I'm interested in the ways in which non-English speaking cultures are breaking away from dominant North American metaphors and concepts related to computers and the internet. I think that increased international use will radically change the way in which we view the 'landscapes' of cyberspace and I'm looking to prove that theory by finding new words and phrases in non-English languages. I'd very much like your help.

1. I'm looking for examples of ways in which non-English speaking cultures have either translated English terms or invented entirely different concepts for the same feature. For example, is 'homepage' directly translated using words which mean 'home' and 'page', or are different concepts used for this feature? Does your language directly translate computer terms like 'surf'; 'cloud'; 'stream'; 'root folder'; 'chatroom'; 'memory'; 'address'; 'field' etc or use other words which may or may not mean the same thing ? I'm interested in the terms (with translations please!) and the context in which they are used.
2. Plus: is there anything specific about your country or culture that I should be thinking about in relation to this research? Issues of self-representation, for instance, or culturally-specific modes of group vs individual behaviour? I'd be grateful for your input.

I would very much appreciate it if you could email your examples to me at sue.thomas@dmu.ac.uk Any that I use will, of course, be attributed unless you request anonymity. Please note that your responses could find their way into my blog or my book so do please be aware of that when you reply. There is more information about the Research Ethics aspect of this project here. Many thanks.

This month we're celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon-landing. Few people connect this celebration with the fact that by some spooky serendipity 1969 was the year that humans landed first ‘on’ the moon (July) and then ‘in’ cyberspace (the first two nodes of the internet were connected in September).

Today the mountains of the Moon remain largely neglected and unexplored, but cyberspace has evolved into a deeply familiar habitat with a complex geography shaped by those who inhabit it. It could be said that the entering of cyberspace has proved to be a far more profound experience than the entering of outer space.

Image: Detail of ACC 1992 calendar, commissioned by Roland Bryan, a collaborative effort by ACC staff and the artist Chuck Huckeba

Where Lawns End: The Rumpus Interview with Amy Stein isn't about cyberspace but it resonates with my research because it focuses on 'our conflicting impulses to both hang back from and bridle the wild' - very relevant to the way human beings behave when they encounter an unfamiliar space. In cyberspace, very often, fear of wild animals is often replaced with of fear of the 'wild' humans who may be lurking with intent to harm. Even more reason, therefore, to be sure of one's boundaries. (With thanks to Tawny Grammar)

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Today I signed a contract with Bloomsbury's new scholarly imprint Bloomsbury Academic. Delivery date is September 2012 so i need to get my skates on - lots to do. I'm very excited to be working with Bloomsbury, since they seem to have the right idea about publishing in a new media world - they understand how open source works and they're prepared to experiment at the more risky end of publishing. I gather their new website will be launching soon, and there we will see the full glory of their intentions :)

As for The Wild Surmise - they want to switch the title around to 'Nature and Cyberspace: The Wild Surmise', and I can see how that makes sense because it's more explicit but retains the poetry of the original phrase. I'm keen to reach beyond academia with this book.

So now the idea becomes a firm reality. I'm really looking forward to it!