thanks to all who have engaged in this interesting thread. i like frank's use of hughes' networks of power to think through the stages, as well as many others (and wouldn't mind hearing more about the net as biological entity). personally, i have little interest in defining how many stages there's been ("there's 5!" "no, 6!" "look, over there, another, that's 7!") but rather an interest in appreciating that we have witnessed multiple stages, each defined by various factors (as frank points out) and characterized by various nuances. as always, i like michel and rune's posts, which reveal (i think) that our answers are products in part of the way we frame the question and define our terms. the way i frame my questions or, to be more specific, the way i think about stages, i find it difficult to conflate the very complex period of time between the 1960s/early 1970s and the dot.com daze into one stage. but i'm certainly willing and eager to hear reasons why we should. david silver On Wed, 27 Nov 2002, Rune Dalgaard wrote:

David, interesting discussion yet I am wondering whether we need to specify some sort of perspective within which such stages are relevant.

From one point of view it could be argued that the end of the dot.com period signaled the end of the first phase of development and widespread adoption and that the medium is now entering a more mature phase (less gold-digging, hype, fantasies of a parallel space etc. etc.) where the Internet is increasingly treated not as an isolated cultural phenomenon but as an integrated cultural phenomenon. Of course the issue of maturing is complex, because the computer as a technology is open-ended with respect to new applications and uses. Such a hypothesis, however, does not preclude that different more detailed stages can be identified. Whether we base them on technical/interface developments or on what social groups have been most influential (scientists, entrepeneurs, grass roots c.f. Castells) or some combination of both types of criteria (or other). Thus, I am not sure there is a conflict - or am I missing something?

Best, Rune

___________________________________________ Rune Dalgaard | Cand.mag. | Ph.D. -stipendiat | Informations- og Medievidenskab, Aarhus Universitet runed@imv.au.dk | http://www.imv.au.dk/medarbejdere/runed