Place In Cyberspace Research Articles

Cyberaggression: Safety and Security Issues for Women Worldwide

The first generation of cyberaggression researchers has shown that the Internet is being used in different forms to harass, insult, threaten, and stalk a significant number of female Internet users. Because this type of communication takes place in cyberspace—a relatively anonymous environment—cyberaggression poses new challenges to the safety and security of these women. A handful of nations have developed anti-cyberaggression legislation, yet these legal efforts have not deterred those who harass and stalk women on line, in part because jurisdictional issues compromise the effectiveness of this legislation. Various parties interested in the safety and security of women Internet users have developed risk management strategies that women can use to empower themselves against those who engage in cyberaggression.

Digital Transformations

Digital Transformations

Protecting Children in Cyberspace

The Internet is a wonderful place for education, entertainment and information. People all over the world wherever the infrastructure is available, have recognized the interactive nature of this new medium, and the immense potential it holds with the speed and global reach it offers. Therefore, it is increasingly being used for e mailing, for chatting, and as a ‘virtual encyclopaedia’.Just as there are potholes and rough roads on real highways, there are dangers and risks on this virtual one as well, and it is very important that people are aware of this fact. Very few netizens follow the required netiquette and very few people really take into account the fact that there is a great dearth of privacy on this medium.An adult could perhaps deal with all the repercussions that might result due to such interactions. But, what about children who lack experience and maturity? It is important to realize that the risks of letting a child (although skilled navigators) alone on the information superhighway without proper guidance and monitoring is like leaving a child alone on the real highway with interesting and attractive byways. Many millions of children are now online and by 2002, this figure is estimated to increase greatly, and if adequate care is not taken to foresee the sort of dangers that could take place in cyberspace, it would be almost impossible to undo the harm at a later stage. This paper seeks to deal with some of the issues and responses in dealing with protecting children in cyberspace and well as some of the organizations created for this purpose. The Indian situation is then looked at.

Children's Media Culture in the New Millennium: Mapping the Digital Landscape

A new "children's digital media culture" is swiftly moving into place on the Internet. In this article, the author describes the technological, demographic, and market forces shaping this new digital media culture and the rich array of Web sites being created for children and teens. Many nonprofit organizations, museums, educational institutions, and government agencies are playing a significant role in developing online content for children, offering them opportunities to explore the world, form communities with other children, and create their own works of art and literature. For the most part, however, the heavily promoted commercial sites, sponsored mainly by media conglomerates and toy companies, are overshadowing the educational sites. Because of the unique interactive features of the Internet, companies are able to integrate advertising and Web site content to promote "brand awareness" and "brand loyalty" among children, encouraging them to become consumers beginning at a very early age. The possibility that a child's exploration on the Internet might lead to inappropriate content, aggressive advertising, or even dangerous contact with strangers has given rise to a number of efforts to create "safe zones" for children--that is, places in cyberspace where children can be protected from both marketers and predators. Federal legislation now requires parental permission before commercial Web sites can collect personal information from children under age 13. Several companies offer filtering, blocking, and monitoring software to safeguard children from harmful content or predators. Generally lacking in debates concerning children's use of the Internet, however, is a more proactive definition of quality--one that would help ensure the creation and maintenance of Web sites that enhance children's learning and development and not merely keep them from harm. In the concluding section of this article, the author recommends actions to promote development of a quality media culture that would help children become good citizens as well as responsible consumers.

High places in cyberspace: a guide to biblical and religious studies, classics, and archaeological resources on the Internet

From the Publisher: In this second edition of High Places in Cyberspace, Patrick Durusau provides an updated and expanded how-to guide and map of the Internet focusing on meeting the needs of scholars in biblical studies, religion, classics and archaeology. Durusau offers a practical introduction and reference to accessing Internet resources, covering methods such as electronic mailing lists, ftp, on-line libraries, search engines, and the World Wide Web. This book includes an annotated topical listing of over 1,000 scholarly resources available on the Internet, such as Web sites displaying original scanned papyri, web sites with original texts, mailing lists between scholars and on-line library addresses. In a new final section, Durusau provides an introduction to the creation of web resources along with pointers to a number of helpful tools available on the Internet.

INTELLIGENT AGENCY

We are facing a new technological assemblage, networks of communication and information technology which mediate our lives in new ways. Within the discourses surrounding these new networks, amidst promises of unlimited agency, power and control, sits the key figure of the intelligent agent. An intelligent agent is a software program that would act in one's place in cyberspace, as a digital butler of sorts. Drawing on the actor-network theory of Bruno Latour and others, and the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, this article analyses the politics and possibilities of intelligent agents. It focuses on prominent themes in the discourse about intelligent agents, such as libertarianism, consumerism, trust, and the abandonment of the body into a digital realm. Ultimately, the article argues, we need to view technologies, and agency, as embodied and contextualized, and abandon the modernist separation of humans and technologies.

A formação de comunidades virtuais no portal Comunique-se: um primeiro olhar

Este artigo investiga especificamente o site “Comunique-se” a fim de verificar se este portal possibilita a formação de comunidades virtuais. Como resultado, foi verificado que o “Comunique-se” oferece condições técnicas que possibilitam a formação de comunidades virtuais na medida em que mantém virtual settlements (lugares delimitados simbolicamente no ciberespaço) nos quais se observa a prática da interação mútua, permitindo duração prolongada (permanência) nas relações entre sujeitos interagentes. Inicialmente, fazemos algumas considerações sobre o conceito de comunidade e algumas alterações por que passou até o contexto atual, em que presenciamos o surgimento de comunidades virtuais. Elaboramos uma definição mínima que inclui alguns pré-requisitos necessários para a formação de comunidades virtuais no ciberespaço.