For the Simulacrum ...

A simulacrum is an imprecise copy of the real; often inferior often limited by the notion of our mind and how we fabricate the artifact in question.

To simulate is to mimic, as simulacrum is the object created from that mimicry itself.

So, why is Andrew babbling on about simulacrums or simulation? As my research is narrowing towards the idea, that there must be acceptance points in the field of networking for simulation as a transparent means of learning a skill.

The difference between the two and the notion of the quality of the simulacrum becomes important (to me at least). As we (that is mankind) are becoming more refined in our mimicry of the real, there are levels of simulacrum accepted when we complete different tasks.

Do you know if you are connecting to a web server or one that is running on a perfect simulacrum? The baroque music you hear, is it as heard on the instruments of the time or has our modern interpretation created a simulacrum of the original. Is our notion of a cultural norm the actual norm or an interpretation of a norm that in all likelihood never existed and has been adapted to our current notions.

As Second Life, Skyrim, World of Warcraft and other simulated worlds offer a simulacrum of an alternate reality. Are we becoming more detached from our cultural norms, or are the cultural norms a simulacrum themselves.

When you start looking at different cultural traditions; in society, in education, in practice you discover that they are often based on a superficial notions of an established norm. After all you have to ask why Santa is red?

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