Spatial media are interactive technologies that allow the creation or exchange of virtual spaces, spatial art, digital experiences, and other forms of online gatherings. While challenges to the definition of spatial media arise due to the broad variety of stand-alone and built-in services currently available, there are some common features:

1. Spatial media are interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications.

2. User-generated spaces—such as virtual worlds, in-world art, and applications, online gatherings, etc. through all online interactions—are the lifeblood of spatial media.

3. Users create service-specific spaces for the platform that are designed and maintained by the spatial-media organization.

4. Spatial media helps the development of online social networks by bringing people together.

5. Spatial-focused features that, unlike social media platforms that push users to develop and facilitate the creation and proliferation of gathering spaces.

Spatial media, such as Topia, evolves our present concept of social media in that it extends the use of sound and visual elements to create a landscape that closely resembles the experience of physical space. Or at least, as close as it can be in digital. While websites, blogs, social media pages, etc. essentially operates as a library or wall of content that users can visit and curate within a limited formats, spatial media makes full use of the digital environment. Topia has a few derivations of content making so that what is being published can feel truer to the intention of what the user wants to accomplish or build. Some of these are:

• Sharing space and being fully present - Two or more people interacting in a space without an electronic device present.

• Record IRL conversation for posterity - Recording a conversation between two or more people with no commitment to posting unless everyone agrees. This is done to make the space safe for the natural flow of conversation. 

• Record IRL audio and publish in Topia as asynchronously discoverable conversation - Recording audio and posting it on Topia so that a person can discover the clip as they walk closer to it. A unique media delivery system that can simulate the feeling of stumbling upon something.

• Record IRL audio/video and publish in Topia as asynchronously discoverable conversation - Recording both audio and video and posting it on Topia so that a person can discover the clip as they walk closer to it.

• Hold space IRL and in Topia to extend the audience of a face-to-face conversation - Hanging out IRL and in Topia to extend the audience of a face-to-face conversation. This is good for amplifying an event, panel discussion, and other similar gatherings.

• Hold space IRL and in Topia and stream to other platforms like Twitch, Youtube, etc. - Adding streaming as another layer of amplification so that even more people can come into the conversation.

For example

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1065843652

Contexts

• #spatial-media