Networks of resistance: online activism in the information age

The purpose of this thesis is to show how the anarchistic structure of computer-mediated communications networks empowers small activist cells by allowing them to circumvent established informational structures and establish highly flexible and dynamic "webs" of cooperation and support. The rise of these new modes of communication was significant for it enabled online activists to bypass established media such as television and newspapers and disseminate information directly to a mass audience. Through an analysis of online culture and the growth of the social netwar waged by the Zapatista of southwest Mexico, I suggest that the Internet and its use by online activists had a significant impact on the rebellion and is influencing the Mexican government to seek a negotiated settlement as opposed to a military solution to the conflict. The research design involves a review of a wide variety of literature on the topic, including academic journal articles and scholarly works as well as popular magazines and electronic mailing lists. Because of the nature of the research, much of the material came from online sources such as world wide web sites, electronic mailing lists and gopher sites. Inquiries of this kind into the nature of Internet culture are important if we are to understand the implications and impacts of the Internet on the political fabric of Western society. We are in the midst of the digital age, and academic study is of paramount importance if we are to understand not just where we are, but where we are headed.