Cyberpunk: The Idea

„ Term coined in by Bruce Bethke The Cyberspace Concept „ punk part reflects streetwise attitude „ Tone tends to be dark, cynical „ Immersion in computer generated, shared worlds is a key theme I202: Fall 2003 „ Other themes „ Alteration of human bodies, genes Thomas Haigh „ Popular culture, music, media power Session 19 „ Critical of corporate power „ Often romantic, rebellious

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William Gibson Computer Technology in SF

„ Creates idea of cyberspace „ Common by mid-1950s „ Best known in novel Necromancer, 1984 „ Futuristic technology lags history „ Early appearance in short story “Burning Chrome” „ Big, expensive, central computers „ Science fiction writer then living in „ Used mostly for mathematics Canada „ Nobody much predicts „ No particular knowledge of computers „ Personal computer „ Writes Neuromancer & earlier stories on manual typewriter „ Microchips, miniaturization „ Imagines technology in very visual, „ Interactive graphics impressionistic kind of way „ Main extrapolation is artificial intelligence „ Vivid, spatial, seedy (film noir influence) „ Often arrives spontaneously

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Networking: Fiction Gibson’s Cyberspace

„ Famously defined as “consensual hallucination” for „ Little realistic treatment pre-1980 exchange of data „ Very much like real space „ Much more focus on AI than networks „ Big mainframes are like skyscrapers „ John Brunner, Shockwave Rider, 1975 invents „ Valuable data is protected idea of computer “worm” „ “Walls”, “gates” “mazes” of “ice” „ Need speed, reflexes to fly through „ Vernor Vinge, “True Names” (1981) „ Illicit programs are like illegal weapons „ “I felt like a punk who'd gone out to buy a switch. „ Hackers adventures in virtual environment blade and come home with a small neutron bomb.” „ Comic-book story; anti-government ideas „ Death in cyberspace can be real death „ Works well for story „ Influential on libertarian new activists of 90s „ Actual function, purpose is not totally clear

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1 Cybernetics Cyborg

„ Coined by Norbert Weiner, „ Cyborg = CYBernetic ORGanism 1947 „ Combination of human and artificial parts in a single „ Popular 1948 book, “Cybernetics” system „ „ From Greek – “steersman” Popular science fiction idea from 1970s „ „ Idea tied to automation Intimate connection to technology „ High tech in 1980s is becoming much more domestic „ Generalization of feedback, as control principle & personal „ CD player or Nintendo rather than nuclear power „ Animals, machines – both seek A “cyberman” from the TV goals „ Gibson imagines symbolic extensions series Dr. Who „ “jacking into the matrix” „ Idea gets tied to Artificial „ Implants such as blades, communicatons, retinal displays Intelligence „ Hands and arm in Burning Chrome

„ Also “cyber” is popular prefix

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Virtual Reality Cyberpunk: The Movement „ Virtual Reality (new term circa 1982) „ Immersion in simulated world „ First self-conscious movement since “New „ Much interest in driven by cyberpunk Wave” fiction „ Idea spreads rapidly into mainstream „ Neuromancer (1984) is defining statement culture „ Gibson & Bruce Sterling are key proponents „ Typical components are „ Push to shake-up science fiction „ Stereo, head-mounted display „ Sterling publishes “Cheap Truth” magazine „ Powerful, real-time 3D graphics „ Fame soon spreads beyond genre hardware „ Sensor to detect head motion „ Largely faded as movement by late-80s „ Data gloves to sense hand motion „ Influence remains strong on later work „ Computer industry saw as next big „ Neal Stephenson’s Snowcrash (1994) is popular thing around 1990 „ Lots of researchers want to work on

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Hackers VR Disappoints in Real Life

„ 3D graphics make amazing progress „ Term originally has positive „ Specialist 3D hardware becomes commonplaces in late 1990s association „ Used almost entirely for games „ geeky pranksters at MIT „ Nobody really figures out applications in spreadsheets, presentations, etc. „ By mid-1980s means „ Some real applications for immersive 3D electronic vandals „ Architectural walkthroughs „ Sometimes credited with „ Astronaut training, etc. superhuman powers „ Mainstream applications lacking „ Immersion makes people sick „ Media fascination continues „ 3D user interfaces are harder to use into 1990s „ Nobody figures out a new interface paradigm „ Problem for science fiction „ Actual hacking very boring

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2 Cyberspace in the 1990s Network as a Place

„ „ Gradually loses association with VR If we consider “cyberspace” as a place, it is „ Becomes a description of shared social space on the natural for it to have its own Internet „ Laws and government „ Key idea: a network is a place of its own „ Citizens „ Different from prevalent idea of earlier technologies „ Cultural norms, language and customs „ Postal systems „ Businesses „ Telephone network „ „ These bring two or more real places into contact The Electronic Freedom Frontier is one group „ But nobody much talks about “postalspace” as being where pushing idea of net as cyberspace catalog companies are based „ They think its natural state is freedom and „ or “telephoneworld” as where psychic hotlines operate governments should keep out of the way

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Idea Pops Up Everywhere

„ Journals are published in cyberspace „ Companies do business in cyberspace „ Experts specialize in “cyberspace” law „ Politicians campaign in cyberspace „ Bush calls for “A National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace”

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Dual Realities Very Powerful Metaphor „ The Internet does allow real social processes „ Guides ideas about regulation „ Of kinds previous carried out primarily in real places „ E.g. Congress bans states from taxing „ Conversation transactions that happen in “cyberspace” „ Buying and selling „ Guides expectations of users „ Development of shared culture, etc „ Though these were sometimes done by mail, in print, „ E.g. things are usually free in cyberspace on telephone, etc. „ Ties in with “virtual community idea” „ But everyone “in cyberspace” is also in some „ Various manifestos written for “netizens”, etc. kind of real space „ Idea that move to net is like founding a new „ This creates some fundamental tensions country

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3 One Example: Censorship Another Example: Piracy

„ Legal status of obscenity in US depends „ China and Russia have weak piracy enforcement explicitly on standards of local community „ Pirated CDs and DVDs freely sold „ When material is viewed on web, what is jurisdiction „ But importation to USA is relatively limited „ State/nation of view „ „ State/nation of producer Electronic swapping is increasing threat „ State/nation of web hosting firm „ Cyberspace crosses national borders „ Or some new universal law of cyberspace? „ Books, games readily available from Russian web „ Similar issues in many areas servers „ Gambling services „ File swapping networks like Kazza bring together hundreds of thousands of people „ Taxation of e-commerce „ „ Libel But music industry is fighting back „ Laws vary greatly between US, Britain, etc. „ Subpoena identities of file swappers „ If something is published on web, where can you sue? „ Prosecute under US law

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Many things hard to regulate More on these issues later…

„ For example, spam „ Next 2 sessions: virtual communities „ Current laws are state by state „ Idea of real societies forming online „ National US law is in progress „ Early text based systems, modern games „ Some offer stiff penalties „ Jail or large fines „ Later sessions „ Problem is enforcement „ Issues of hacking and spam „ Spam is hard to trace „ Intellectual property in cyberspace „ International enforcement is currently impossible „ Privacy „ Geographical location of spammer may never even be „ Do rights to privacy exist in cyberspace known „ International Issues

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