In a recent email exchange at the Idaho State Library, Jan Wall shared the following URL [http://user.gru.net/domz/third.htm], which leads to an article discussing the “third place,” that comfortable place that isn’t work and isn’t home, but is the third place where you find yourself seeking a social outlet, or to meet various needs. Starbucks or a library could be an example.

I haven’t been directly involved in the Futures planning work, but I have coded the web site where much of the work has been done, so in the spirit of a carpenter who feels qualified to lean in, hammer in hand, and tell the architect his view on things, I fired off the following email, which I’ve been encouraged to post here in the blog:

I’m sure this all relates to a discussion in the LD meeting yesterday when I wasn’t in the room, so I hope I’ll be forgiven for jumping in with my 2 cents. I’m guessing the discussion related to the library of the future.

In reading the article and subsequent comments on it, it occurred to me how much the “third place” for this upcoming generation is electronic and decentralized. For many, the web, with instant messaging and social web sites such as www.friendster.com is the third place. For others, the cell phone or text messaging provides a third place. And even others find their third place in online multi-player gaming (whether through a PC or console such as the Xbox).

“Place” is having less and less to do with space, even when socializing is factored in.

But are physical third places important? Oh, you bet. I don’t want to discount their importanct. I just wanted to throw the idea of “virtual space” into the mix. Have you noticed, those of you who get your coffee at the Flying M here in Boise, how in the last few years, since coffee places have started providing WiFI Internet access, there seems to be less conversation and more laptops among the clientele? It’s an interesting route we’re taking to meet our needs. Consider this: http://tinyurl.com/d2xz9 . It’s a review of the much-hyped, and yet to arrive, release of Nintendogs for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. DS stands for Dual Screen. Why two screens? One is touch sensitive, and so it provides for some unique game-play. Anyway, I bring this game up here, because of its “bark mode.” That is, you can set the game to use the DS’s WiFi capabilities to scan the airwaves in your vicinity to find other Nintendogs. Once you find another Nintendog out there, your dogs can play. How’s that for a new type of social interaction in a whole new “place”?

I’d better stop my speculating. My 2 cents is starting to look more like $2.35.

[New addition: another article on Nintendogs, which seemed to be on-topic enough that I thought I’d share it, too: http://tinyurl.com/bnqbj]

Michael Samuelson, Web Developer, Idaho State Library