Communities in Cyberspace.
Edited by Marc A. Smith and Peter Kollock
Once a
obscure and arcane set of technologies used by a small elite, are now widely
used and the subject of political debate, public interest, and popular culture.
The “information superhighway” competes with a collection of metaphors that
attempt to lable and define these technologies. Others, like “cyberspace”, “the
Net,” “online” and “the Web”, highlight different aspects of network technology
and its meaning, role and impact. Computer networks allow people to create
range of new social spaces in which to meet and interact with one another.
Computer
network are used to connect people to people. In cyberspace the economies of
interaction, communication, and coordination are different than when people
meet face-to-face. These shifts make the creation of thousands of spaces to
house conversations and exchanges between far-flung groups of people practical
and convenient. Thousands of groups formed to discuss about wide range of topic
ranged from entertainments to complex collective projects. These are not only
communication media – they are group media, sustaining and supporting many to
many interactions.
Highlights
and positive effect of networks and the network is the benefit of democracy and
prosperity. Al Gore(1993) Our new ways of communication will entertain as well
as inform, they educate, promote democracy and save lives. Meanwhile in the
process, lots of new jobs are created.
Individuals
are trapped and ensnared in a “net” that predominantly offers new opportunities
for surveillance and social control. Information technology has the obvious
capacity to concentrate political power, to create new forms of social
obfuscation and domination. However computer and network increases the power of
individuals, network with increase strength of existing concentration of power.
Thoughts: is there a difference before the uprising of Facebook towards idea of Marc A. Smith and Peter Kollock?
Thoughts: is there a difference before the uprising of Facebook towards idea of Marc A. Smith and Peter Kollock?
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