meatspace
The tangible world
Meatspace is the physical world, as opposed to cyberspace or virtual reality—the realm of flesh and blood rather than bits and bytes.
The term emerged from early internet culture, often used with mild irony: I finally met my online friend in meatspace.
It frames embodied existence from the perspective of someone who spends considerable time online.
Not internet-connected
- real-worldExisting in physical reality
- face-to-faceDirect personal encounter
- in-personActually there, bodily
- tangiblePerceptible by touch
corporeal · brick-and-mortar · analog · embodied · handshake · meetup · presence · locality
Network-connected state
- virtualExisting in effect, not fact
- digitalOf discrete data
- internetInterconnected computer systems
- avatarDigital user representation
screen · remote · telecommute · IRL · AFK · unplugged · disconnected · meatbag
Building professional relationships
- conferenceOrganized meeting for discussion
- handshakeMutual palm-gripping gesture
- body-languagePhysical signals conveying meaning
- crowdLarge public gathering
community · neighborhood · local · proximity · coworking · mixer · reunion · rally
offline
Not internet-connected
- real-worldExisting in physical reality
- face-to-faceDirect personal encounter
- in-personActually there, bodily
tangible · corporeal · brick-and-mortar · analog · embodied · handshake · meetup · presence · locality · geography
online
Network-connected state
avatar · screen · remote · telecommute · IRL · AFK · unplugged · disconnected · meatbag · wetware
networking
Building professional relationships
- conferenceOrganized meeting for discussion
- handshakeMutual palm-gripping gesture
- body-languagePhysical signals conveying meaning
crowd · community · neighborhood · local · proximity · coworking · mixer · reunion · rally · protest
- in-personface-to-face, in person, meetup, real life, offline
meatspacecyberspace
Virtual electronic network environment
virtual reality · online · VR · the web · the net
space, meat, spacious, meaty, cyberspace, spaceman, spacetime, meatiness, meathook