Vers une géographie sociale «augmentée» ? Réflexions liminaires

Communication vectors are to be understood in the broad sense: from television to daily press, from sms to forums (etc.) and they can be both containers and contents. Indeed, they are simultane-ously instrument (with their own structures, organizations, production methods...) and information, itself the product and result of a context, of an history (political, social, cultural, economic...) and eventually of tensions or even conflicts... We can also specify the nature of in-formation: disinfor-mation, non-information, counter-information (etc.); here we introduce another level of the reflec-tion developed in this work, namely the stakes and democratic challenges, the relations (and exer-cise) of power inside these non-conventional communications. Taking the cyborg metaphor as a reference, we may consider cyberspace as a «traditional» space expanded by means of technological innovations, with innovative features. An essential element in any space – and therefore also in cy-berspace – is that of power. For this reason it appears necessary to reflect on the new articulations of power and on the actors who act in cyberspace: power and actors are relevant in shaping spatial configurations, and this happens at different scales. The impact of this information spreading (private or public, individual or collective, entertaining or educational ...) also depends on the receiver, that is to say the one who looks, reads and receives and depends on all consequent reactions, which can materialize under various forms, in the «virtual» space as well as in the «real» space (performative dimension of media); the almost «fusional» interactions between the two spaces show it clearly - the flash mob is a perfect example. The com-plex thus shaped is the object of research - the issue of «non-conventional communications» - and it is difficult to consider one single aspect alone, as they are all strictly interlaced. Faced with this multiform and multi-scalar reality, the geographer is obliged to think about the sta-tus of the space today. To contribute to this reflection, it’s interesting to go over the different con-ceptions - or different phases, depending on the point of view – of the conceptualization of the spa-tial dimension (from Kantian space to territory). Which is the spatial dimension of the nowadays geographer or better how can he integrate this «new» cyber-space evolution to his «traditional» conception of space? The virtual dimension has different facets merging inevitably with «reality». It’s not a question of opposing virtual to real world or virtual to real space, but to consider them in their continuities and distinctions, in their complementarities and their retroactions or even in their conflicts. Unconventional communications are not only realized by new technologies: even the more traditional media can impact heavily on configurations of cyberspace, or even in the way the cyberspace is perceived. In a in a similar framework, even democracy and the participatory forms are being revolutionized, opening up new opportunities and new risks that are analyzed from different perspectives by the various essays in the volume. Even social geography is «surrounded» by these opportunities and risks, that create a «new relationship» with studied items. That is sure: the exertion of power and competition between different types of power, reveal and reflect oneselves in the medium. May we really consider accomplished a social research that don’t get (or don’t seek) an «impact» on the social context studied