Berkman Center for Internet and Society
Harvard Law School
Norms in Cyberspace 		Overview
Questions
Methodology
Findings (So Far)
Raw Data
Source Code
Bibliography and Credits
Next Steps

Overview

"Norms in Cyberspace" is an empirical study of norm behavior in dialogic communities in cyberspace. The project centers on Usenet, the set of forums more commonly known as "Internet Newsgroups." By studying Usenet, we hope to gain insight into the evolving nature of the Internet. Usenet is a fitting topic for research on the Internet because it embodies the two properties that separate the Internet from its predecessors: globality, and interactivity.

We have analyzed 10 gigabytes of Usenet postings, over a one-month period. From these approximately one million messages, we have been able to gauge the use of "flaming," "cancellation" and moderation as methods of self-regulation and measure vital demographics of the Internet including but not limited to geographic penetration, prevalence of commercial messaging, population and topical distribution. Because "Norms" is a work in progress, there is no end product. The ongoing product of the project is this Web site inspired by the contemporary open source movement. We will publish our findings raw data and analysis scripts to this site because the best judges of these data are the Netizens themselves.

Sharing is important, because it enables the Internet community to apply these measurements as it sees fit. The Internet is based primarily on open code software written by highly skilled engineers, who as a cooperative network are concerned that Usenet attain its potential as an everyday institution. By publishing these findings, the Center is enabling its discoveries to be woven into the architecture of cyberspace. This architecture constrains Netizens as much as it enables their communication; the archiecture is as critical to the future of the Internet as the "lay of the land" and edifices have been to the history of human civilization. The data to be published on this Web site represent an ongoing process of reflection on the nature of cyberspace. You are invited to review the summary of results presented here and if you are so moved, to add to the findings yourself. You may repurpose the analysis tools offered here for your contribution to this research endeavor.