"Every Home Is Wired": 1 -- The Net in Relation to Music Subcultures

"Every Home Is Wired":
1 -- The Net in Relation to Music Subcultures

On the one hand, this can be seen as an advantage over traditional media, where audience members are unable to decide in any more than a very broad way what information they receive -- notably, "some evidence suggests that people watch 20 percent less television once they start using the Internet" (Herman & McChesney 123). On the other hand, this new empowerment may seem to create too much work and overwhelm audiences used to receiving conveniently prepackaged information: for people resisting this new obligation to choose for themselves, radio, television, and the influence from peers may remain important in defining their interests and tastes. Internet users are likely to be of the former rather than the latter type, though, simply because by virtue of its very characteristics the Net is more likely to attract people interested in using media actively.	Bit 35
Much early research into CMC, however, has found that even these users will face a range of difficulties in achieving their goal of interactive participation. Typically, researchers claim that computer-mediated communication is hampered by "a paucity of social context information and ... few widely shared norms governing its use. ... Indeed, computer-mediated communication seems to comprise some of the same conditions that are important for deindividualisation -- anonymity, reduced self-regulation, and reduced self-awareness" (Kiesler et al. 1126). In their view the Net lacks the extratextual cues (signifying irony, moods, a speaker's identity) present in face-to-face communication, for example, which leads to misunderstandings, a lack of respect for one another, and difficulties in expressing oneself clearly; additionally, the Net's insistence on a free flow of unverified information and the participation of the widest possible range of users as creators of content also means that Internet content lacks clear authenticity, which can possibly limit its information value.	Bit 36

On the one hand, this can be seen as an advantage over traditional media, where audience members are unable to decide in any more than a very broad way what information they receive -- notably, "some evidence suggests that people watch 20 percent less television once they start using the Internet" (Herman & McChesney 123). On the other hand, this new empowerment may seem to create too much work and overwhelm audiences used to receiving conveniently prepackaged information: for people resisting this new obligation to choose for themselves, radio, television, and the influence from peers may remain important in defining their interests and tastes. Internet users are likely to be of the former rather than the latter type, though, simply because by virtue of its very characteristics the Net is more likely to attract people interested in using media actively.

Bit 35

Much early research into CMC, however, has found that even these users will face a range of difficulties in achieving their goal of interactive participation. Typically, researchers claim that computer-mediated communication is hampered by "a paucity of social context information and ... few widely shared norms governing its use. ... Indeed, computer-mediated communication seems to comprise some of the same conditions that are important for deindividualisation -- anonymity, reduced self-regulation, and reduced self-awareness" (Kiesler et al. 1126). In their view the Net lacks the extratextual cues (signifying irony, moods, a speaker's identity) present in face-to-face communication, for example, which leads to misunderstandings, a lack of respect for one another, and difficulties in expressing oneself clearly; additionally, the Net's insistence on a free flow of unverified information and the participation of the widest possible range of users as creators of content also means that Internet content lacks clear authenticity, which can possibly limit its information value.

Bit 36

Section 1 -- Go on to Bite:

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21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
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