BUILDING AN INTERNET CULTURE -PHILIP AGRE 1. PHILIP AGRE IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF INFORMATION STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA , LOS ANGELES. 2. HE IS THE AUTHOR OF COMPUTATION AND HUMAN EXPERIENCE. 3. HE IS ALSO THE EDITOR OF AN INTERNET MAILING LIST CALLED THE RED ROCK EATER NEWS SERVICE, WHICH SENDS OUT INFORMATION ON THE SOCIO- POLITICAL ASPECTS OF NETWORKING.

INTRODUCTION TO THE ESSAY 1. IN THE ESSAY PHILIP AGRE DRAWS OUR ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNET AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS LEADING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TRULY DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. 2. HE ALSO OFFERS SOME GUIDELINES TO EVOLVE AN APPROPRIATE INTERNET POLICY IN WHICH THERE IS NO NEED TO INVEST SO MUCH MONEY ON MACHINERY BUT THERE IS FOCUS ON DEVELOPING PEOPLE AND BUILDING UP AN INTERNET CIVIL SOCIETY USING EXISTING SOCIAL NETWORKS.

SUMMARY OF THE ESSAY 1. THE INTERNET OFFERS US THE HOPE OF A TRULY DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. IT CAN HELP US TO RENEW OUR INSTITUTIONS AND FREE OURSELVES AND FREE OUR AUTHORITARIAN LEGACIES. 2. IN THINKING OF WAYS OF USING TECHNOLOGIES LIKE THE INTERNET FOR CULTURALLY SUITABLE PURPOSES, THE BEST STARTING POINT IS WITH THE PEOPLE. 3. NETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES CAN BE USED TO CREATE A SPACE OF SUCH “COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE” TO ENABLE THEM TO THINK TOGETHER IN THEIR OWN WAYS. 4. THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST COMMON USE OF INTERNET: DISCUSSION GROUPS IN WHICH PEOPLE POOL THEIR IDEAS AND EXPERTISE ON A SHARED TOPIC.

7. A SOCIETY WILL BE HEALTHY IF THESE PRACTICES ARE WORKING WELL. 5. INTERNET CAN BE BEST THOGHT OF AS ONE COMPONENT OF THIS LARGER ECOLOGY OF MEDIA. 6. SOCIAL NETWORKS ALSO INFLUENCE THE ADOPTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES. IF THE MEMBERS OF A COMMUNITY ALREADY HAVE SOCIAL CONNECTIONS THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM TECHNOLOGICAL CONNECTIONS. 7. A SOCIETY WILL BE HEALTHY IF THESE PRACTICES ARE WORKING WELL. THE FOLLOWING TEN CONCLUSIONS WHICH ARE BASED ON THE AUTHOR’S EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN GUIDING A COUNTRY’S DEVELOPMENT OF A CULTURALLY SUITABLE INTERNET POLICY. 1. ONE SHOULD RESIST THE STANDARD SALES PITCH FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY. IT EXPLOITS THE USERS’ FEAR OF BEING LEFT BEHIND AND MAKES ONE THINK THAT ONE’S PAST EXPERIENCE AND COMMON SENSE ARE OUTDATED. THUS IT ENCOURAGES ONE TO BUY NEW TECHNOLOGY. BUT WITHOUT A COHERENT PLAN, NEW MACHINERY IS OF NO USE. .

DO NOT SPENT TOO MUCH MONEY TO BUY MACHINERY FOR INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE NOT WORKING SATISFACTORILY. INTERNET CAN BE A PART OF A LARGER PLAN BUT IS NOT GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEMS OF INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE NOT WORKING WELL. ONE SHOULD FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PEOPLE AND NOT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OR INSTALLATION OF NEW MACHINERY.. IT IS BETTER TO INVITE PROPOSALS FOR PROJECTS WHICH DEMONSTRATE HOW TO USE THE MACHINERY. ONCE THE INSTITUTIONS ARE ABLE TO ABSORB MACHINERY, IT WILL BECOME CHEAPER. THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON BUILDING INTERNET CIVIL SOCIETY BY FINDING PEOPLE IN EVERY SECTOR OF SOCIETY WHO ARE WILLING TO USE THE INTERNET FOR POSITIVE SOCIAL PURPOSES. THE NEXT STEP IS TO INTRODUCE AND CONNECT THESE PEOPLE TO THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THEIR COUNTIES. E-MAIL IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN TECHNOLOGIES LIKE WWW (WORLD WIDE WEB) THAT USE SOPHISTICATED GRAPHICS. E-MAIL DOES REQUIRE LITERACY BUT THE BENEFITS OF ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE ALSO PROVIDE A POWERFUL MOTIVATION TO ACQUIRE SKILLS OF LITERARCY.

ONE SHOULD CONDUCT EXTENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE TECHNICAL AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT. INCLUDE THE PEOPLE WHOSE WORK WILL BE AFFECTED. A SHARED ANALYTICAL VISION WILL HELP IN THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY. ONE SHOULD IDENTIFY EXISTING PRACTICES FOR SHARING INFORMATION AND BUILDING SOCIAL NETWORKS AND EXPERIMENT USING THE INTERNET AND OTHER RELATED TECHNOLOGIES. 8. ONE SHOULD NOT DISTRIBUTE TECHNOLOGY RANDOMLY. E-MAIL IS USELESS UNLESS PEOPLE CONNECTED ARE ALSO ONLINE AND WILLING TO READ THEIR E-MAIL. SO IT IS BETTER TO FOCUS ON PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES WHICH HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF IDENTITY AND AND MOTIVATION TO GET ONLINE. 9. FOR CHILDREN, PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE, SUCH AS THEATRE PRODUCTION, IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN COMPUTER SKILLS. THE INTERNET CAN BE A POWERFUL TOOL FOR EDUCATION IF IS MADE A PART OF THE TEACHING METHODOLOGY. ANYONE WITH EXPERIENCE OF SOCIAL SKILLS OF ORGANIZING WILL UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF INTERNET.

10. IT IS WELL TO REMEMBER THAT MACHINERY DOES NOT 10. IT IS WELL TO REMEMBER THAT MACHINERY DOES NOT REFORM SOCIETY OR REPAIR INSTITUTIONS OR PRODUCE A DEMOCRATIC CULTURE. IT IS TALENTED PEOPLE WHO DO THAT. AND WHEN SUCH PEOPLE DO GREAT THINGS, IT IS ADVISABLE TO PUBLICIZE THEIR IDEAS.