Dodge, Martin and Kitchin, Rob and Zook, Matthew (2009) Guest editors introduction for Environment and Planning A theme issue: How does software make space? Exploring some geographical dimensions of pervasive computing and software studies. Environment and Planning A, 41 (6). pp. 1283-1393. ISSN 0308-518X

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Abstract

Computers are widely recognised as powerful tools in many aspects of contemporary society. Significantly their agency is now changing as the social and spatial disposition of computers diffuses further into almost all aspects of everyday life. Computers, that increasingly don’t look like computers, are permeating domestic spaces, built into appliances like washing machines for example, and accompany us throughout the day (energising our mobile phones, PDAs and MP3 players), mediating our interactions and facilitating a myriad of mundane activities. Many argue that this is just the beginning of the next wave of digital technological development, the so-called pervasive computing revolution, which according to Anne Galloway (2004, pages 384-5), “seeks to embed computers into our everyday lives in such ways as to render them invisible and allow them to be taken for granted.” Such computing, that is active-in-absence heralds much more subtle forms of software mediation and automated decision-making in the world. It is this code work that is the focus of this theme issue1.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	The definitive, peer-reviewed and edited version of this article is published in Environment and Planning A, volume 41, issue 6, pages 1283-1293, 2009, [doi:10.1068/a42133]. We would like to thank Michael Brown as editor of Social & Cultural Geography who organized the initial referring of some of the articles in this theme issue. We also gratefully acknowledge Nigel Thrift who supported this theme issue, Ros Whitehead for helping it come together logistically, the contributors, and the anonymous reviewers whose useful comments and suggestions contributed to the quality of the papers.
Keywords:	software; space; geographical; pervasive computing; software studies; software mediation; automated decision-making;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > National Institute for Regional and Spatial analysis, NIRSA
Item ID:	2710
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1068/a42133
Depositing User:	NIRSA Editor
Date Deposited:	15 Sep 2011 08:16
Journal or Publication Title:	Environment and Planning A
Publisher:	Pion
Refereed:	No
URI:	http://www.pion.co.uk/
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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