Zurawski, Nils

Ideas and methaphors of space on the Internet ... and how these help or restrict us in research

Abstract

Since the early days of the Internet, metaphors have been used to describe the newly generated environsments available on the Internet and its social groupings which used the technology for communication, data-exchange and economy. Many of metaphors were spatial expression of some kind, like chat room, global village, cyberspace or the Internet galaxy, others like the 'imagined communitites' were adding a communal, social aspect to that space. Research about social interaction of any kind and its analysis has been following these metaphors and worked with them to explain Internet related phenomena. On the other hand these metaphors and their images have also stuctured research and theory according to the inherent preconceptions. These metaphors serve to conceptualise the Internet as a social phenomenon and its socio-spatial implications. But how is space actually conceived in theories and in research? Did the (borrowed) term of imagined communites help in understanding the dynamics of social processes or did it restrict research to a few phenomenon, and where other perspectives left out.? In this paper I would like to discuss some of these ideas and methaphors of space and communality on the Internet and its limitations and advantages for research and theory with, about and on the Internet. Questions asked include: - What does space mean on the Internet and some of its theories? - Which kind of space is meant? - What are imagined communities and how did the term impact on Internet research in the past?