Web Theory: An Introduction

This is a comprehensive and critical introduction to theories of the Internet and the World Wide Web. It's aimed at students of cultural theory, and anybody else who wants to understand the developments in information technology over the last dozen years

Burnett and Marshall start out by explaining the technology of the Web - which let's keep in mind was developed as recently as 1991. They reflect on the way that this has transformed the exchange of information and set in motion the creation of networks and data transfer systems which simply didn't exist before. Their main purpose is to show some of the theorising that this has given rise to, and to present arguments about its impact on individuals and society.


They look at the differences between various forms of communication - for instance, between email, Internet Relay Chat, MUDs, and newsgroups. This leads naturally enough to the observations made by many commentators that the individual's identity during such exchanges becomes more fluid, less fixed, and subject to re-creation. This leads to issues of language, anonymity, gender, and role-playing.

There's a section which examines the different genres of Web sites which have emerged. This includes an interesting analysis of the links on Yahoo's homepage which shows the distinction which can be made between various forms and levels of interactivity.

They also cover eCommerce, public policies on regulation and copyright, the Web as a source of news (as distinct from print culture) and as a form of entertainment. There's a whole chapter which explores the issues of MP3 digital music, file-sharing, the Napster case, and its effect on the recording industry.

They also include a glossary, a Web theory timeline, a bibliography, and list of Web site resources. These will be very useful for the students on the media studies courses for which this book is an obvious candidate as a set text.

However, you have to be prepared for some strenuous reading. They want to crank up the abstract language in which everything is discussed.

"Technological determinism is used as a critical analytic tool to group a certain generalizable approach to the relationship between technology and society."

The exposition of their arguments is conducted in dense, monolithic paragraphs which are quite antithetical in spirit to the very medium they are discussing - the hot, rapid communication of the Internet. And in some chapters their arguments slither from one topic to another in a way which sometimes makes it difficult to perceive a clear structure.

It's probably best regarded as an explanation of computer technology to sociologists and cultural theorists couched in terms they are used to reading. But for those who want to consider IT communications at a depth beyond simply what happens on screen, this will point you in several useful directions.