Q: How do interpretation and affordance differ?
A: An interpretation is the personal meaning you give to an artefact. A meaning is something mental and elusive. An affordance on the other hand is not elusive. It is something you can do with an artefact. The artefact has certain qualities and properties and you can choose how to use it. If the interpretation of let's say a wedding ring is 'everlasting love', the affordance of it can be to put it around your finger and never take it off. The characteristics of the ring make it possible to put it on, it's tangible (in contrast to the meaning the ring bears).
The difference between interpretation and affordance lies in what you do with the artefact: use the artefact in a way it is offering you (use it in a pre-given way: inside out, you pull something out that was already in there) or give meaning to it (you decide how to interpret the artefact: outside in, you put something in there that wasn't there before). Interpretation and affordance are equal in restrictions of use. There are only so many interpretations/affordances an artefact can have. You can decide which one interpretation and wich one affordance you want to choose.
M. Dodge & R. Kitchin (2001) Mapping cyberspace (London: Routledge). Chapter 2: Geographies of the information society.
Q: Sardar argues that cyberspace fosters an American view of the world. The writers of this chapter embrace Sardar's view, but I'm wondering how long this assumption will hold. How long will globalisation mean Americanisation?
A: Research has pointed out that in a few years, Chinese will be the dominating language on the internet, and that Asians are going to take over the World Wide Web. Will there be two 'internets' then? One for western users and one for eastern users? Or have eastern users already adapted to American standards and will follow the western model? I think that eastern presence on the internet will become more and more evident; but not that that's a bad thing. On the contrary. If the internet is a tool to become a global village, this will only be a step in the right direction.
Technologically, Asia is making giant steps, and this also goes for the Asian economy. In a few years (or earlier) Asia will be a force to be reckoned with worldwide and America will have to fight to keep it's privileged position of ruler of the internet. Globalisation will no longer mean Americanisation and maybe Chinese brands will have the same kind of attraction as American brands have nowadays. Economists are already saying that the best thing you can do to prepare yourself for the future is to learn Chinese :)