For those of you interested in readng about SL culture and news, here's a link to what has been voted the best blog on the subject. 'New World News' by Wagner James. Cornupcopia of the cranky and manky (amongst the sane tidbits) BUT, it does give an insight into the 'culture'. The 'Avatars United' article is particularly bizarre. At least to me...and now. :/

http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/

'Ello all. Here's a little snippet of John Perry Barlow's 'Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace' manifesto (which we'll be visiting briefly, in full, next week) to assist in appreciating dominant mental models of cyberspace.

A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace

"Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind….

Cyberspace consists of transactions, relationships, and thought itself, arrayed like a standing wave in the web of our communications. Ours is a world that is both everywhere and nowhere, but it is not where bodies live…

Your legal concepts of property, expression, identity, movement, andcontext do not apply to us. They are based on matter, There is no matter here… Our identities have no bodies, so, unlike you, we cannot obtain order by physical coercion….Our identities may be distributed across many of your jurisdictions…

We must declare our virtual selves immune to your sovereignty, even as we continue to consent to your rule over our bodies. We will spread ourselves across the Planet so that no one can arrest our thoughts. We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace. May it be more humane and fair than the world your governments have made before".

John Perry Barlow

Davos, Switzerland, February 8, 1996.

Inspired by the 'Brain in the Vat'

'I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man

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?