Gotved, Stine

The Sensed Dimensions of Cyberspace - Three Modes of Spatial Interpretation in Online Social Life.

Abstract

The time and space dimensions of online communication lay out conditions for the possible social life within the online communities. While the time dimensions are relatively simple (basically, synchronous or asynchronous), the spatial dimensions are far more open to interpretations. Parallel to offline life, the spatial dimensions in online communities are important to how the individual navigates, relates, and communicates. This paper presents a typology of online space, where three different kinds of spatial dimensions are defined. The three spatial dimensions can be found in most (if not all) online communities in varying distribution, and analysing the patterns of spatial dimensions within any online community yields useful information about the basic terms of the social life. First, the interface serves as a visible and ontological space on the screen, the common spot in the vast cyberspace. Second, there is a social space, which mainly is based on the individual's interpretations of social interactions. This leads to imaginations about the borders of the online community and makes it possible to establish an 'us'. Third, there is something tentatively called the metaphorical space. This is the epistemological space based on reconstructed reality and geography, where the sense of a 'place' is invoked by the use of metaphors and analogies (cybermalls, information highway, a MUDs living room, etc.). The typology serves as an analytical tool to separate the different spatial dimensions of cyberspace, which normally are interpreted simultaneously. Furthermore, these spaces ‹ the interface space, the social space, and the metaphorical space ‹ hold the key to understand a lot of the differences within online social life. Thus, the last part of the paper is dedicated to an empirical testing of the typology, where different kinds of online communities are sought analysed through their spatial dimensions.