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Republic.com:
Personalization and Democracy
Natalie
Yager writes: We have heard Shapiro mention it in his book The Control
Revolution. Now, in his book Republic.com, Cass Sunstein is here
to say it again, in much greater detail: the Internet, and its capacity
to allow for the "extreme personalization" of news (also
known as the "Daily Me") is a threat to democracy. What
could the personalization of news possibly have to do with the breakdown
of democracy? (more...)
Jennifer
Sirek-Love agrees: Of course, a book is part of an ongoing conversation.
Perhaps I would better understand Sunstein’s alarm if I were
more familiar with the arguments he is responding to or examples
of information customization. But I remain unconvinced that current
technology will fundamentally change the flow of information...
(more)
Kat
Halpenny has a slightly different take: Authors like Cass Sunstein
argue that the ability to personalize one’s news and other
information experiences will filter out diverse thought and will
kill shared experience. Is there a frightening truth lurking in
Sunstein’s arguments in republic.com or are they based
in unfounded paranoia? (more...)
E-Government?
Alina
Bica-Huiu write: ...Chadwick’s article focuses on one of the main
issues related to Internet as a political tool – interaction. It
presents three models of interaction between the state and citizens...
(more)
Online
Voting?
Stela
Dhami writes: ... overall, I remain a firm believer that before
one change the system, s/he should worry about the beliefs that
citizens have. Thus, politicians should try to give citizens better
reasons for higher political involvement and for the importance
of their individual vote. (more...)
Privacy
and the Internet:
Lessig and Shapiro
Dylan
Burns remarks on Lawrence Lessig's Code, viz: "...cyberspace
is regulable insofar as its architecture (the rules of its environment)
is easily changed through its code" (more...)
Andy
Rumbach also writes: "...Lessig seems interested in how we
might structure regulation of cyberspace to foster communities.
Lessig mistakes the old internet for the new, trying to apply the
characteristics of the former to the latter (more...)
Stephanie
Cason writes: In The Control Revolution, Andrew Shapiro maps
out the advantages that the Internet has and will bring to individuals
as well as arguing that with this increased array of advantages
also comes an increased level of required individual responsibility.
(more...)
Online
Governance
In
"Dissolution and Fragmentation: Problems in On-Line Communities",
Kolko and Reid analyze the negative relationship between cyberspacial
self and on-line community. To do this (more...)
We
live in a world permeated by the need for convenience. Nothing has
ever catered to this American ideal quite like the emergence of
the Internet. Suddenly communication is revolutionized (more...)
Bruce
Bimber’s article provides a clear presentation of two main claims
regarding the influence of the Internet on Politics and political
life in general – the populist claim and the community-building
claim – while also offering a third alternative. (more...)
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Digital
Identity?
After
14 wasted pages, Nancy Baym is ready to share more of her
deep thoughts. The appropriation of rules and resources in online
communities, Baym argues, are governed by the five magical factors
mentioned above. So what does that tell us? Nothing! (more...)
In
her article "Dating on the Net: Teens and the rise of "Pure relationships"
Lynn Clark takes a particular interest in relationships that
rise among individuals aided by computer assisted communication.
She specifically focuses on on-line dating, mostly among teenage
girls (more...)
Sherry
Turkle's article "Identity in the Age of the Internet" can be
divided into two meditations. The first is a somewhat detailed exposition
of how the consciousness of internet users to support postmodern
theories of subjective, de-centered consciousness. The second meditation
is a much more speculative reflection on the contemporary process
of re-defining humanity in the context of technological advances...
(more)
The
Digital Divide
"...will
we see the same struggle by minority groups to have proportional
representation on the internet as we have on television and radio?
Will computers penetrate the home as televisions have, becoming
a center point (and possible dumbing point) of the household, thereby
bringing their status as a "good" into question?"
Click
here for more on the Digital Divide
The
Internet and Political Participation:
"It is hard not to dismiss the discussion surrounding the internet
as mainly hype: it is certainly not the first revolution in the
distribution of information and the existence of new technology
will not in itself change human behavior. "
Click here for more on the Internet and
Political Participation
Fall
2000 Reports:
The
Internet and Voting
Who
Surfs?
The
Impact of Virtual Politics
Who
is on the web?
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