To its pioneers, the Internet is not just a technology but also a culture. This culture is instructive of the social and cultural embeddedness of the Internet. So are the people whose lifestyles are informed by the culture of networking, the Internet pioneers. These are the social nodes of the internet, individuals who have actively contributed to its expansion around the world. Reflecting the ethos of the culture of networking, their activities are aimed at spreading the internet and the spirit in which it has been developed. Their vision is one of social improvement through global interconnectedness. Their strategy is transnational networking.
At a time when the Internet is becoming ubiquitous in many Western countries, this book focuses on its expansion in developing countries. Based on the visions and experiences of Internet pioneers, it identifies the cultural characteristics of the Internet, the distribution of which represents an instance of global cultural flow. Combining case studies in Southeast Asia with an examination of international activities and discourses, this book is the first to provide a comparative, empirical study of Internet development in the developing world.
