Cyberspace, Cybernetics, and Encoding and Decoding

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Reading Response:
Cyberspace
As defined by Bukatman, cyberspace is the new ground consisting of new monuments trapped inside computer terminals. Cyberspace is like an imaginary world that exists as a realm behind the scenes in the real world (Bukatman, 1993, pp. 119). Smithson’s work describes cyberspace as an existing emptiness built of null structures and surfaces. I find both Gibson’s and Smithson’s works contributive to the imploding world of cyberspace. The works present contradictions that I find interesting since there is an intersection between science fiction and postmodernism. “…cyberspace only represents an extension of the urban sector located at the intersection of postmodernism and science fiction” (Bukatman, 1993, pp. 121).
Melvin Webber’s description of the city shows it as a social process operating in the space. This new conception of urbanism is interesting as it involves the circulation of information through electronic technologies, which is perceived as participation. For a city to be a city, it ought to have high participation. I figure out that the concept of cyberspace as a reality though it escapes being visible, it exists just as a city like Las Vegas or Tokyo exists (Bukatman, 1993, pp. 123). The new urban space indeed has no directions, while coordinates are useless since all directions seem more similar (Bukatman, 1993, pp. 126).
Cybernetics in History
Cybernetics is derived from the Greek word Kubernetes. Norbert conducted a study on the theory of messages and control (Weiner, 1948, pp. 267). In his work, he classes communication and control together since he claims that communicating a message to a person controls that person's actions. As we interact with our environment, we use commands, which are information (Weiner, 1948, 268). A human being perceives through sense organs. These organs will event...