Cultures of the Internet

The Internet is here. But have we caught up with all of the implications it holds for culture and everyday life? Bringing together a group of the most accomplished writers on the Internet and cyberspace, this volume presents a systematic description of the development of the Internet, its history in the military-industrial complex, and the role of state policies (such as those that lead to the building of information superhighways). Contributors examine the arrival of E-mail, explore online discussion groups, and consider the prospect of an online world. They also address the development of this technology as a commercialized leisure form and a forum for underground political organization and critique. Accessible and innovative, Cultures of Internet will appeal to students and scholars in sociology, cultural studies, media studies, and computer studies.