10/10: A Day in the Life of Cyberspacewriting

internet-policyinternet-culturetechnology-policyforwarded-content
1995-10-02 · 5 min read · Edit on Pyrite

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10/10: A Day in the Life of Cyberspace

``` Date: Mon, 2 Oct 95 19:02:36 -0400 From: A Day In The Life Of Cyberspace Subject: 10/10: A Day in the Life of Cyberspace

Here's an extraordinary event that seems to be rapidly snowballing. The idea is to capture a global, collage portrait of life at the beginning of the digital renaissance. We're asking the whole world to ponder the impact of digital media on real life and on world culture -- and to send bits describing it.

Apologies if you've received this note already, but as you can tell, we are fanning the call out around the world, and working 24 hour days to pull every thread and fiber of the Net to do it.

I do hope you'll consider contributing some stories, and visit the Web site (http://www.1010.org/). It changes everyday, and will be full of surprises on 10/10.

Please pass the word on to interesting people!

thanks, Michael Hawley mike@media.mit.edu =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

The MIT Media Lab invites the World to

10/10: A Day In The Life Of

C Y B E R S P A C E

http://www.1010.org info@1010.org

SNAPSHOTS OF THE DIGITAL AGE =======================================

As part of the Media Lab's 10th Anniversary, we are assembling snapshots of Cyberspace. We would like you to be part of the first global portrait of human life in the digital age. This site will collect bits from October 1 through October 10. Results will be published on the Web, in a subsequent book, and will become part of a permanent archive.

Stop and think: five years ago, the internet for most people felt like tin cans and string. Two years ago the Web and Mosaic were just beginning to be noticed. Now, every day, something utterly mindblowing turns up with a point and a click. This is a pivotal era, and a perfect time to ask the digital world to pause, and ponder the implications of digital media on future world culture.

WANTED: DIGITAL PIONEERS ===========================================

We are searching for compelling stories about digital life.

For example, we received an amazing message about how the Net is being used to protect endangered mountain gorillas. As part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, the space shuttle Endeavour made radar scans of the gorillas' habitat near the Virunga volcano, in central Africa. With handheld GPS satellite instruments, which anti-poaching rangers have been trained to use in the field, daily readings of gorilla movements and poacher activities are sent from a portable ground station in the mountains to another satellite, HealthSat II, and then over the Internet to the 3-D tracking system based at Rutgers University. There are only 650 mountain gorillas left in the world, and this system is helping to save them.

What we need are your bits -- your stories, in text, sound, and picture. How are global digital media affecting your life? Changing the fabric of world society? Touching human interests? What might the picture look like in 5 years? 50 years? Let us know, and quickly.

COUNT TO TEN =======================================================

During the days from 10/1 to 10/9 we focus on several themes:

1 Privacy -- Anonymity, Security, Privacy & Trust in a Digital Society 2 Expression -- Digital Art, Entertainment & Community Creativity 3 Generations -- Kids & Childhood, Seniors, Life Stories and Family 4 Wealth -- Advertising, Barter, Commerce and Personalized Trade 5 Faith -- Religion and Politics and their Net Effects 6 Body -- Sex, Health, Your Body and Technology 7 Place -- Our Sense of Place in a Post-Digital World 8 Tongues -- Languages in the Global Village 9 Environment -- Coexistence and Coevolution of Natural and Virtual Worlds

For example, in "Generations" we'd like to hear from the youngest kids on line, and connect them with the oldest senior citizens. During the day on "Place" we'd like to collect images from every netcam on earth, and bits from every country on earth with some tie to the Net. Do you communicate with a friend in Antarctica or Bosnia by e-mail? Did you find life-saving medecine in time, thanks to the Net? Was your wedding online? Your newborn child?

10/10: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CYBERSPACE =============================

Then, on 10/10, live from the Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, teams of professional editors and World Wide Web hackers working in "mission control" at MIT will collect, edit, and publish the best of those bits on the net. Taken together, these bits will create a mosaic of life at the dawn of the digital revolution that is transforming our planet.

HOW TO DO IT =======================================================

1. Through the World Wide Web: http://www.1010.org 2. By e-mail, send specific remarks to: cyber@1010.org --- general reflections on digital life privacy@... --- comments regarding privacy, anonymity expression@... --- art, entertainment & community creativity generations@... --- kids, seniors, life stories, family wealth@... --- advertising, barter, commerce, personalized trade faith@... --- religion and politics body@... --- sex, health, our bodies & technology place@... --- geography, telecommuting, mobility, virtual v. physical tongues@ --- languages and communications on line environment@... --- mixing of natural and digital worlds 3. By ftp (to send sounds, pictures): ftp to ftp.1010.org, login anonymous cd pub/incoming "put" your bits. Please pick a unique filename, and also give us a file called ".README" to explain who you are and what your data is. 4. For more information, mail to: info@1010.org

ABOUT YOUR BITS ====================================================

You are writing a community book.

Your input is being used to illuminate the stories of digital life. Your bits will become part of a global, public, community event -- a canvas that we all paint together. The visualizations and time capsules, as well as selected responses will be archived and may be published by the MIT Media Lab or its agents in the future. Some material will be selected, edited, and arranged for redisplay on the Web on 10/10 and may appear in book form later. You retain all copyrights to your entries but by submitting them are granting MIT a perpetual non-exclusive right, without cost, to use your entries in all forms for purposes that will advance public understanding of this event.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= ```

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