Techie Without a Clue here. I’m honoured. Anthony has allowed me two posts this week. He’s submerged me for so long behind the rubbish he writes on the paranormal, conspiracies and the meaning of life.
But now he’s letting me loose. But why? ‘Simple,’ he said, ‘I want to prove you don’t really exist. You’re a product of this computer, and you only exist as part of cyberspace. In all other ways you’re nothing.’
LIFECASTING
Cheek. That’s what I say. Of course, I know where he’s coming from. It’s been reported this week that people are moving away from simple texts and emails to what has been termed ‘lifecasting.’
The concept is quite simple. Technology has now allowed us to use words and video over the internet 24/7. We can keep in constant touch with whatever we like, whoever we like, whenever we like. We’re wired up.
These new hyper-connected services can be controlled as we like. Rather than being one-to-one, we can communicate one-to-many. We are all our own star, producer and director. We are in control. But …
A PERSON OR AN ENTITY?
‘But what are you?’ asks Anthony. Well, I tell him, I’m me. ‘But you don’t exist.’ I do. ‘But even if you do, you don’t on the internet. You’re an essence.’ Which lost me completely. I just didn’t get the essence of what he was saying.
I can see it in part. With the new tech, our contribution to the internet is by way of a constantly up-dated autobiography of ourselves. We have placed an essence of who we are on the internet, but is it really us? Does it reflect the living, breathing you?
‘You’re getting there, Techie,’ said Anthony. ‘But the downside is this: are we beginning to live our life for the ‘stream’? Does our ability to become hyper-connected mean this hyper-connectivity is the reason for our life?’
COLLECTIVE US
I’m getting it. I think I am. If the central reason for ‘us’ is to display our autobiography on the net, then the main purpose of our existence is to become disembodied information in a form of hi-tech collective consciousness.
‘Spot on,’ said Anthony. ‘Jung came up with the concept of the collective unconscious, shared by all, and populated by archetypes, which can best be seen as essences of situations or personalities. It looks like he was also describing the future.’
I get it, I said. What you mean is, we’re not only getting wired up; our individuality is dissolving into a form of planetary consciousness. Cyberspace is ‘becoming’ us – and we are collectively becoming a ‘being.’
DENOUEMENT
‘Got it in one,’ said Anthony.
So you know what that means? I said.
‘What does it mean?’
It means I’m becoming the real you.
Anthony gave a frightened look. He nodded slowly. ‘Smart ass,’ he said. But I could see he was terrified.
© Anthony North, May 2007
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