URBAN NETWORKING

Internet-working: An Atlas of Cyberspaces

by Paul Otte

By: Paul Otte, pager@paulotte.com
http://www.paulotte.com/aboutpo.htm

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and we were discussing where the wireless networks are. So I told him that they publish maps. Yes, there are people who go around and "search out" your wireless LAN at your house and then connect to it to grab some quick internet time. I like to think of it as providing fellow travelers a place in the evening before they continue their journey, BUT you should be careful to protect your systems (ALWAYS) and if you see a strange vehicle (van, car, etc) in the neighborhood, DO have the sheriff stop by and ask them what they are doing, it can't hurt.

So, being handy with http://www.google.com, I promptly hoped on the Internet and did a search to find a map to prove to my friend that such things do exist.

WOW! Did I find a fantastic site! http://www.cybergeography.org/atlas/atlas.html

This site claims to be an "atlas" of "electronic territories" of the Internet, the Web, and "new electronic territories."

In reality, it is a compendium of representations of thoughts, information, and networks. I guess that sounds "geeky," but WAIT!!! It's more like science fiction as well as geeks and is a fantastic starting point for school projects.

The site is not all technical. It includes artistic and historical sections as well. For example, the cover and abstract of a book called "Neuromancer" is included. This book has given rise to the user interfaces in such movies as "The Matrix" and " Johnny Mnemonic." Many consider this book to be one of the starting points from which our current concept of a virtual world with computers originated.

Historical references include conceptual diagrams that were used to create ARPANET (precursor to the Internet) and justifications for it's current design! One drawing is a hand drawn picture of the 1st node of the ARPANET at UCLA from 1969. You can actually trace the growth of the Internet in the drawings and the descriptions that are listed on the history page.

If you prefer gaming, you can see some interesting representations of the games in graphical depictions. Some of the games listed include "Ultima Online," "Everquest," and "Abandon All Hope Mud."

On the more obscure? are some of the maps that "visualize" web browsing. I'm not quite sure of the value of these, but they are very interesting. There are tools that will track where you go on the web and then present this to you in a 2 or 3 dimensional illustration. I'm not sure how they help you, but they are pretty interesting.

The "Maps of Web Sites" actually have some useful diagrams. These diagrams include some simple, easy to understand examples of the structure of web site. This reminds me of a hierarchy diagram like a structure chart from systems analysis. I have to confess that the 3 dimensional globe version looks more like the celestial sphere from celestial navigation than a web site. I'm not sure how that representation "adds value" to the comprehension of the web site structure, but it is pretty.

Now, wireless, are you scared that your home is listed on this site? Don't be. The most complete diagram shows the ENTIRE US, and is almost more of a hazy cloud of blue dots, but these are all commercial wireless antennas.

There are many products listed via the site as well. For typical users items such as the "ContactMap" might be a useful product, which maps all of your contacts for you. That particular one is a prototype at the moment, but looking at the screen grab, it could be in a box at a store near you soon.

The site has census maps, topological maps, experimental maps, social maps, conversational maps, and a seemingly endless supply of other maps. BUT if you have a high-speed connection and you think the Internet is neat, then you have to check out my favorite, "Warriors of the Net."

"Warriors of the Net," is a short movie that shows how the Internet works from the viewpoint of a data packet. Very clever and very large (the "Best" version is right at 100MB and lasts 14 minutes), it was developed in Sweden and is animated. There are multiple versions so that you can download a smaller version if you're limited on disk or bandwidth. You'll have to scroll down the page to see it but it is at the following URL within this site.

http://www.cybergeography.org/atlas/artistic.html

Officially it's hosted at:

http://www.warriorsofthe.net

Finally, there's even a set of maps showing satellites and high-speed internet trunk lines. It seems that there is almost no end to this site and most images have links to finding more of these images.

This site is so colorful and visually interesting that it would make a fantastic book for your coffee table. In fact, they appear to have published just such a book of this site. So if you get a few minutes, swing by and check out "An Atlas of Cyberspaces". You might just see the future of the Internet laid out before you in beautiful full color. Also, check out the movie. It really is neat ( http://www.cybergeography.org/atlas/artistic.html).

Until next time, take care and have fun. Paul