The varieties of cyberspace: Problems in definition and delimitation

Abstract

The term “cyberspace” is characterized by a multiplicity of meanings, and the purpose of this article is to provide a taxonomy of these “cyberspaces.” Three levels of cyberspace are identified, the first being ontology, which includes notions of cyberspace as a paraspace or nonspace, as well as the concept of cyberspacetime. The second level includes building blocks such as physical conceptual and perceptual space or virtual space. The third level is that of synthesis, including varieties of cyberspace such as media space, aesthetic space, dataspace, and personal and social space.