Towards a Humanistic Conception of Cyberspace. A Twofold Challenge for Netizens Mobilizing for a Democratic Internet Governance

Our paper critically addresses the involvement and the role of civil society entities in new participatory forms of governance, using the Internet governance (IG) debate as a case study. The Internet is first and foremost a global public space potentially available to everyone for the pursuit of the most heterogeneous interests. As this global space becomes crucial in everyday life and consequences of interests pursuit within it capillary innerve the offline dimension, new forms of governance are required to ensure that all stakeholders are represented and actively involved in the management and development of what can be conceptualized as a common pool resource (CPR). The commons of the Internet space and its service as a CPR necessitate the involvement of various competencies that are dispersed in intelligence networks to which private sector and civil society necessary belong. In particular, we examine the meaning and the potential for the inclusion of civil society entities in this debate in relation to the achievement of a universal (and not only global) Internet and the consolidation of a humanized conception of IG. To this end, we propose an analytical division of IG space in four sub-sectors (social commons; information and service commons; price commons; infrastructure commons) and we argue that civil society groups participation should be contextualized and actions modulated following this dissection of competence and eligibility spheres. Furthermore, the effort to achieve a democratic internet governance translates into a double challenge for civil society groups: on the one hand, occasions of direct influence must be fully exploited modulating actions in a way that overcomes the inherent heterogeneity characterizing public interests entities; on the other, a humanized vision has to be built up and consolidated in the IG field in order to provide a set of benchmarks dynamically interacting with market and traditional policy making logics. Finally, we will also explore the effect that the construction and the consolidation of a humanized perspective on IG will have in the translation of this domain from a mostly technical matter into a seed in an emerging field of contention built around information and communication issues.internet governance, common pool resource, civil society political participation, humanized conception of internet governance

Do we need new rights in Cyberspace? : Discussing the case of how to define on-line privacy in an Internet Bill of Rights

During the early days of Internet it was widely defended that being in an on-line environment clearly transformed some human rights; and might even create new ones. We argue for the consideration of an Internet Bill of Rights (IBR) however rather than inventing new rights, we propose that some rights have to be reconsidered within the emerging virtual context. Privacy, anonymity, freedom of expression, and so are not exactly the same rights we have in the realm of our physical being. What changes are some inarticulate contextual conditions, which make some people think that rights are actually changing. This has theoretical implications. We attempt to show that there is no need to re-think rights like privacy from the beginning, or even eliminate it, as some scholars propose. It also has implications for policy making, as it provides a general methodology to consider and adapt to virtual contexts in order to assure that basic human rights can be correctly applied and defended in cyberspace.Durante los primeros días de Internet, era común defender que formar parte de un entorno en línea claramente transformaría los derechos humanos, incluso podría crear nuevos. En este texto, queremos argumentar que, a la hora de establecer un Bill of Rights, o declaración de derechos en Internet, en lugar de definir nuevos derechos, necesitamos reconsiderar los que ya existen dentro del emergente contexto virtual. La privacidad, el anonimato o la libertad de expresión, entre otros, no son exactamente los mismos derechos que tenemos en el reino de lo real. Lo que cambia son ciertas condiciones contextuales no articuladas, que hacen pensar a algunos que son los derechos los que han cambiado. Ello tiene ciertas implicaciones teóricas. Intentamos mostrar que no hay ninguna necesidad de repensar derechos como la privacidad desde el principio, ni mucho menos eliminarlos, como algunos analistas proponen. Igualmente, tiene implicaciones para el desarrollo de políticas, ya que ofrece una metodología general para ser considerada y adaptada a los contextos virtuales, para así poder asegurar que los derechos humanos básicos pueden ser correctamente aplicados y defendidos en el ciberespacio

Entrepreneurial learning in the networked age: How new learning environments foster entrepreneurship and innovation

Authors reflect on the challenges and opportunities the age of the internet and digital technology pose for entrepreneurial learnin

Youth-culture or student-culture? The internet use intensity divide among university students and the consequences for academic performance

The effects of Internet use on the academic performance of university students is usually analyzed from a deterministic perspective that gives this technology an immanently positive or negative role. In this paper we consider the problem from an alternative point of view. We analyze the actual Internet uses the students engage in and the differences in these according to the students’ characteristics. We aim to explain when spending more time on the Internet has a positive and a negative effect on academic performance and explain why usually a high usage time of internet is correlated with a lower academic achievement

Aprenentatge emprenedor a l'era de les xarxes: nous entorns d'aprenentatge per fomentar

Reflexió sobre els reptes i les oportunitats que l’era d’Internet i de la tecnologia digital presenten per a l’aprenentatge emprenedo

Do we need new rights in Cyberspace? : Discussing the case of how to define on-line privacy in an Internet Bill of Rights

During the early days of Internet it was widely defended that being in an on-line environment clearly transformed some human rights; and might even create new ones. We argue for the consideration of an Internet Bill of Rights (IBR) however rather than inventing new rights, we propose that some rights have to be reconsidered within the emerging virtual context. Privacy, anonymity, freedom of expression, and so are not exactly the same rights we have in the realm of our physical being. What changes are some inarticulate contextual conditions, which make some people think that rights are actually changing. This has theoretical implications. We attempt to show that there is no need to re-think rights like privacy from the beginning, or even eliminate it, as some scholars propose. It also has implications for policy making, as it provides a general methodology to consider and adapt to virtual contexts in order to assure that basic human rights can be correctly applied and defended in cyberspace.Durante los primeros días de Internet, era común defender que formar parte de un entorno en línea claramente transformaría los derechos humanos, incluso podría crear nuevos. En este texto, queremos argumentar que, a la hora de establecer un Bill of Rights, o declaración de derechos en Internet, en lugar de definir nuevos derechos, necesitamos reconsiderar los que ya existen dentro del emergente contexto virtual. La privacidad, el anonimato o la libertad de expresión, entre otros, no son exactamente los mismos derechos que tenemos en el reino de lo real. Lo que cambia son ciertas condiciones contextuales no articuladas, que hacen pensar a algunos que son los derechos los que han cambiado. Ello tiene ciertas implicaciones teóricas. Intentamos mostrar que no hay ninguna necesidad de repensar derechos como la privacidad desde el principio, ni mucho menos eliminarlos, como algunos analistas proponen. Igualmente, tiene implicaciones para el desarrollo de políticas, ya que ofrece una metodología general para ser considerada y adaptada a los contextos virtuales, para así poder asegurar que los derechos humanos básicos pueden ser correctamente aplicados y defendidos en el ciberespacio

Necessitem nous drets en el ciberespai? El cas de com definir la privacitat en línia en una declaració de drets d'Internet

Durant els primers dies d'Internet, era comú defensar de formar part d'un entornoen línia clarament transformaria els drets humans, fins i tot podria crear nous. En estetexto, volem argumentar que, a l'hora d'establir un Bill of Rights, o declaració de derechosen Internet, en lloc de definir nous drets, necessitem reconsiderar els que ja existendentro l'emergent context virtual. La privacitat, l'anonimat o la llibertat d'expressió, entre d'altres, no són exactament els mateixos drets que tenim al regne del real.Lo que canvia són certes condicions contextuals no articulades, que fan pensar algunosque són els drets dels que han canviat. Això té certes implicacions teòriques. Intentamosmostrar que no hi ha cap necessitat de repensar drets com la privadesa des elprincipio, ni de bon tros eliminar, com alguns analistes proposen. Igualment, tieneimplicaciones per al desenvolupament de polítiques, ja que ofereix una metodologia general per serconsiderada i adaptada als contextos virtuals, per així poder assegurar que els drets humanosbásicos poden ser correctament aplicats i defensats en el ciberespai.During the early days of Internet it was widely defended that being in an on-line environment clearly transformed some human rights; and might even create new ones. We argue for the consideration of an Internet Bill of Rights (IBR) however rather than inventing new rights, we propose that some rights have to be reconsidered within the emerging virtual context. Privacy, anonymity, freedom of expression, and so are not exactly the same rights we have in the realm of our physical being. What changes are some inarticulate contextual conditions, which make some people think that rights are actually changing. This has theoretical implications. We attempt to show that there is no need to re-think rights like privacy from the beginning, or even eliminate it, as some scholars propose. It also has implications for policy making, as it provides a general methodology to consider and adapt to virtual contexts in order to assure that basic human rights can be correctly applied and defended in cyberspace.Durante los primeros días de Internet, era común defender que formar parte de un entorno en línea claramente transformaría los derechos humanos, incluso podría crear nuevos. En este texto, queremos argumentar que, a la hora de establecer un Bill of Rights, o declaración de derechos en Internet, en lugar de definir nuevos derechos, necesitamos reconsiderar los que ya existen dentro del emergente contexto virtual. La privacidad, el anonimato o la libertad de expresión, entre otros, no son exactamente los mismos derechos que tenemos en el reino de lo real. Lo que cambia son ciertas condiciones contextuales no articuladas, que hacen pensar a algunos que son los derechos los que han cambiado. Ello tiene ciertas implicaciones teóricas. Intentamos mostrar que no hay ninguna necesidad de repensar derechos como la privacidad desde el principio, ni mucho menos eliminarlos, como algunos analistas proponen. Igualmente, tiene implicaciones para el desarrollo de políticas, ya que ofrece una metodología general para ser considerada y adaptada a los contextos virtuales, para así poder asegurar que los derechos humanos básicos pueden ser correctamente aplicados y defendidos en el ciberespacio

Towards a humanistic conception of cyberspace : a twofold challenge for netizens mobilizing for a democratic internet governance

Our paper critically addresses the involvement and the role of civil society entities in new participatory forms of governance, using the Internet governance (IG) debate as a case study. The Internet is first and foremost a global public space potentially available to everyone for the pursuit of the most heterogeneous interests. As this global space becomes crucial in everyday life and consequences of interests pursuit within it capillary innerve the offline dimension, new forms of governance are required to ensure that all stakeholders are represented and actively involved in the management and development of what can be conceptualized as a common pool resource (CPR). The commons of the Internet space and its service as a CPR necessitate the involvement of various competencies that are dispersed in intelligence networks to which private sector and civil society necessary belong. In particular, we examine the meaning and the potential for the inclusion of civil society entities in this debate in relation to the achievement of a universal (and not only global) Internet and the consolidation of a humanized conception of IG. To this end, we propose an analytical division of IG space in four sub-sectors (social commons; information and service commons; price commons; infrastructure commons) and we argue that civil society groups participation should be contextualized and actions modulated following this dissection of competence and eligibility spheres. Furthermore, the effort to achieve a democratic internet governance translates into a double challenge for civil society groups: on the one hand, occasions of direct influence must be fully exploited modulating actions in a way that overcomes the inherent heterogeneity characterizing public interests entities; on the other, a humanized vision has to be built up and consolidated in the IG field in order to provide a set of benchmarks dynamically interacting with market and traditional policy making logics. Finally, we will also explore the effect that the construction and the consolidation of a humanized perspective on IG will have in the translation of this domain from a mostly technical matter into a seed in an emerging field of contention built around information and communication issues

Youth-culture or student-culture? The internet use intensity divide among university students and the consequences for academic performance

The effects of Internet use on the academic performance of university students is usually analyzed from a deterministic perspective that gives this technology an immanently positive or negative role. In this paper we consider the problem from an alternative point of view. We analyze the actual Internet uses the students engage in and the differences in these according to the students’ characteristics. We aim to explain when spending more time on the Internet has a positive and a negative effect on academic performance and explain why usually a high usage time of internet is correlated with a lower academic achievement