It's true that the Internet has become an immense tool for the average person to use to his or her advantage. Especially with the variety of applications that allow for do-it-yourself usage of media such as YouTube, Facebook (and other social media), and blogging sites, anyone can publicize anything at anytime and anywhere to the world. In fact, Jenkin's essay examines the role this sort of "public" media that cyberspace allows for with regards to the traditional corporate structure of mass media and concludes that cyberspace is essentially "fandom writ large."
Even before Web 2.0 (as defined by Grossman in his article "Time's Person of the Year") existed as it is now known, the Internet literally was a place for contributions to forums relating to different interests. Going along with the intuition of cyberspace being "fandom," the website fanfiction.net is a prime example of how everyday average fans of different forms of media, from movies to games, anime to manga, create and share literary creativity amongst each other. Jenkin's essay was clearly referring to this sort of "Fan communities" being "long defined [by] their memberships through affinities..." (Jenkins 158) even during early web usage. Further examples of the fandom generated by the internet include websites dedicated to celebrities, sports, and entertainment, and organizations of social/political causes. With such forums and communities forming a large part of the function served by the Internet, I can really understand what Jenkins means by defining cyberspace along these lines.
However, there are certain key aspects of cyberspace that I feel to go against this grain of thought. The Internet also largely serves as an information database as well as a commercial center. Researchers of varying backgrounds and purposes can find a plethora of reliable (amongst not-so-reliable) knowledge and data. Furthermore, the level of commerce that occurs in cyberspace, as evident by websites such as Amazon and eBay, highlights a changing dynamic in consumerism. Being beyond the realm of "fandom," these usages of the Internet signfiy a more practical side of daily life being carried into the world of cyberspace.
What are some other examples by which cyberspace is defined as something other than fandom? Do you agree with the ideas of fandom posted here? Do you have other ideas and/or examples of how cyberspaces embodies the idea of fandom? How do you think that our definition of the Internet and cyberspace influence our perspectives of it?
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