Culture and Communication The Interplay in the New Public Commons - Usenet and Community Networks Michael Hauben "Any document that attempts to cover an emerging culture is doomed to be incomplete. Even more so if the culture has no overt identity (at least none outside virtual space). But the other side of that coin presents us with the opportunity to document the ebb and flow, the moments of growth and defeat, the development of this young culture." (Frost, 1993) As we approach the new millennium, social relationships are changing radically. In 1978, the Anthropologist Margaret Mead wrote of an "approaching world-wide culture" (p. 3). While she wrote of a global culture made possible by mass media, her words actually foresaw fundamental changes made by computer communication networks that were just beginning. A new culture is being formed out of a desire for communication (Graham, 1995). This culture is partially formed and formulated by new technology and by social desires (Jones, 1989; Woodbury, 1994). People are dissatisfied with the modern condi- tion, and much of the new communication technology facilitates new global connections (Uncapher, 1992). This paper will explore the effect of new communication forms on human culture and of human culture on these new communication forms. The development of transportation and communication technologies has linked the world together in ways which make it simple to travel or communi- cate with peoples and cultures around the world. The daily exposure to various cultures makes it impossible for an individual to envision the world consisting of only his or her culture (Mead). We really are moving into a new global age which affects most aspects of human life, for example, economics, language, politics, and entertainment. The exposure to media and forms of communication help spread many of these cultural elements. Television and radio connect people with the rest of the world in a rather impersonal fashion, whereas computer networks are increasingly bringing people of various cultures together in a much more intimate and grassroots manner. Historically, culture has changed slowly and been passed on from generation to generation. In the last half of the twentieth century, culture is a living dynamic part of people's lives. Mead writes that while in the past culture was transmitted from the older generation to the younger, today the younger generation learn from their peers and teach their elders. Human culture gets set by how people live their lives (Graham). Culture is created and re-enforced through how that person lives in context of society and social movements. One is taught the culture of his or her society while growing up, but those perceptions change as he or she matures, develops and lives an adult life. Culture is no longer statically defined. Rather a person grows up into a culture and then changes it as that life progresses through time. As people increasingly live a more global lifestyle, whether mediated through media or actual experience, culture is changing. This global experi- ence is facilitated by the ability of the individual to interact with people from other cultures and countries on a personal level. Images and thoughts available via mass media show these cultures exist, but when people get a chance to talk and interact, then the differences become less of an oddity and more of an opportunity (Uncapher). There are critics (Appadurai, 1990; etc.) who claim this global culture, or mass culture is snuffing out individual differences for a pre-packaged culture. These critics call for the isolation of communities from each other so that the uniqueness can be preserved. This criticism misses that human culture is a dynamic element of society, and freezing it would produce a museum of human society. Uncapher correctly points out that what these critics do not recognize is that more and more these various cultures are understanding the power of the new communication technologies. More and more people are reacting against the mass media and corporate dominance and calling for a chance to express their views and contribute their culture into the global culture. Margaret Mead tells a story (pp. 5-6) of returning to a village in New Guinea which originally requested medicine and trade goods. On this later visit, rather than asking for more contributions of western civilization, the villagers requested their songs be recorded via tape recorder in order to contribute their own culture to the outside world. The presence of radios made the villagers aware of other's music, and they wanted a part of the culture broadcast around the world. The new media of Usenet news, electronic mail and the Internet facilitate the growth of global interactive communities. These forums are made available through community networks, Universities, the work place, internet access providers, and other public access locations (Hauben & Hauben, 1994). Human culture is ever evolving and developing, and the new public commons are of a global nature. People are coming together and living more time of their daily lives with people from around the world. Through the sharing of these moments by people, their cultures are coming to encompass more of the world not before immediately available. Usenet newsgroups are a relatively young medium of human discourse and communication.(1) Studies are just being completed on the global on-line culture. A recent thesis by Tim North (1994) asked the question "is there an on-line culture and society on Usenet?" His conclusion was that there is a definite Usenet culture, but that Usenet can not be considered a separate society. Rather Usenet is "a superstructural society that spans many main- stream societies and is dependent upon them for its continued existence" (North, chap. 4.2.2, p. 4). Others (Avis, 1995; Graham; Jones; etc.) are studying the on-line culture and the connection to the growing global culture. The Usenet technology was developed by graduate students in the late 1970s as a way to promote the sharing of information and to spread communi- cation between university campuses. This design highlights the importance of the contribution by individuals to the community. Thus the content of Usenet is produced by elements of the community for the whole of the community. In forming of this public space, or commons, people are encouraged to share their views, thoughts, and questions with others (Hauben & Hauben). The chance to contribute and interact with other people spread Usenet to become a truly global community of people hooking their computers together to commu- nicate. People both desire to talk and to communicate with other people (Graham; Woodbury). Both the technological design of opening one's computer up to accept contributions of others and the desire to communicate led to the creation of an egalitarian culture (Jones; North; Woodbury). People have both a chance to introduce and share their own culture and a chance to broaden themselves through exposures to these various cultures. As such, the Usenet culture is an example of a global culture which is not a reflection of purely one culture. Instead, Usenet both incorporates cultural elements from many nations and builds a new on-line culture (North). Community networks provide a way for citizens of a locality to hook into these global communities for little or no cost (Graham). Community networks also provide a way for communities to truly represent themselves to others connected on-line (Graham; Weston). Without access made available through community networks, through publicly available computer terminals or local dial-in phone numbers, only those who could afford the monthly charges or who have access through work or school would represent themselves (Avis). Particular portraits of various cultures would thus be only partially repre- sented. Also, when access is available and open to all, a greater wealth of contributions can be made. There is a strong push in Canada and Canadian communities to get on-line. A lot of grass-roots community network building is taking place. A grass-roots organization, Telecommunities Canada, stresses the importance of contributing Canada's various cultures to the on-line community and in this way make a contribution to the whole community (Graham, Weston). In a similar way, Izumi Aizu (1995, p. 6) says that Japan has "an opportunity to bring its own cultural value to the open world." He continues, "It also opens the possibility of changing Japan into a less rigid, more decentralized society, following the network paradigm exercised by the distributed nature of the Internet itself" (IBID.). There's something to be said about the attraction of representing one's self to the greater community. The many-to-many form of communication where an individual can broadcast to the community and get responses back from other individual is an empowering experience. No longer do you have to be rich and powerful to communicate broadly to others and to represent yourself and your own views. This power is making it possible for individuals to communicate with others with similar interests (and different interests) around the world. Grass-roots organization is boosted and even the formation of local community groups is accelerated. Development of the commons to the exclusion of the big media representations makes this a grass-roots medium, or a new enlarged public commons (Felsenstein, 1993). The on-line culture is primarily a written one, although much of the text is written generally in a non-formal almost off the cuff type of nature. While people will post papers and well thought out ideas, much of the conversation is generated in an immediate response to others' messages. This text can feel like a conversation, or a written version of oral culture. Stories akin to the great stories of the pre-history come about. Legends and urban myths circulate and are disseminated (Jones). Pictures and other non-text items can be sent in usenet messages, but these non-text items are primarily transferred and not modified, thought upon or communally worked on as are the textual ideas. The common shared on-line language is English (Aizu). However, other languages exist in country hierarchies and newsgroups and in mailing lists. Along with IRC channels, gopher sites and WWW pages. Text also means that body language and other non-verbal clues need to be spelled out. Extra-sensory emoticons (2) have been invented (e.g., , , etc.) along with smileys. Smileys are textual drawings of a person's face with a smile or grin rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise to be typeable and printable on computer text screens and printouts (3). North writes on how there is a distinct Usenet culture, and that this culture is opening and welcoming of new-comers. He also notes when there is unfriendliness to "newbies", but focuses on how the on-line culture is documented and available for people to learn from documents available on- line(4). This definition of culture and netiquette (the on-line word for net etiquette) is available to learn from and open for discussion. Bruce Jones sums up the net culture, "...the usenet network of computers and users constitutes a community and a culture, bounded by its own set of norms and conventions, marked by its own linguistic jargon and sense of humor and accumulat- ing its own folklore." (p. 2) Both North and Jones elaborate on what they see to be an egalitarian tendency or tendency to contribute to the community's benefit. Jones writes, "...the people of the net owe something to each other. While not bound by formal, written agreements, people nevertheless are required by convention to observe certain amenities because they serve the greater common interest of the net. These aspects of voluntary association are the elements of culture and community that bind the people of usenet together." (p. 4) The global culture is formed in several ways, none of which is a generic corporate rubber stamp. People are taking charge. They are bringing their own cultures into the global culture and spreading this new culture around the world. This is taking on a general form and an on-line form. The on-line form provides a strong means by which people can spread their ideas and culture which in turn affects the broader global culture. This broader global culture also affects newsgroups or on-line media. The ability to express oneself to the rest of the world is addictive and the rapid increase of new people joining the on-line global community makes that manifest. "The voice- less and the oppressed in every part of the world have begun to demand more power .... The secure belief that those who knew had authority over those who did not has been shaken" (Mead, p.5). NOTES ------ 1) Usenet was initiated in 1979. 2) Emoticons are "icons" which are used to include emotion and other meta- messages otherwise not transmittable in written on-line communication forms. 3) Examples include :-) traditional smile ;-) wink, etc. See Sanderson, 1992 for more examples. 4) The on-line culture is described and written about in FAQ (frequently asked question) files in various newsgroups, the various news.newuser newsgroups and in other readily available files (North). REFERENCES Aizu, Izumi. (1995). Cultural Impact on Network Evolution in Japan Emergence of Netizens [On-Line]. Institute for HyperNetwork Society. GLOCOM (Center for Global Communications), International University of Japan. Available WWW: http://www.glocom.ac.jp/Publications/Aizu/nete&c.html Appadurai, Arjun. (1990). Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy." Public Culture, 2 1-24. Avis, Andrew. 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