The early twentieth century saw the slow but steady exodus of the population from inner cities to the suburbs. We are currently witnessing a similar transformation as our new century establishes itself, but in an entirely different realm. As new technologies proliferate -- personal computers, the communication gadgetry of mobile devices and access to the internet -- our culture is participating in a mass electronic migration. James Harkin christens this destination to "Cyburbia" -- the ether of "online," where we spend so ...
Read More
The early twentieth century saw the slow but steady exodus of the population from inner cities to the suburbs. We are currently witnessing a similar transformation as our new century establishes itself, but in an entirely different realm. As new technologies proliferate -- personal computers, the communication gadgetry of mobile devices and access to the internet -- our culture is participating in a mass electronic migration. James Harkin christens this destination to "Cyburbia" -- the ether of "online," where we spend so much of our lives. Once upon a time there were no text messaging, no e-mail and no social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo, Twitter and MySpace. The introduction of these new forums for communication has radically transformed the way that we live -- and we can only guess what will come next. Innovative and extremely timely, Lost in Cyburbia describes the architecture of our digital life, how it has developed over the past seventy years and how it will evolve in the future. The narrative recounts how the theories of Norbert Weiner (the inventor of cybernetics) and Marshall McLuhan inspired the counterculture radicals in the sixties and seventies, and traces how their pioneering idealistic and theoretical work laid the groundwork for a system whose central idea is bringing about direct communication between peers, outside the reach of authority. Harkin explores what it means to be in the loop -- and our obsession with instant access to information and how it is shared over networks -- and considers what has been lost and what has been gained. Are we more connected than ever before or more isolated? Have our thinking processes been forever altered? Is the democratic nature of the net slowly being eroded by corporate interests? Or, as once hoped, will the net enable the awakening of a new kind of global consciousness? "From the Hardcover edition."
Read Less
Add this copy of Lost in Cyburbia How Life on the Net Has Created a Life to cart. $11.99, very good condition, Sold by A Good Read rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Toronto, ON, CANADA, published 2009 by Knopf Canada.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. 0307397521. A Good Read ships from Toronto and Niagara Falls, NY-customers outside of North America please allow two to three weeks for delivery.; 9 X 6 X 1.20 inches; 288 pages.
Add this copy of Lost in Cyburbia: How Life on the Net Has Created a to cart. $12.99, good condition, Sold by Russell Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Victoria, BC, CANADA, published 2009 by Knopf Canada.
Add this copy of Lost in Cyburbia: How Life on the Net Has Created a to cart. $45.91, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Knopf Canada.
