A SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FIRST CONFERENCE ON CYBERSPACE

Abstract

Take fourteen people of varying specialities and ask them to talk about aspects of a common interest. The result is the first conference on cyberspace. Cyberspace does not exist yet in any palpable form. We have seen some glimmerings of what is possible by using equipment varying from a Commodore 64 to the VPL DataGlove. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. What is needed is some framework for future development in, and research on, cyberspace. For this reason, the conference focused on directions and ideas, not implementations. The presenters and attendees covered a broad spectrum of disciplines comprising architecture, art, computer science, engineering, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology and writing (authors). Also the academic, corporate, and industrial worlds were well represented. Such a mix of disciplines led to a diversity of ideas. However, as the presentations and discussions progressed, some definite themes became clear. This paper attempts to integrate the ideas presented at the conference, gives a partial definition of cyberspace, and indicates directions for future research and discussion. The paper starts with a general discussion of the nature of cyberspace. This background is used to discuss cyberspace from three different views: interface, information and communication. Next, some theoretical foundations of cyberspace are discussed. Then possible approaches to implementation including architectures and paradigms are outlined. Next the effect on humans individually and in general is covered. After that is a discussion of the issues raised and some areas of conflict. Then some possible areas of research are covered. And finally a partial definition of cyberspace is given.