Varieties of Cyberspace: Problems in Definition and Delimitation

Professor Strate's article "Varieties in Cyberspace" describes what he calls the three levels of cyberspace and their subdivisions. The first level is called zero-order cyberspace. The first of its categories is called paraspace, or nonspace. Paraspace deals with the paradoxical aspects of cyberspace: it exists, but at the same time it is unreal. The other category of zero-order cyberspace is cyberspacetime, which has to do with our perceptions of space and time. The second level is called first order cyberspace. Its three categories are physical cyberspace, conceptual cyberspace, and perceptual cyberspace. Physical cyberspace consists of the electricity, wires, modem, and anything else relevant in the physical world. Conceptual cyberspace deals with the "cognition" and logical qualities of cyberspace. Perceptual cyberspace deals with how we use our senses to obtain information about cyberspace. The last order is called second order cyberspace. This contains cybermedia space, which contains its own subcategories of aesthetic space, information or dataspace, and interactive or relational space.

Cyberspace Ontology

The concept that interested me most in Varieties of Cyberspace was zero-order ontological cyberspace. The idea that there is an ontological difference for us when we interact with computer and Internet technology may sound obtuse, but it makes a certain amount of sense. If we see ontology as the science of being, or more specifically, an account of a certain frame of mind, it starts to make more sense. As we talked of in class, your frame of mind while talking on the phone is much different than if you are driving a car, a comparison can be made to how athletes get into a very focused and powerful “flow” when performing at peak ability. The ontological feedback loop when using a computer can be seen when trying to look up something on the Internet, while at the same time closely reading a book, it’s annoying and difficult.

If engaging with digital technology puts us in a different ontological space, than this could lead to problematic issues. The ontology of Internet cyberspace is one of immersion and passivity. When we enter cyberspace we are immersed in, and transfixed by, an ocean of stimuli coming at us from a variety of directions. It is almost impossible to ground us at one certain place and examine it critically, when there is so much else on the web to be consumed. With the expansion of Internet access into the mobile realm, the ability to immerse is not hindered by the need of a bulky desktop computer. If this process continues, then our ability to engage with the world in a rigorous and careful manner may be curtailed.