[ICTs-and-Society] Uppsala conference report

[William Dutton]

Happy to chime in here, as there might be a couple of points worth making. 

First, I agree with Ursula that we should define Internet Studies broadly and in that sense this field arguably began at least as early as the late-1950s around work on the organizational and social implications of IT. I agree that it is really difficult to identify the beginning of Internet Studies unless it is defined more narrowly than most of us would wish.

Secondly, the point about the OII is that is was - I still believe - the first 'department' at a major university devoted to study of the Internet -- that is as a department rather than a research centre or programme in a particular disciplinary department, able to offer degrees, etc. In that sense, I think the OII represents a stage in the development or potential legitimacy of Internet Studies, and not as the invention of IS. I hope that is fair, but it begs the question of why we have not seen more departments focused on Internet Studies, which is another topic. 

Bill Dutton

On 7 Jan 2013, at 15:31, Ursula Huws wrote:

> This seems to be a particularly pointless argument to be having. Scholars in a variety of disciplines have been studying the internet since the early 1990s. In many cases this built on earlier research on ‘socio-technical systems’, the ‘information society’ and numerous other designations. To bring these discussions together under the broad heading of ‘internet studies’ is useful. To pretend that in so doing anyone has invented a new field of study is fatuous nonsense. We all stand on the shoulders of our predecessors. A failure to recognise this is a sign, not of originality, but of blinkered vision (possibly combined with an over-inflated sense of self-importance).
> Ursula Huws
>  
> From: discussion-bounces at lists.icts-and-society.net [mailto:discussion-bounces at lists.icts-and-society.net] On Behalf Of Z. Karvalics László
> Sent: 07 January 2013 13:30
> To: 'Niels Ole Finnemann'; 'Mathieu ONeil'; discussion at lists.icts-and-society.net
> Subject: Re: [ICTs-and-Society] Uppsala conference report
>  
> Dear Collegues,
>  
> Just for the record, as a part of the landscape:
> Other dedicated, systematic social science focused research on Internet and society has been started around 2000 in research institutes, devoted to information society research in Tampere (2001) and Budapest (1998).
> Best
>  
> Laszlo Z. Karvalics
>  
> From: Niels Ole Finnemann [mailto:finneman at imv.au.dk] 
> Sent: Monday, January 07, 2013 1:17 PM
> To: Mathieu ONeil; discussion at lists.icts-and-society.net
> Subject: Re: [ICTs-and-Society] Uppsala conference report
>  
> Thanks a lot  for these interesting accounts.
> I have a very small correction however. In the opening it is said
> “Internet studies have historically developed in the United States. The Oxford Internet Institute (OII) was the first Internet research centre to be launched in Europe, in 2001.”
> 
> This is not quite correct as we initiated a Center for Internet Research in September 2000 at Aarhus University in order “to promote research on the social and cultural functions and meanings of the internet”.
> Prior to that we had a series of conferences on internet studies.
> The center still exist and you can an overview of its history and  activities at http://cfi.au.dk/ - for the early history: http://cfi.au.dk/news/2000/
> Of course the OII have been much more influential, but anyway.
> Best regards
> Niels Ole Finnemann
>  
> Fra: discussion-bounces at lists.icts-and-society.net [mailto:discussion-bounces at lists.icts-and-society.net] På vegne af Mathieu ONeil
> Sendt: 7. januar 2013 12:09
> Til: discussion at lists.icts-and-society.net
> Emne: Re: [ICTs-and-Society] Uppsala conference report
>  
> Hi everyone
>  
> In case you missed it, here is another account of the conference, recently published in InMedia:
>  
> Mathieu O'Neil, "Internet Studies in Europe. Symposium on Internet and Society, 25-28 October 2011, Humboldt University, Berlin; ICTs and Society Conference, 2-4 May 2012, Uppsala University, Uppsala".
>  
> http://inmedia.revues.org/489#article-489
>  
> cheers
> 
> Mathieu
> 
> On 01/07/13, Christian Fuchs <christian.fuchs at uti.at> wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
> 
> Please find below a link to a report on the Uppsala ICTs & Society conference.
> 
> Best, Christian
> 
> Fuchs, Christian. 2012. Conference Report: The 4th ICTs and Society Conference: Critique, Democracy and Philosophy in 21st Century Information Society. Nordicom Information 34 (3-4): 89-99.
> http://fuchs.uti.at/wp-content/NI.pdf
> 
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> --
> ****
> Dr Mathieu O'Neil
> Adjunct Research Fellow
> Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute
> College of Arts and Social Science
> The Australian National University
> email: mathieu[dot]oneil[at]anu[dot]edu.au
> web: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/o-neil-m
> A(z) üzenetben nem található vírus.
> Ellenőrizte: AVG - www.avg.com
> Verzió: 2013.0.2805 / Vírus adatbázis: 2637/6013 - Kiadás dátuma: 2013.01.06.

William H. Dutton
Professor of Internet Studies
Oxford Internet Institute
University of Oxford 
1 St Giles', Oxford OX1 3JS  
UNITED KINGDOM

Tel +44 (0)1865 287 210
Fax +44 (0)1865 287 211
Cell +44 (0)7768 823906
Web: http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/dutton/about/
You can access my papers on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) at: http://ssrn.com/author=478025
Forthcoming: The Oxford Handbook of Internet Studies: http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199589074.do