What is Third Places

Although times change, there are certain human elements that survive through the ages. These elements include the need for expression, companionship, involvement, connection, and information. The avenues by which humans engage in these social practices have evolved, and with the dawn of the Information Age we are seeing the emergence of new forms of computer mediated communication (CMC), with Weblogs (or blogs) being a manifestation of this transformation. This chapter deals with these Information and Communicative Technologies (ICT), and more specifically, how blogs are being used by African Americans on the positive side of the digital divide to create virtual “third places”, to rebuild aspects of community dialogue that have been lost in the physical “real-world”. These “third places” arise out of a need for individuals to find a dependable, neutral place of refuge to gather and interact, away from first places (home) and second places (work), often conferring or dealing with issues that may considered too taboo for public discussion by the community at large. With this in mind the researcher identified an issue within the African American community that was of consequence, and yet was not being addressed due to individual or social pressures. The problem that presented itself was the lack of discussion and social support pertaining to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).