After reading “The Cyber-punk: The Individual as Reality Pilot”, published in 1988, it dawned on me that this article was a look into the future and what was to come. In addition to fortune telling the author gives a negative name a new meaning.
In the 80’s they were not as technology advanced as we are today. The author starts out with the Greeks and uses Prometheus as an example. He stole fire from the gods and gave it to a people who knew nothing about fire. He next uses Quetzalcoatl, god of civilization, who gives the people a calendar along with other arts. These people can be described as cyber punks.
When someone hears the word cyber punk a negative connotation would usually be associated with it. But the author, Timothy Leary, gives the word new meaning. Someone who has original ideas, goes outside of the box, creates new media. These people are usually odd-balls, trouble makers, loners and even insurgents. And this goes to say that the cyber punk is always on the cutting edge. People often get into the role of just following and never leading; just going with the same old flow and never breaking out into something new. But these cyber punks found a way to break out of the everyday norm.
Do you think that Leary knew how Steve Jobs, Andy Warhol and Mark Twain’s cyber-punkness would turn out? Do you think he knew that they would go into and be remembered in the 21st century like they are now? If people could look into the future, how many of them do you think would have jumped on the Apple train when it was just starting up?
At the end of the article I was inspired to get in touch with my inner cyber punk and set her free. I not only want to be a free thinker but the next Steves Jobs. I want to have people waiting in line for my product three days before it drops.
Social Media Update:
Slowly but surely I’m getting use to Twitter and all of this new media speak. I don’t consider myself ignorant or unknowing to all of the new media out there; I just choose not to take part in it. Many of the advantages of these new medias are being used for evil. I also think that we are over connected. I don’t want to know that badly or be updated that frequently.
But as I said earlier, I am adapting to these things. One great advantage to Twitter is that I can be selective in what I read, see and tweet. I will admit though that it is tempting to tweet the most random things that go on through out my day and then the urge passes. I chose this major because I wanted and needed to be more informed for my future.
This is definitely a learning process and so far I’m enjoying it. Until next time…
I'm glad you found the Leary inspiring. My questions for you, as you set out on your path to cyber-punkness are: 1. in relation to which institution(s) will you be a punk? (because the cyber-punk is always socially situated), and 2. What can you do this week that enacts the spirit of Leary's Cyber-punk?
ReplyDelete1. I'm still working on my master plan in that area. I'm working on some ideas in that area so I will have to get back to you about that.
ReplyDelete2. This week I will hack into something; legally though. I was researching and looking into what others had to say about Leary and I came across this interesting article. It really helped to break down the cyber punk even further. The author, Daniel Riche, had this to say about him.
“Computer hackers, who by definition are individualists, are a rare breed. "They are the ones who 'go where no man [or woman] has gone before,' says Leary. "They will go down in history the way all great explorers have gone down."
When I say hack I don’t mean it literally but I will hack into the minds of people and see if they have a cyber punk programmed in them. Being a self-thinker doesn’t have to be a rarity, it should be more common.
And once again, Leary says it best.
“I want to give people the tools to create things themselves."