Ransford Advanced Diploma course in Political Ideologies

In common parlance, to classify or describe something as virtual is to contrast it with what is real. The real is characterized by physical, tangible qualities that can be observed empirically. The virtual represents—re-presents, copies, simulates—the real.  Consider, for example, the concept of co-presence: two or more people sharing the same space at the same time. Real copresence is most obviously registered through the senses: the capacity to see, hear, touch, and smell those whose presence one is sharing. In contrast, virtual copresence describes the sense of sharing time and space, even though one has indirect and limited access to those who appear to be present, while quite possibly being far away, asleep, unaware of you, or doing something else.  A telephone call suggests a virtual copresence of voices, but not of sight, touch, or smell. A videoconference offers an opportunity to see and hear others, almost as if they were present, and yet they remain physically untouchable and