol- so funny!!