The Internet as an Area of Research

In 2002 the internet was alredy an integral ubiquitous part of everyday life in many countries, social domains and international contexts. Yet, most of the public attention remained fueled by either utopian or dystopian visions, rather than being informed by the growing body of reserach on the internet as a complex fact of modern life. Internet researchers need to reflect upon the virtual, hermeneutic process of asking, what is the internet and how one should study it.