Promising revolutionary change (THESIS VERSION)

Abstract

Chapter 1 examines how participation is framed as social progress through technological advancement. It scrutinizes the establishment of participation as a great legend of computer and Internet and reveals how opinion leaders (policy makers, activists, artists, business leaders, entrepreneurs, engineers, etc.) contribute to a rhetoric that refers to visionary dreams of technology development. The introduction of products and services related to it emphasize the element of participation, promising access to markets, knowledge, and education, and the neutralization of geographical location and social status. This will not be dismissed as naïve or misleading but rather recognized as crucial in mobilizing attention and capital, and in co-shaping the “imago” of technology.