CyberPoiesis. A theoretical and empirical approach to net mediality

Research project P 14242 CyberPoiesis. A theoretical and empirical approach to net mediality Manfred FASSLER 06.03.2000 The project tries to establish a new and advanced theory of net mediality and netbased communications. It tries to direct the focus away from informatics, computer sciences, workplace studies and realist-positivistic sociological analyses. Our aim is the modification of new theories - such as constructivism, systems theory and network theory - to observe the transformation of cognition, culture, mediasphere and the social in the era of the net condition. Our theoretical approach defines a computer not as an allopoietic machine or tool, but as an autopoietic medium. It is neither a mass medium nor an individual medium, but an - as we call it - mass-individual-medium. Computerbased nets allow new forms of interactivity, which we describe as human-computer-human-interactivity. Networks also allow a new form of transitive self-organisation of the whole society - we call this condition CyberPoiesis which means reproduction of the social in cyberworlds. Besides the theoretical observations, we will look for empirical indications which underline the described transformation process - for example autologisation, virality or de-dualisation of our reality model (e.g. of real life and virtual reality). In a next step, we will generate hypotheses that are rooted in these indications. Empirical methods will include focus group interviews and quantitative interviews via e-mail. So "CyberPoiesis" is a project in the net and on the net.