ABSTRACT

In the preceding chapters we have considered, in some detail, the geography of various information spaces that are experienced primarily by oneself and used for accessing inanimate resources. However, there are those who would argue that the true power of cyberspace is that it provides a media which fosters social interaction between people. As discussed in detail in Chapter 3, to these commentators, one of the most basic human needs is to communicate and interact with others, and cyberspace – through email, newsgroups, mailing lists, bulletin boards, chat rooms, MUDs, networked games, and graphical virtual worlds – is providing new media through which this communication can occur and in many cases flourish. Everyday, these social media, largely based within the Internet, are used and inhabited by millions of people all talking, discussing, arguing, flirting and playing with one another. In this and the following chapter we consider the nature and spatiality of online social media and the social interactions that occur through and within them, focusing in particular on how they can be mapped and visualised.