Cybermind
Encyclopedia
Cybermind is an Internet mailing list
devoted to "the philosophy and psychology of cyberspace." It was co-founded by Alan Sondheim
and Michael Current in mid-1994 to explore, exemplify and discuss multiple aspects of cyberspace
, both from theoretical and experiential perspectives. The list was born in the split of the spoon collective lists from the Thinknet group, over issues of free speech and appropriate philosophical expression. Early membership involved much overlap with the Futureculture
List. In more recent years discussions have become more general, but the list still has members from its founding period.
Michael Current died shortly after the founding of the group. This is not the only death that the group faced over the years, with quite a number of central members dying.
List discussion has resulted in books, articles, conferences, more than one academic thesis, a group novel (now available through Lulu), and a strong ongoing community. Cybermind itself has been the subject of academic research, including an anthropological Doctoral dissertation by Jonathan Marshall at the University of Sydney
, which has now been published as the book Living on Cybermind. The book details the life of people on Cybermind over the period from 1994 to 2006 and uses many quotations from list members to analyse the ambiguities of net presence and absence (asence), the paradoxes of the public/private divide, difficulties arising around authenticity and aggression, netsex, net-politics, and the construction of 'community'.
The other major gathering of writing about Cybermind is a collection of online essays about gender online and its role in the group's life.
All known writings about the List are listed in the References section.
Mailing list
A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers is referred to as "the mailing list", or simply "the...
devoted to "the philosophy and psychology of cyberspace." It was co-founded by Alan Sondheim
Alan Sondheim
Alan Sondheim is an American poet, critic, musician, artist, and theorist of cyberspace.-Biography:Alan Sondheim was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in English from Brown University...
and Michael Current in mid-1994 to explore, exemplify and discuss multiple aspects of cyberspace
Cyberspace
Cyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.The term "cyberspace" was first used by the cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson, though the concept was described somewhat earlier, for example in the Vernor Vinge short story "True...
, both from theoretical and experiential perspectives. The list was born in the split of the spoon collective lists from the Thinknet group, over issues of free speech and appropriate philosophical expression. Early membership involved much overlap with the Futureculture
Futureculture
Future Culture is a mailing list also known as "FUTUREC" or"FC" that currently resides on listserv.uark.edu.-History:The mailing list was created in 1992 on a public Unix system by Andy Hawks, then in high school. After a fallout with the rest of the group, Andy destroyed the list of members early...
List. In more recent years discussions have become more general, but the list still has members from its founding period.
Michael Current died shortly after the founding of the group. This is not the only death that the group faced over the years, with quite a number of central members dying.
List discussion has resulted in books, articles, conferences, more than one academic thesis, a group novel (now available through Lulu), and a strong ongoing community. Cybermind itself has been the subject of academic research, including an anthropological Doctoral dissertation by Jonathan Marshall at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, which has now been published as the book Living on Cybermind. The book details the life of people on Cybermind over the period from 1994 to 2006 and uses many quotations from list members to analyse the ambiguities of net presence and absence (asence), the paradoxes of the public/private divide, difficulties arising around authenticity and aggression, netsex, net-politics, and the construction of 'community'.
The other major gathering of writing about Cybermind is a collection of online essays about gender online and its role in the group's life.
All known writings about the List are listed in the References section.