“Natural” and “Anonymous” (trans-)spatiality of the Web

Abstract

The objects of semiotics are always spatial. But this spatiality is manifold. We must distinguish three main levels: 1. spatiality of the content (diegetic) which has been extensively studied; 2. spatiality of the expression (of the signifier), mainly studied for the form of expression; but in some cases (for instance screens) a spatiality of the substance of the expression is also important; 3. spatiality of the enunciation, both of emission and reception. I call “natural” the case in which the space of content and that of perception of the text are conjoined. Many informatic applications are able to carry out a spatial (and also temporal) embrayage by themselves. But this embrayage has also been joined by the inverse one, so that the net allows for total débrayage, the representation of each “natural” place in an abstract and “anonymous” form. Screens are now able to present every place, just because they are no place. They are able to become trans-spaces,beyond the sense of place.