Reimagining Internet Geographies: A User-Centric Ethnological Mapping of the World Wide Web

TL;DR

This paper introduces a user-centric ethnological mapping of the WWW, emphasizing local usage and cultural identities, revealing regional growth and cultural influences especially in the global South.

Contribution

It develops ethnological maps based on network analysis of shared traffic among popular websites, highlighting local cultural dynamics and regional differences.

Findings

Significant growth of online regional cultures in the global South.

Local cultural identity influences regional online communication.

State intervention and economic factors shape regional web cultures.

Abstract

We propose a new user-centric imagery of the WWW that foregrounds local usage and its shaping forces, in contrast to existing imageries that prioritize Internet infrastructure. We construct ethnological maps of WWW usage through a network analysis of shared global traffic between 1000 most popular websites at three time points and develop granular measures for exploring global participation in online communication. Our results reveal the significant growth and thickening of online regional cultures associated with the global South. We draw attention to how local cultural identity, affirmative state intervention and economic contexts shape regional cultures on the global WWW.