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02/07/2006 Archived Entry: "The End of Cyberspace"

The End of Cyberspace

In some ways, they have a point. We don't go to cyberspace as much anymore; we are in it already.

So, we need a new name? Eh. Who cares. It's the same with the "NEW" media debate. "But new media isn't new!" Ok. Nice point. Sit down.
We get bogged down over the name, and the actual work being done or theorized either settles on the mundane or isn't done at all. These days, the folks doing the most interesting work on the Web are the ones designing for the Web 2.0 concept, many of whom are captured in this flickr image.

Whereas VR and related concepts once dominated our thinking regarding technology, the very non-visual print-oriented, text-based world of social software has taken over. It's all about connections, baby.

Where do you want to link today?

Posted by Erik @ 02/09/2006 12:04 AM EST

I just went to the Web 2.0 Bullshit Generator (http://emptybottle.org/bullshit/) and the first phrase it came up with was "capture authentic weblogs".
Strangely enough, before I read your post this morning, I was thinking about the fact that people are generally writing more, what with blogs and livejournal and myspace and all that, so I don't disagree that there's more text flying around. It's just that it's almost always accompanied by images. I think it's getting harder to make the distinction between something that's purely visual or purely textual is all.

Posted by Erik @ 02/09/2006 12:03 AM EST

Not exactly. We use images all the time - as we always have. But those technologies that are emerging and gaining strength, and that largely comprise Web 2.0, are textual. There may be images, but with the exception of a few innovations like Flickr, it is the text which is driving this work. This is not to drive home a binary, but to realize that what is driving social software is not - for the most part - visuality.

Posted by jeff @ 02/08/2006 01:07 PM EST

In the Wired piece this month in the 'neologisms' section called 'cyberspace is dead', Even William Gibson acknowledges it, with the caveat that everything is now cyberspace. When's the last time you heard someone actually use the word, anyway?

"the very non-visual print-oriented, text-based world of social software has taken over" - isn't print visual? maybe taken over is a bit strong. even your blog here is a mix of image and text. I agree that linkage is where it's at, though, and social software is exploding, but it's rarely primarily text-based, just like it's rarely only image/VR based.
Link, mashup, remix, lather, rinse, repeat.

Posted by Erik @ 02/08/2006 12:56 PM EST