Mosco begins this essay by discussing whether or not the World Wide Web (WWW) is truly bringing about "The End of Geography" or if this is one of the myths that has grown-up around the emerging technologies. Mosco argues that "[r]ather than think about this as death-of-distance, it is more useful to refer to the transformation of space made increasingly salient by the introduction of information and computer technology (ICT)." (page 41) I would argue that the WWW is in the process of bringing about an end to the way that we view geographical distances, but that this is something that is in the process of occurring and that, for now, it is too early to comprehensively predict where this process will leave society. I know that, professionally, the WWW has changed much in the way that I do business. I have collaborated on proposals where I have never met my co-writers in-person. All of the work that transpired on developing, producing, and submitting the proposal occurred through teleconferences, videoconferences, email, postings to FTP sites, and telephone calls. My co-writers were from Texas, California, and Maryland, and I was located in Florida, and yet we worked together as a team, and the technology allowed us to overcome the barrier of "geography". It was not until a year after the proposal was funded that we all met together, in one place, for face-to-face introductions. This was an interesting experience, as it showed me many of the potential opportunities available for the manner in which business is conducted, provided that the technology is available.

Mosco argues that certain businesses have to cluster together where there is access to other businesses and technologies that are needed in order to function, which is why we (er, we in America, that is) have developed Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley, and why Malaysia is developing the Super Corridor. I found this argument to be logical in first assessing Mosco’s statements. My significant other wants to eventually found his own company, in a specialized field of space-optics engineering. However, he says that he first needs to get his name more widely known and to work on more high-profile projects. Therefore, he needs to "do his time" working in research for Universities and other research centers, where he has access to laboratories and large projects, before he can go out on his own. Once he has made a name for himself, though, he is free to move anywhere in the world, provided that his new residence has access to the technologies that he needs, such as high-speed internet access, reliable electricity, and reliable telephone and facsimile data lines. At this point in time, it is likely that he would be restricted to the "developed" world, where those technologies are readily available. However, as technological advances are fast being made, within ten years he night we be able to live and make a living far from the "developed" world.

One of the most disconcerting parts of this chapter in The World Wide Web and Contemporary Cultural Theory is the discussion of the establishment and growth in Silicon Alley, located in southern Manhattan. After the terror attacks of September 11, I found it very disconcerting to be able to visualize this "alley", though not as it had been when Mosco write this essay. If I had read this chapter before the attacks, I would have no concrete (that is, based on actual photographs or other images) mental image of how this area might appear. Now, though, I can see it in my mind, though the streets are empty of people and the ground is covered by rubble. It will be interesting to see how and if Silicon Alley redevelops in the same physical location, once the clean up and rebuilding has been completed.

Mosco also talks about how the WWW and its emerging technologies are forcing us to reevaluate how we look at concepts such as "citizenship". (pages 43-60) I immediately thought of two things as I read this section. First I thought about how my significant other (SO) is about to become an American citizen (he will have dual-citizenship in Canada) and the second is a discussion in Neal Stephenson’s cyber-punk novel Snow Crash about citizenship and enclaves. My SO has been in the U.S. for more than 10 years and recently applied for citizenship. He had his "test" the week after the terror attacks and should be sworn-in, as an American citizen, sometime in late November or early December. I asked him, following the attacks, if he still wanted to become an American. He said he did, as he needed the citizenship in order to work on some projects that are limited (by security concerns) to American citizens only. Therefore, his citizenship desires are based on economic factors and not based on any "ideologies" about America being "better" than any other country. My second thought, about citizenship, is based on an idea that Neal Stephenson writes about in Snow Crash. His idea is that societies throughout the world will fracture, and many different "countries" or "enclaves" will develop. People will choose which enclave they wish to belong to based on what services are available to those citizens. One might choose to live in an enclave where security is a high-priority and there is little emphasis on social projects. What is interesting in Stephenson’s idea, though, is that there would be many of the same "countries" or "enclaves" scattered throughout the world. Therefore, once you are a member of one of the enclaves, located say in Denver, Colorado, you could then travel to Spain and find the same enclave, and still have access to all of your citizenship rights in that local.