Cyber-Cultural History: Some Initial Steps toward a Cultural History of Digital Networking

Abstract

Too much in the present to be legitimately regarded as “history”, yet too important to be ignored by scholars, the cultural history of digital networking remains a largely unexplored field of study. The present article seeks to connect the reasons for this lack of interest in the subject to the difficulties which historians face when approaching it. By piecing together the fragments of a history that for the most part still awaits being written—yet not always by taking historical–cultural works as a starting point—the author suggests some key moments, crucial themes, critical points and possible future developments.

Keywords

• cultural history
• media history
• computer history
• digital networking