The Shape of Public Engagement - Participatory Mapping: New Data, New Cartography - page 134

- The network: besides the various misuses of this notion
[MUS 03], a network implies a number of nodes linked more
loosely than in a community. However, it still suggests a
certain stability in the relationships which is not found in
the spontaneous and temporary mobilization to produce
maps. In this case study, the network is not appropriate to
model the link among social participants who uploaded and
downloaded a same data stream on a given platform.
- The crowd: this notion is equally inappropriate as it
stresses the dissolution of the self in a crowd [BON 03].
Data-recovery and mapping practices are, on the contrary,
based on the expression of the Web users involved. In this
context, Marian Steinbach mentions that he was interested
in the Fukushima issue at the time when he was starting as
a freelance Web designer and used it as an opportunity to
showcase his activities 8 .
In an attempt to address these limitations, Bernhard
Rieder borrowed and modified the concept of foam from
the German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, author of the
Sphere trilogy published in 1998, 1999 and 2004. In these
three topics, Sloterdijk proposes three geographical
metaphors (bubble, globe and foam) to qualify the “spaces of
coexistence” in our societies. Sloterdijk suggests we go
beyond both macro- and micro-sociological approaches to
articulate today's individuality regime with the growing
interconnections among individuals. In this project, foam is
an amalgamation of bubbles and provides the system to
reflect on relationships between individuals and the group
following three properties:
- co-isolation (being isolated, but together);
- co-vulnerability (bubbles are fragile and when they pop
up, adjoining bubbles are affected);
8 Interview with Marian Steinbach, August 25, 2011.