Grasses: What's your 1 sentence explanation of "Internet Research"?, Internet research involves the study of "our societies which are increasingly structured around the bipolar opposition of the Net and the Self" ("Rise of the Network Society" 1996/2000); "the 'Net' denotes the network organizations replacing vertically integrated hierarchies as the dominant form of social organization, (and) the Self denotes the practices a person uses in reaffirming social identity and meaning in a continually changing cultural landscape" (Castells)

GC asks AoIR (Association of Internet Researchers' email list):

"What's your 1 sentence explanation of "Internet Research"?" (title of first thread)


MN replies:

My "single sentence" definition:

"Internet studies is the interdisciplinary consideration of how Internet technologies are changing individuals, societies and cultures."



My reply:

"Hi All,

I'd take a kind of Manuel Castellian approach (but not completely
sidestepping questions of technological determinism implicit in this
definition question) to suggest that:

Internet research involves the study of "our societies which are
increasingly structured around the bipolar opposition of the Net and
the Self" ("Rise of the Network Society" 1996/2000); "the 'Net'
denotes the network organizations replacing vertically integrated
hierarchies as the dominant form of social organization, (and) the
Self denotes the practices a person uses in reaffirming social
identity and meaning in a continually changing cultural landscape"
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Castells ).

Yes, thanks GC for this inquiry as well.

Best,
Scott"



*

Other replies to MN:


GR: 
"I agree mostly with Melissa's description though I would use "affect"
instead of "change," since "change" has a lot of assumptions that may
not apply to everyone's work, or to all of the ways the internet may
interact with individuals, societies and cultures. So, maybe "affect
or interact with" as opposed to "change.""



MG: 
"MN, I really like your 1 sentence zinger definition for net research. My only revision would be to put the focus on the relationships to technologies rather than setting up technologies as forces (media effects) in and of themselves. Something like:

"Internet studies is the interdisciplinary consideration of the relationships that bind Internet technologies, individuals' lives, social institutions, and cultural meaning.""


MN:
"MG and GR, you both present effective edits to my sentence. Thank you. ... "


Then, my definition above ...


WD: My sentence would be: 'Read the Oxford Handbook of Internet Studies.' http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199589074.do :

"

Authoritative perspectives on Internet Studies Original chapters by leading authors in the field Interdisciplinary approach Chapters arranged in sections on: Perspectives on the Internet and Web as Objects of Study; Living in a Network Society; Creating and Working in a Global Network Economy; Communication, Power, and Influence in a Converging Media World; and Governing and Regulating the Internet Internet Studies has been one of the most dynamic and rapidly expanding interdisciplinary fields to emerge over the last decade. The Oxford Handbook of Internet Studies has been designed to provide a valuable resource for academics and students in this area, bringing together leading scholarly perspectives on how the Internet has been studied and how the research agenda should be pursued in the future. The Handbook aims to focus on Internet Studies as an emerging field, each chapter seeking to provide a synthesis and critical assessment of the research in a particular area. Topics covered include social perspectives on the technology of the Internet, its role in everyday life and work, implications for communication, power, and influence, and the governance and regulation of the Internet. The Handbook is a landmark in this new interdisciplinary field, not only helping to strengthen research on the key questions, but also shape research, policy, and practice across many disciplines that are finding the Internet and its political, economic, cultural, and other societal implications increasingly central to their own key areas of inquiry."

...

SS:
"Do we get points for parsimony?

*Internet studies:* "Cave drawings on walls of silicon chips.""



*

Another related thread emerges in this AoIR email conversation : 

"change/associated with" (title of thread)


BW: 
"Agree with previoius comment
""Internet studies is the interdisciplinary consideration of how Internet technologies are changing individuals, societies and cultures."

But I'd soften even further, and go with "Associated with changes in..."

Correlation NE Causation"


SL:
"Agreed - the formulation surely needs to avoid making technology itself the agent of change...

Also, there's the question of how internet tech/use might be the outcome of other social changes

This kind of reasoning led me and Leah Lievrouw to talk of "the social shaping and social consequences" of new media (or the internet)"


JH: 
"Though we should keep in mind that increasingly technologies can be and are
agents, and even some may be autonomous agents in some informational arenas
on the internet.

I would put it closer to:

When people study the internet, they explore and engage with knowledges,
relationships, events, transformations and constructions that heretofore
may not have existed prior to internet technologies, and when they
reflexively study the internet transdisciplinarily they frequently create
those things too."


*

And GC replies to me directly: 

"Thanks a bunch Scott.  I will share the compiled list after people have a
little more time to response.

All the best
GC"

*


Thanks, G, 

Looking forward to it. 

Just added you to World University and School on Twitter - https://twitter.com/WorldUnivandSch ... as well as here - https://twitter.com/scottmacleod - to which my (this) daily blog pipes through. 

Looking at your interests, it would be great to stay in touch about a 3D interactive movie realistic virtual earth (something like movie realism with OpenSim, SL, Google Earth and in the Oculus Rift and with avatars, voice and a currency even), as well as wiki MIT OCW-centric World University and School, planned for all 7,106 languages and 242 countries +.

Regards, 
Scott


* 

will add this blog post to: 

"Internet Studies" wiki subject page at WUaS (in English only so far) ...

http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Internet_Studies

*

...