There are lots of definitions of Society, this one in Webster includes this description :
3 a: an enduring and cooperating social group whose members have developed organized patterns of relationships through interaction with one another b: a community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests
In the context of considering the web and users of the web engaged in Social relations the definition raises a question about the development of organised patterns of behaviour, and whether that is a pre-requisite of a society, or an indication of its existence. Are Facebook users a member of a ‘Society’, or are there many ‘Societies’ at work in Facebook, perhaps we would consider them cultures, rather than Societies.
Historically, before the web, humans tended to exist in one ‘Society’ (the context here is not of societies formed by small groups, but Society as a whole) and have one overarching culture, but on the web must we be capable of existing in many ‘Societies’ or have none yet fully emerged.If we have to work in multiple Societies will we have multiple persona’s and what will be the impact of that on society at large? Governments are firmly embedded in their local geographic Society, but what happens if the people choose to operate in a different society operating under different rules?
These are difficult questions, other comments and views are welcome.
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