The term ‘cyber space’
was first used by William Gibson in his science fiction ‘Neuromancer’ in 1982,
which he later described as “an evocative and essentially meaningless buzzword
that could serve as a cipher for all of his cybernetic musings. Now it is used
to describe anything associated with computers, information technology, the
internet and the diverse internet culture. Thus, “cyberspace’ is the electronic
medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place and
where individuals can interact, exchange ideas, share information, provide
social support, conduct business, direct actions, create artistic media, play
games, engage in political discussions etc.[1]
According to Chip
Morningstar and F. Randall Farmer, cyberspace is defined more by social
interactions involved rather than its technical implementation. The core
characteristic is that must be an environment which consists of many
participants with the ability to affect and influence each other. In
cyberspace, the computational medium is an augmentation of the communication
channel between real people.[2]
Thus, cyberspace may be
described as a conceptual collegeum where world’s information resources come
together without being seen or sensed.[3]
Features of Cyber Space
i. Just like the real world comprises the entire earth,
cyberspace consists of the entire virtual world.
ii. The ICTs, computers and Internet Technology are expanding
the boundaries of cyberspace day by day.
iii. According to an estimate, the Cyberspace is doubling
every 100 days.
iv. Unlike the problems in the real world, it is very easy to
roam around in the cyberspace on ‘information superhighways’.
v. The speed is tremendous, the reach is unlimited. There is
ease of entry and exit.
vi. Very fewer resources are needed to enter cyberspace.
vii. It is easy to disguise one’s identity in cyberspace.
viii.
Cyberspace and real world impact each other.
Courtesy:-
Legal Point Foundation (LPF)
No comments:
Post a Comment