HYPERCORTEX

1. 2007/07/19 [Netizens] 발간 10주년을 축하합니다 (3)
2. 2006/09/05 Citizen Journalism Not About 'Amateurs' or 'Pros' (4)
3. 2006/08/31 네티즌이 새로 쓰는 역사 (7)

Tokyo에서 급하게 글을 올립니다. 5일 전에 글을 올렸어야 했는데, 그동안 너무 정신이 없어서 올리지 못했거든요. (저는 지금 학회 발표 때문에 Tokyo에 와 있습니다.)

[Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet]이 발간된지 10 주년을 맞았습니다. (이곳에서 전문을 읽을 수 있습니다.) 7월 14일에 10주년을 기념하는 생일 파티(^-^)가 열렸다고 하네요. 비록 축하하는 자리에 함께 하지는 못했지만, 소식이나마 전해드립니다. 사실 grassroots journalism과 netizen participation에 관해서라면 한국의 사례들이 무척 중요한데, 국내에서도 본격적으로 네티즌을 다루는 책이 (영어로) 나왔으면, 하는 바람을 가지고 있습니다. 위의 책의 저자인 Ronda Hauben은 특히 한국에 대해서 많은 글을 썼던 분들 중 대표적인 분이시지요. ^-^

어느덧 이 책이 나온지 10주년이 되었는데, 이제는 전환의 시기가 온 것이 아닌가 생각합니다. 단순히 네티즌의 참여를 장려한다거나 순수하게 풀뿌리 저널리즘을 외친다거나, 하기가 어려워졌지요. UCC의 매력을 찬양하고 UCC 활성화를 촉진하려는 움직임에 100% 동조할 수 없듯이.

Jay Hauben이 보내온 축사를 첨부합니다. 네티즌에 관해서라면, 한국을 빼놓을 수 없을텐데, 우리도 재밌는 일들을 많이 해야 하지 않을지. 10주년을 기념하는 책도 만들고 말이에요!

***

Welcome to the 21st Century and to the Wonderful World of the Net

Ten years ago on July 14,2007, 40 people gathered in a bookstore near Columbia University in NYC to help launch the hard cover edition of the book, Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet. They came to a book reading party with the authors, Michael and Ronda and a representative of the IEEE Computer Society Press, the publisher.

The amazing thing they heard and to which some there objected was how solid was the democratic foundation of the newly emerging Internet and how pervasive might be the changes facilitated by the Net. Michael had written of his vision of a 21st century where each netizen could be an active global citizen thanks to the connectivity the net makes possible. He saw that a large part of the necessary infrastructure was in place and a more democratic world is becoming possible. He read from his chapter Exploring NYC's online Community: A Snapshot of NYC.general. The reading stimulated a vigorous and contentious discussion with some welcoming the Internet and others disbelieving that the net would be a positive force for greater democracy.

Now we are here today ten years later. Perhaps the discussion can continue as we look again at the concept of and the book Netizens. Ronda and Michael gathered in the book solid historical evidence and contemporary practice for their thesis that something big was happening which would take a mighty fight to defend but which could profoundly change the media, politics, social life and even economics. Big things have happened: email, www, citizen journalism, Google searches and blogging to name a few. But except for email and citizen journalism these were only the lessor part of what Michael foresaw. He was envisioning more profound human to human communication and intense discussions like those on Usenet. I wonder when more of Michael's vision will come.

My guess is that it might not be necessary to wait a few generations for more new big changes. Maybe they are beginning to happen and we don't see them. The cartoon at the beginning of Netizens shows what we are looking for might be so big we might not be looking in the right way to see it.

There is in the US an election next year, 2008. In the last election the big surprise was Howard Dean and 400,000 Deaniacs. What might the surprise be next year? Also, Ronda has worked to see an Ohmynews in the US. Might that ever happen?

I think the lesson for me is to learn from Michael to have confidence in the wonders the net can produce despite the hard fight they will take. Whenever I read some chapter in Netizens, I always have the same
sensation. I want to participate more on the net. I still want to be a netizen.

I would like to read a bit from the book and hear what Ronda has prepared but wonder first if any of you want to make a comment, add a thought, or ask something about the book or netizens.

In any case, welcome to the 21st Century and to the wonderful world of the net.