Matrix this, Matrix that... Matrix, Matrix, Matrix... For some reason people always seem to miss the Pioneers of such flicks, the authors, the directors, the little people with Big imaginations. I could write a whole THREAD on this subject, jumping from "METROPOLIS", "1984", "TRON" and "WARGAMES" right through to the books of Gibson spread out as a Sprawl series. The MATRIX was nothing new, If anything it was just a Re-invention of something that the writers of the sci-fi genre coined "CYBERPUNK" had created years earlier. Take for instance, The Matrix in the form of a Gibson Prophecy. The world you know is changing. And as it change people are finding that they need to be able to keep up with technological advances, right to the point of actually having those advances "Attached" to them as implants. People no wonder idlely surf the internet, trying to break through mounds of text, and scrolling with a mouse. No thats all old hat, they just step in after putting their headset on and a whole new world opens up to them. The world spans similar to that of the dreams you have when you sleep, but the difference is you are conscious, capable of manovreing, you might not be in full control of the world that your Pseudo self exists, but it's enough control to interface. One with new perimeters and boundries, new lands to roam in the form of a system that mirror's it's ancestor the internet with more complexity. Rather than downloading a file at the click of button, you can walk virtually to the location that the file resides, and pick it up and read it. Perhaps you want to alter something, so you just wiggle your fingers on the page and the letters just jump off and swap around to the pattern of thought of how you are suppose to see them. For some this interface is just a new type of Tool to better that of the old ones, The hackers and crackers have moved from that old terming to the new termings. They no longer run codes that automatically process how to get into another system, no, no, that would spoil all the fun of this new interface. Instead they walk in and attack servers, and while they are doing so they record there actions with a "Construct". The thing is, having a "construct" so connected to a persons head, overtime it can develop the persons whole psyche. Sometimes it's known that during these interfaces, people get killed. It's not a problem with the safety of the equipment or the software, (Afterall the stuff the dead guys get hold of usually isn't what you'd get a warrantee with, Blackmarkets just don't cater that way) It's those Darn AI systems developed by companies to fend off attackers from their networks, The AI's are clever.. FAR TOO CLEVER for some peoples liking, especially when they come up against a wall of ICE surrounding a network.... One wrong move and it's a Skiddy step into an AI or other Cowboys BLACKICE, suddenly you might feel a burning sensation, as a radiation burst is resonated. It was even known that some of the AI's developed from Constructs had come up with some nasty Designer Cancers. If you Die in the system and you had a construct attached, The Black marketeers love getting hold of it. For one it's money to them, for another reason it's a tribute to your actions. That construct is then sold to others, and what do you know.... Suddenly you waking up to a world through the perception of another persons eyes, because you just weren't watching your step around a multicorps network. You might feel a bit silly entombed into a construct, since your organs have now been donated to the local organ bank... Well at least the organs without the cancer traits that the AI burnt into you. But you have to remember that your not the only Construct, there hundreds like you, implanted into other people awaiting there attempt to take on that AI and defeat it after you point out it's weaknesses and show them what you did wrong. I think you pretty much get the picture of the whole Cyberpunk genre. This whole thing was written by me, but based upon William Gibsons "Neuromancer" Book.
I tried reading 'Neuromancer' a while back but I couldnt really get into it much, but you're right though. It predates Keanu Reeves Matrix by something like 15 years. Dont get me wrong, the Matrix is a great action flick, but its a pastiche. The whole setting of a future run by machines could have been lifted straight out of The Terminator (which in turn, probably lifted the idea from somewhere else) Wargames was a great film though. Its a bit of a nostalgia trip watching that now and seeing those old 80's Microcomputers
So there I am, Cruising around looking for a USENET feed. My angle.. well to start a small feed from my own server, but USENET feeds are hard to come by (and thats before you get to Configuring). On my Journey I stumble upon a page, a page from the closing speech given by Bruce Sterling at the Computers Freedom and Privacy conference in San Francisco on April 19, 2002. http://www.viridiandesign.org/notes/301-350/00309_cfp_speech.html Partially through reading the speech there is a mention of: www.infinitematrix.net Thought this would come of interest for anyone who reads Cyberpunk, or in this case even uses a computer. (Enlightening stuff)
