Seems to me that the usefulness of the space metaphor depends a lot on what aspect of the internet you're talking about. If you're looking at Everquest, for example. it doesn't seem to make much sense to exclude the concept of space since the program is designed to simulate spaces. On the other hand, if you're studying personal communication in relationships as I have been, the concept of "cyberspace" doesn't make much sense (e.g. in my interviews people talk about using IM to contact a roomate in the same building -- sometimes even the same room). Space, however, remains critically important to understanding how and why people use the internet in personal relationships -- long distance relationships use email and IM much more than local ones, and norms about when internet use is and isn't appropriate in personal relationships depend a lot on geographical proximity. Those norms seem to be very much in flex as there is tremendous variation amongst people regarding the appropriateness of online communication with local partners. The problem I have had with the 'cyberspace' metaphor is that it too often led to an assumption that we are dealing with different worlds -- the "real" one vs. and the "cyber" one. As the last decade of internet research has demonstrated clearly, this is a false dichotomy for many many reasons (not least of which is the fact that most online communication occurs between people who also communicate face to face at times). It is great to see this list so actively engaged in stimulating discussion. Nancy