Essay/Term paper: Internet and cyberspace

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Technology

My research project tries to delve into commonly misunderstood or badly formed interpretations of the Internet. In this assignment I analyze common web terms such as the matrix, cyberspace, virtual reality and to an extent artificial intelligence. I explore the interpretations of people from a wide array of society with regard to these Internet concepts. How do these different concepts relate? These concepts are not as different as one might imagine. Each one follows the definition of another, no particular order. In actuality they are all inter-related. A matrix is basically a two-dimensional list or array of numbers. The matrix is used extensively in data analysis, study of electrical networks and economics. Broadly speaking, for the layman the matrix means a lot, really a lot of information. Computers is all about data analysis, this is the primary function. Matrices were used to study the circuits used to develop the computer hardware and software to in turn enable us to perform more analysis. With the development of the Internet two new word were defined, actually one new word was created and another redefined or given another interpretation. The first word is 'Cyberspace'. This word is well explained by William Gibson, as quoted by Philip Elmer-DeWitt. With reference to friends who are involved with computer Gibson explains -" … everybody who worked much with the machines eventually came to accept that there's some kind of actual space behind the screen. Some place that you cannot see but you know is there." This is the best explanation anyone can give. Cyberspace does not necessarily mean the Internet as people commonly associate it to. Today people associate cyberspace only to the imaginary space found in the largest network of computers - the Internet. With the poplularity of the internet the word matrix was given a broader meaning. The matrix is used to difine the unilimited amount of inforamtion flowing on the internet. Vitual reality is an extention to the artifical space found in computers, in the case the artifical space of feelings is created. Artificial Intelligence is the product of the combined application of Matrices and cyberspace.