Remembering Netizens: An interview with Ronda Hauben, co-author of Netizens: On the history and impact of Usenet and the Internet (1997)
Tristan Miller, Camille Paloque-Berg\`es, Avery Dame-Griff

TL;DR
This paper reflects on the history and impact of the book 'Netizens' and Usenet, highlighting the evolution of online communities, their societal role, and the challenges posed by commercialization and privatization.
Contribution
It provides a retrospective analysis of 'Netizens' and Usenet, emphasizing the conceptualization of netizens as contributory citizens and the effects of Internet commercialization.
Findings
Netizens as contributory citizens of the Internet
Usenet's role in online community development
Impact of commercialization on online communities
Abstract
Netizens, Michael and Ronda Hauben's foundational treatise on Usenet and the Internet, was first published in print 25 years ago. In this piece, we trace the history and impact of the book and of Usenet itself, contextualising them within the contemporary and modern-day scholarship on virtual communities, online culture, and Internet history. We discuss the Net as a tool of empowerment, and touch on the social, technical, and economic issues related to the maintenance of shared network infrastructures and to the preservation and commodification of Usenet archives. Our interview with Ronda Hauben offers a retrospective look at the development of online communities, their impact, and how they are studied. She recounts her own introduction to the online world, as well as the impetus and writing process for Netizens. She presents Michael Hauben's conception of "netizens" as contributory…
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