Libraries and parks are my primary "third spaces," but what you say about hubski being a third space is fascinating to me, absolutely fascinating. There's a whole dissertation in there somewhere, I can feel it.What third spaces do we frequent, for unplanned conversation and community? Is Hubski and its ilk the new third space?
I don't have a sociology dissertation due, but I might blog a little about the question, "Are on-line networks our new third space?" or perhaps we can write it collaboratively and post it on my blog or yours. There's at least one academic article on the topic.. Here's my (lame) research so far: Oldenburg suggests the following hallmarks of a true "third place":
Free or inexpensive
Food and drink, while not essential, are important
Highly accessible: proximate for many (walking distance)
Involve regulars – those who habitually congregate there
Welcoming and comfortable
Both new friends and old should be found there. The computer-mediated third space will have its own criteria and rules such as??? over to you -Wikipedia:
Oldenburg calls one's "first place" the home and those that one lives with. The "second place" is the workplace — where people may actually spend most of their time. Third places, then, are "anchors" of community life and facilitate and foster broader, more creative interaction. All societies already have informal meeting places; what is new in modern times is the intentionality of seeking them out as vital to current societal needs.
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Sounds like Hubski to me, providing we pour our own beer.Here's some more characteristics:
Neutral Ground: Occupants of Third Places have little to no obligation to be there. They are not tied down to the area financially, politically, legally, or otherwise and are free to come and go as they please.
Leveler: Third Places put no importance on an individuals status in a society. Someone's economic or social status do not matter in a Third Place, allowing for a sense of commonality among its occupants. There are no prerequisites or requirements that would prevent acceptance or participation in the Third Place.
Conversation is Main Activity: Playful and happy conversation is the main focus of activity in Third Places, although it is not required to be the only activity. The tone of conversation is usually light hearted and humorous; wit and good natured playfulness are highly valued.
Accessibility and Accommodation: Third places must be open and readily accessible to those who occupy them. They must also be accommodating, meaning they provide the wants of their inhabitants, and all occupants feel their needs have been fulfilled.
The Regulars: Third Places harbor a number of regulars that help give the space its tone, and help set the mood and characteristics of the area. Regulars to Third Places also attract newcomers, and are there to help someone new to the space feel welcome and accommodated.
A Low Profile: Third Places are characteristically wholesome. The inside of a Third Place is without extravagance or grandiosity, and has a homely feel. Third Places are never snobby or pretentious, and are accepting of all types of individuals, from several different walks of life.
The Mood is Playful: The tone of conversation in Third Places are never marked with tension or hostility. Instead, they have a playful nature, where witty conversation and frivolous banter are not only common, but highly valued.
A Home Away From Home: Occupants of Third Places will often have the same feelings of warmth, possession, and belonging as they would in their own homes. They feel a piece of themselves is rooted in the space, and gain spiritual regeneration by spending time there.
I think "involving regulars" is key -- Mycroft Holmes' gentleman's club comes to mind for some reason, possibly the subconscious "Baker Street Irregulars" tie-in ... anyway. hubski is 100% a third space, I have decided after reading some of that academic publication, and some Wikipedia. This got me thinking. Are twitter, certain subreddits, Facebook, et al. third spaces? Flickr? What are the distinctions of online third spaces? My instinct is that none of the above really qualify, and the main limiting factor/criterion I came up with was size. There are no true regulars on reddit, for example -- too big, too nebulous. I will say that I'm a member of two or three tiny subreddits that might qualify, and a forum or two elsewhere. Rules of online third spaces include all of those quoted above, definitely, plus the aforementioned size limit, and also something less tangible that I'm not sure what to call. "Amount of sharing" or "non-anonymity," maybe. Because forums only become third spaces when I've gone on long drives or caught a plane to visit someone I met there, when I've exchanged Skype information with people I've previously only communicated with via text ... subreddits become third spaces when I've uploaded pictures of myself doing the activity the subreddit is based upon, or pm'd personal conversations and made connections ... hubski becomes a third space when I have real conversations like this one, or when I listen to thenewgreen's album, or when I read #poetry. And so on.
But Facebook. I think Facebook is where an increasingly huge amount of people spend most of their non-home, non-work time. How frightening. But is that enough to make it a third space? Kids come home from school and go to Facebook instead of the park these days ... does it fulfill the function of a third space without being one? In other words, is it "crowding out" actual third spaces? Another serious and interesting topic.