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“Internet Studies”
Reading Questionnaire #1
“Rethinking Internet History,” James Curran (2012) &
“Social Imaginaries of the Internet in China,” Haiqing Yu (2014)
1. What are three historical moments that James Curran discusses in “Rethinking Internet History” that were particularly important to the development of the internet? There are more than 3 possible answers; pick moments that you didn’t know about before or that surprised you.
2. Curran talks about both military and counter-cultural forces that helped shape the internet. Pick one of these two and summarize Curran’s points about how either the military or counterculture played an important role in internet history.
3. Curran discusses the importance of user-generated content, contributed to sites like Wikipedia, as central to how users express themselves online. Name another example of a website or social media platforms where users share content. What makes it important in internet culture today?
4. Yu describes various “social imaginaries” about the internet in China. After reading this article, do you think that the internet is imagined the same way in the US? Or in another country where you have lived? What other possible internet “imaginaries” can you think of?
