internet geography
The internet is fucking with my sense of self and space. Does unlimited access to this expansive virtual space offer a sense of freedom and relief in the same way that access to physical space can? At times it feels like an open field, reaching out in every direction, yet it is impossible to run though it, there is no soil to dig, and no air to breathe. Nonetheless, there is a sense of space here. Countless places to build. Hiding places and stages, intertwined and side by side. Possibilities seem limitless. Yet, it is still a police state. Still subject to the dynamics of the city streets, with advertisers, hustlers, criminals, and police all fighting to dominate the territory of our minds and our wallets. Encrypted code, firewalls, passwords, and PINs. Virtual fences and borders, towns, cities, countries, kingdoms, and squats. Digital identities and pixelized smiles in a land grab. Serfs, farming the land of MySpace, Facebook, and LiveJournal. But, without the pain of physical labor. And without the joy of physical touch.