Writing the Public in Cyberspace

Popular claims that new information technology will expand democratic and public spaces are problematic given the exclusive history of the public and the restriction of access to computer technology to elites. This book investigates patterns of behavior in a cybercommunity consisting of Americans and Canadians, and discusses the ways in which these so-called public spaces are likely to reshape the boundaries between social insiders and outsiders rather than eliminate them. Traverse analyses the ways in which the norms for participation within cyberspaces often play a role in undermining public tendencies, but notes that new information technologies provide educators, feminists, and other social groups concerned with broadening the inclusive nature of public spaces with unique opportunities. The book's final section explores current efforts by feminists on-line to expand public access for women and suggests further strategies for developing more genuinely inclusive public spaces. (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Oregon,1996; revised with new introduction, bibliography, and index)