The Net Effect
Romanticism, Capitalism, and the Internet
By Thomas Streeter | Publisher: NYU Press
About the book
2012 Honorable Mention from the Association of Internet Researchers for their Annual Best Book Prize
Outstanding Academic Title from 2011 by Choice Magazine
This book about America's romance with computer communication looks at the internet, not as harbinger of the future or the next big thing, but as an expression of the times. Streeter demonstrates that our ideas about what connected computers are for have been in constant flux since their invention. In the 1950s they were imagined as the means for fighting nuclear wars, in the 1960s as systems for bringing mathematical certainty to the messy complexity of social life, in the 1970s as countercultural playgrounds, in the 1980s as an icon for what's good about free markets, in the 1990s as a new frontier to be conquered and, by the late 1990s, as the transcendence of markets in an anarchist open source utopia.
The Net Effect teases out how culture has influenced the construction of the internet and how the structure of the internet has played a role in cultures of social and political thought. It argues that the internet's real and imagined anarchic qualities are not a product of the technology alone, but of the historical peculiarities of how it emerged and was embraced. Finding several different traditions at work in the development of the internet—most uniquely, romanticism—Streeter demonstrates how the creation of technology is shot through with profoundly cultural forces—with the deep weight of the remembered past, and the pressures of shared passions made articulate.
Editions of The Net Effect
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780814741153
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780814741160
Read an Excerpt
2012 Honorable Mention from the Association of Internet Researchers for their Annual Best Book Prize
Outstanding Academic Title from 2011 by Choice Magazine
This book about America's romance with computer communication looks at the internet, not as harbinger of the future or the next big thing, but as an expression of the times. Streeter demonstrates that our ideas about what connected computers are for have been in constant flux since their invention. In the 1950s they were imagined as the means for fighting nuclear wars, in the 1960s as systems for bringing mathematical certainty to the messy complexity of social life, in the 1970s as countercultural playgrounds, in the 1980s as an icon for what's good about free markets, in the 1990s as a new frontier to be conquered and, by the late 1990s, as the transcendence of markets in an anarchist open source utopia.
The Net Effect teases out how culture has influenced the construction of the internet and how the structure of the internet has played a role in cultures of social and political thought. It argues that the internet's real and imagined anarchic qualities are not a product of the technology alone, but of the historical peculiarities of how it emerged and was embraced. Finding several different traditions at work in the development of the internet—most uniquely, romanticism—Streeter demonstrates how the creation of technology is shot through with profoundly cultural forces—with the deep weight of the remembered past, and the pressures of shared passions made articulate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Net Effect about?
2012 Honorable Mention from the Association of Internet Researchers for their Annual Best Book Prize
Outstanding Academic Title from 2011 by Choice Magazine
This book about America's romance with computer communication looks at the internet, not as harbinger of the future or the next big thing, but as an expression of the times. Streeter demonstrates that our ideas about what connected computers are for have been in constant flux since their invention. In the 1950s they were imagined as the means for fighting nuclear wars, in the 1960s as systems for bringing mathematical certainty to the messy complexity of social life, in the 1970s as countercultural playgrounds, in the 1980s as an icon for what's good about free markets, in the 1990s as a new frontier to be conquered and, by the late 1990s, as the transcendence of markets in an anarchist open source utopia.
The Net Effect teases out how culture has influenced the construction of the internet and how the structure of the internet has played a role in cultures of social and political thought. It argues that the internet's real and imagined anarchic qualities are not a product of the technology alone, but of the historical peculiarities of how it emerged and was embraced. Finding several different traditions at work in the development of the internet—most uniquely, romanticism—Streeter demonstrates how the creation of technology is shot through with profoundly cultural forces—with the deep weight of the remembered past, and the pressures of shared passions made articulate.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Net Effect?
Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Industrial processes > Electronics and communications engineering > Communications engineering / telecommunications
Where can I read a sample of The Net Effect?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780814741153
How long is The Net Effect and how many pages does it have?
The Net Effect has 240 page(s)
Is The Net Effect part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Critical Cultural Communication
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Net Effect?
Thomas Streeter
Who is the Publisher of the book The Net Effect?
NYU Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Net Effect is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780814741153) and paperback(ISBN 9780814741160)
Where can I buy The Net Effect online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The Net Effect from below
Where can I buy The Net Effect?