Although the class is using the term cybercities to refer to the way in which technology is impacting the urban environment, an equally interesting (and somewhat more common) definition of cybercities is a “virtual” city (or world, or community). See the links below for further reading, and think about how these two definitions are interrelated – real cities have high population densities, better service infrastructures (e.g. high-speed internet), and generally higher wages. These factors might combine to affect virtual cities disproportionately – that is, urban dwellers may make up a majority of virtual community users, such as Second Life. No definites here, just a theory.
Topical news link: news.com article
In particular, pay attention to the second blog response from Cyde Weys Musings.
Blog link: relationships-and-media.blogspot.com
Note the citation – Carter, Denise. Living in Virtual Communities: An Ethnography of Human Relationships in Cyberspace. Information, Communication & Society, Volume 8, 148-167. I’ll try to check it out and report back on it’s impact.
January 29, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Hey guys, this is really nifty. Are you running some kind of real world class whose assignments are handed out in blog entries? I’d like to hear more about what this is all about, but unfortunately, your About page is a WordPress default.
January 29, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Ah, I found more information. There’s a Cybercities class offered at Rutgers University? This is awesome. I’ll definitely be trawling for some more information. And I’m flattered that you’ve found me useful as a source.