Expanding the Public Sphere through Computer ... - ResearchGate

More documents

Recommendations

Info

CHAPTER 3. TECHNOLOGY & THE PUBLIC SPHERE 54 an “alternative” naming hierarchy exists to include the “unofficial” newsgroups, including the alt (alternative) groups. 3.4 The Social and Political Structure of Usenet There is a small but growing literature focused on Usenet as an object of study. This literature addresses three broad themes. 1. The organizational structure of Usenet is examined by Durlack & O’Brien (1989), Hardy (1993) and Hauben (1995a). In these studies, Usenet is found to share characteristics of anarchies, cooperatives and a democracies. 2. The social structural characteristics of newsgroups and Usenet is explored in a number of studies. MacKinnon (1992) and (1995) examines the nature of censorship and control by participants within Usenet newsgroups. His findings and model are tested by Overby (1996). North (1994) assesses the degree to which Usenet can be thought of as a distinct society or culture. McLaughlin, Osborne & Smith (1995) examines codes of conduct within newsgroups. 3. The relationship between Usenet and political institutions like the “commons” and other public spaces is the focus of a series of essays by Hauben (1995, 1995b, 1995c, 1995d). The various means of self-governance within the Internet are described by Hardy (1993). Social status in Internet culture is dependent on length of time or experience on the network, rather than age. Policies, as well as emotions, are communicated. While Net communication may appear to be random and uncontrolled, Hardy (1993) illustrates that the democratic nature of the Net allows many voices (and the reactions to such voices) to be heard without an mediating administrator. He argues that the social behaviors evident on the Internet makes Usenet culture a democratic means of communication. He states that, “Usenet traditionally has been a very open free-speech forum.” Argument is not only tolerated, but is in fact, a very important part of Usenet. Rather than the Usenet being an anarchy, Hardy (1993) argues that “flaming” is an “important means of social constraint.”
CHAPTER 3. TECHNOLOGY & THE PUBLIC SPHERE 55 Further, Hardy (1993) demonstrates how Internet culture is both transformed by and is transforming software to facilitate using the Internet. New technology has created a mode of communication formerly unheard of and made it imitate real life social interaction (such as software allowing “threads” so that both participants and viewers can simultaneously follow ongoing conversations.) Usenet’s “freeform” speech allows for a variety of topics and opinions, while at the same time offering each individual in the community an opportunity to not only voice their opinion, but contribute to the administration and control of the conversation. Similarly, Hauben (1995) notes that Usenet’s uncommercialized nature allows users a mode of communication and discussion unencumbered by the commercial exploitation evident in traditional modes of mass media. By comparison, Hauben (1995) notes that Usenet is an “uncensored forum for debate – where many sides of any issue come into view.” Usenet empowers people to bring to the world their observations and opinions. Hauben (1995) agrees with Hardy (1993) that Usenet allows people the ability to work together to create social restrictions and boundaries, rather than having these restrictions imposed by an outside authority. Overby (1996) cites the ability of the individual to completely control his or her identity within the Usenet environment. People who use computer mediated forms of communication are not restricted by the many social cues apparent in face-toface contact. These social cues in face-to-face contact often act as invisible boundaries that separate acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Without such restrictions, Overby (1996) finds that people behave in Usenet newsgroups and Internet chat sessions in ways which would not generally be acceptable in face-to-face encounters. As participants attempt to deal with such behaviors, they find “ideas of authority and freedom in opposition” when compared to how such behaviors would be dealt with in the real life. Users are dependent on the cycle of statement and response and “the community is maintained through rules of netiquette, which serve to reinforce self-control and self-consciousness.” By evaluating various definitions of society and culture which make universal claims such as “every society” or “all cultures,” North (1994) concludes that the Internet cannot be viewed as an independent society, but rather as a superstructural society. However, North (1994) asserts that the Internet does “support a distinct culture of its own.” He writes that the Internet cannot exist as a subculture of one particular society, but rather exists in a symbiotic relationship with many mainstream societies. He illustrates that Internet culture shares many elements of mainstream cultures.
Page 1 and 2:
Expanding the Public Sphere through
Page 3 and 4: Contents Acknowledgements 7 1 Compu
Page 5 and 6: List of Figures 3.1 Structure of a
Page 7 and 8: Acknowledgements When one takes eig
Page 9 and 10: CHAPTER 1. COMPUTERS, CONVERSATION
Page 15 and 16: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 15 2.1
Page 17 and 18: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 17 Sch
Page 19 and 20: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 19 sta
Page 21 and 22: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 21 or
Page 23 and 24: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 23 own
Page 25 and 26: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 25 new
Page 27 and 28: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 27 com
Page 29 and 30: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 29 Hab
Page 31 and 32: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 31 pub
Page 33 and 34: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 33 the
Page 35 and 36: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 35 ori
Page 37 and 38: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 37 gen
Page 39 and 40: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 39 pub
Page 41 and 42: CHAPTER 2. THE PUBLIC SPHERE 41 By
Page 43 and 44: Chapter 3 Technology & the Public S
Page 45 and 46: CHAPTER 3. TECHNOLOGY & THE PUBLIC
Page 53: CHAPTER 3. TECHNOLOGY & THE PUBLIC
Page 57 and 58: Chapter 4 Abortion Discourse in the
Page 59 and 60: CHAPTER 4. ABORTION DISCOURSE IN TH
Page 69 and 70: Chapter 5 Measuring the Public Sphe
Page 71 and 72: CHAPTER 5. MEASURING THE PUBLIC SPH
Page 77 and 78: CHAPTER 6. ANALYZING THE TALK.ABORT
Page 101 and 102: Chapter 7 The Expanding Public Sphe
Page 103 and 104: CHAPTER 7. THE EXPANDING PUBLIC SPH
Page 105 and 106:
CHAPTER 7. THE EXPANDING PUBLIC SPH
Page 107 and 108:
Appendix A The talk.abortion newsgr
Page 109 and 110:
APPENDIX A. TALK.ABORTION: AUGUST 9
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Appendix B Density Scores Table B.1
Page 165 and 166:
APPENDIX B. DENSITY SCORES 165 Tabl
Page 167 and 168:
Appendix C Supplemental Analysis 16
Page 169 and 170:
APPENDIX C. SUPPLEMENTAL ANALYSIS 1
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 177 Best, Michael L. 1
Page 179 and 180:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 179 Fisher, Bonnie, Mi
Page 181 and 182:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 181 Hiltz, Starr Roxan
Page 183 and 184:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 183 Mansbridge, Jane.
Page 185 and 186:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 185 Pateman, Carole. 1
Page 187 and 188:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 187 Savicki, Victor, D
Page 189:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 189 U. S. Congress, Of
show all

Expanding the Public Sphere through Computer ... - ResearchGate

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?