Week 8 Cyberpunk info and lecture

This weeks lecture focused on Virtual philosophy. We watched the matrix in the lecture. This movie questions virtual philosophies and ourselves as human beings. Virtual philosophy refers to the virtual world, although it is virtual and abstract it is still very prominent. Although many things on the web are virtual and not an actual object, we can still interact with it and recognise it for what it is. Shopping online for instance,virtual images are uploaded of a product. The image does not allow one to touch, move or interact with the actual object however it allows a virtual replacement of the real thing for shoppers to interact with. They recognise it as the real product.

A definition of Cyberpunk:

Since 1990 or so, popular culture has included a movement or fashion trend that calls itself ‘cyberpunk’, associated especially with the rave/techno subculture. Hackers have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, self-described cyberpunks too often seem to be shallow trendoids in black leather who have substituted enthusiastic blathering about technology for actually learning and doing it. Attitude is no substitute for competence. On the other hand, at least cyberpunks are excited about the right things and properly respectful of hacking talent in those who have it. The general consensus is to tolerate them politely in hopes that they'll attract people who grow into being true hackers.
(http://www.answers.com/topic/cyberpunk)

I think the good thing about cyberpunk'ing is that by reading these articles and/writing them, it forces us to think about technology in a different way. It allows us to see the way technology is taking over our lives, time and the world! Many of the issues in the news in some way have a relation to technology. Whether it be infrastructure, the stock market, law suits, politics fighting over broadband etc. Its there. It is controlling our lives.

I looked for a cyberpunk on the topic: Control over society
The article is called:

Do Humanlike Machines Deserve Human Rights?

Whilst doing this i read something very interesting and very true. Basically a person comments on this article and its relation to having a control over society and the access to information.

'You control the information, you control what the sheeple think, and therefore, you control the society.'

http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/category/movie/essays/