CYBORG INFRASTRUCTURE

... computers are moving into our daily lives: 35 percent of American Families and 50 percent of American teenagers have a personal computer at home; 30 million people are estimated to be on the Internet; 65 percent of new computers sold worldwide in 1994 were for the home; and 90 percent of those sold this year are expected to have modems or CD-ROM drives. These numbers do not even include the fifty microprocessors in the average 1995 automobile, or the microprocessors in your toaster, thermostat, answering machine, CD player, and greeting card.

The population of the Internet itself is now increasing at 10 percent per month. If this rate of growth were to continue (quite possibly), the total number of Internet users would exceed the population of the world by 2003.

-Nicholas Negroponte, Being Digital, (p.5)

In order to properly position the cyborg in a social setting, we must consider the Internet as a medium... A medium of sight, sound, language and meaning. We must also consider who uses the Internet, who profits from it, and who controls the medium.

We must consider the Internet to be the home of the cyborg.

The Internet is not a utopian, peaceful place devoid of competition, capitalism, conspiracy and commerce. Rather, these have found a new home on the 'net. From its very inception, the net has been entrenched in government, war, politics, commerce and communication. Because of the unique history of the 'net, it is important that we consider infrastructure... We must think not only of the computers, wires, servers, and routers, but also of the Internet user (cyborg) and its place in politics, business, government and social institutions.

We consider the following:

Demographics: consider at the users of the 'net -- who are they? how did they get connected? why are they drawn to this medium? …and what do they expect to gain?

Government: consider how our government reacts to the 'net -- what is the stated policies? how have policies changed over the last few years? what is some of the rhetoric involving our "information superhighway?"

Private Enterprise: consider what the potential for profit is -- what influences do large conglomerates and high-tech companies have on the 'net's use? what types of delivery systems are in place or planned? how is information indexed? what types of return on investment do businesses expect to achieve?

Politics: consider the issues of power -- what will be the extent (or extension) of the individual? will the 'net erase national boundaries? what will the net do to cultural distinctions? how will the influence of the "virtual constituency" manifest itself?

Education: consider the potential for learning -- who will be first to adopt the 'net as a viable source of information? what level of skepticism will 'net based "data" receive? will educators begin to require 'net knowledge to succeed, if so, how do we guarantee such a skill to all?

Consider each idea and consider how you may already be a cyborg.