Cyberspace: If You Don’t Love It, Leave It
Cyberspace: If You Don’t Love It, Leave It
In Ester Dyson’s essay, “Cyberspace: If You Don’t Love It, Leave It” she argues that regulating the internet is impossible and will have an opposing effect. Dyson highlights cyberspace regulations that did not work and why we need self rule. Dyson also talks about the uniqueness of cyberspace and the conflict it would have on earth. Dyson’s belief is that everyone should have a choice and an individual responsibility and how the uniqueness of cyberspace could possibly have an adverse effect on earth. Dyson’s believes in a free-market approach to cyberspace and feels that everyone has a choice and an individual responsibility when it comes to the internet.
Dyson’s idea of cyberspace is “you can think of cyberspace as a giant and unbounded world of virtual real estate”. Just like the real world you either own, lease, or rent space. The problem is that space may be owned or rented by an unwanted business, “liquor store, porn shop, gun pawn” that is open to all ages on the internet which makes cyberspace sound unattractive so states try and regulate it. Senators Jim Exon, Democrat of Nebraska, and Daniel R. Coats, Republican of Indiana, drafted the Exon-Coats Amendment, which is an amendment that would outlaw making “indecent communication” available to anyone under the age of 18. Another attempt to regulate internet activity was the Amateur Action bulletin board case. In this case, owners of porn services in California were convicted in a Tennessee court of violating “community standards” because a postal inspector downloaded images the state deemed to be nasty, however, the new laws and regulations did not work.
Dyson expressed that cyberspace is a voluntary destination defined by its territory. With having a voluntary destination people can choose where to go and what to see. There are three types of territory in cyberspace: email, info/entertainment services, and “real” communities. Email is a private and consensual
In Ester Dyson’s essay, “Cyberspace: If You Don’t Love It, Leave It” she argues that regulating the internet is impossible and will have an opposing effect. Dyson highlights cyberspace regulations that did not work and why we need self rule. Dyson also talks about the uniqueness of cyberspace and the conflict it would have on earth. Dyson’s belief is that everyone should have a choice and an individual responsibility and how the uniqueness of cyberspace could possibly have an adverse effect on earth. Dyson’s believes in a free-market approach to cyberspace and feels that everyone has a choice and an individual responsibility when it comes to the internet.
Dyson’s idea of cyberspace is “you can think of cyberspace as a giant and unbounded world of virtual real estate”. Just like the real world you either own, lease, or rent space. The problem is that space may be owned or rented by an unwanted business, “liquor store, porn shop, gun pawn” that is open to all ages on the internet which makes cyberspace sound unattractive so states try and regulate it. Senators Jim Exon, Democrat of Nebraska, and Daniel R. Coats, Republican of Indiana, drafted the Exon-Coats Amendment, which is an amendment that would outlaw making “indecent communication” available to anyone under the age of 18. Another attempt to regulate internet activity was the Amateur Action bulletin board case. In this case, owners of porn services in California were convicted in a Tennessee court of violating “community standards” because a postal inspector downloaded images the state deemed to be nasty, however, the new laws and regulations did not work.
Dyson expressed that cyberspace is a voluntary destination defined by its territory. With having a voluntary destination people can choose where to go and what to see. There are three types of territory in cyberspace: email, info/entertainment services, and “real” communities. Email is a private and consensual
Cited: Hill Ester Dyson. “Cyberspace: If You Don’t Love It, Leave It” The McGraw Reader: Issues across the Disciplines. Ed Gilbert H. Muller. 11th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 419-423. Print