Ross Mayfield and the Wired question

Ross Mayfield is the founder and CEO of Socialtext, an enterprise social software company based in Palo Alto, and a member of what I've come to think of as the Many-To-Many conspiracy. As background for the Wired article, we asked him what term should replace "cyberspace." He sent back two suggestions:

On
When kids use the Net, they are either On, using it as a conduit for social interaction, or Off, a way of not being present. We need to retain Off as a right.

Catalink
This is my shot at branding it, but all the good names are taken. Cata implies both action and memory. Linking is a social act.One that contributes to the structure of the web that we all contribute to, a vote for attention that could be ranks, but also an anchor through text or tag that provides context and meaning. As you link, you are connected, anywhere, anytime with anyone you so choose. This choice is important as we need to retain the right to de-link. When you link enough people, it is a catalyst for wonderful things.

Update. Personally, what I like best about Ross' suggestions is the implication of the need for the continued existence of an alternate state: off and unlinked. I'm afraid that the idea of "Off as a right" may, if we're not careful, one day disappear, without our really being aware of it. Already, you can stumble into bad relationships with partners who get suspicious if your cell phone's not on, and employers who want you always to be reachable. A government that treats your turning the GPS in your car or cell phone off as proof that you're Up To Something is, alas, a bit easier to imagine these days.

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