Governance, Structure and Existence: Authenticity, Rhetoric, Race and Gender

Abstract

Analysis of internet governance on the large scale is furthered by the study of the ways governance is already emerging online as this elucidates the dynamics of organisation and events and the ways that effective governance may manifest or be disrupted. This paper argues that there are three main factors influencing such governance: the organisation of communication (whether the forum is a mailing list, MOO, Newsgroup, weblog etc); existential issues of 'being' online (such as suspension of being, flame, and patterns of exchange); and the rhetorical mobilization of offline categories. The paper focuses on the governance of a Mailing list called Cybermind, and gives short case studies of the processes arising in its formation and in two disputes. It shows the ways that issues of organisation, authenticity and categories of gender and race influenced the course of the arguments. In all cases offline issues and categories were fundamental to the disputes, but mediated by the existential factors of online life.