Networked public

Crafting a definition for a networked public is difficult to do, and is acknowledged by Danah Boyd in her article. In order to understand what a networked public is there are a few aspects one must examine.


 * First one must understand the complexities of defining public. Public is a given audience who witnesses an event or a speaker is addressing. There are several different publics which are separated by social contexts.


 * It is important to understand that social network sites are not only public they are publics. However, it is insufficent to only call these  publics one must call them networked publics.  Networked publics are "a linked set of social, cultural, and technological developments that have accompanied the growing engagement with digitally networked media," which essentially means that it is spaces and audiences bound together through technological networks. [1]


 * It is also insufficient to speak of networked publics alone. There are two types of networked publics:


 * Unmediated publics are areas that have boundaries, which are structurally defined. Access to visual and auditory information is limited by barriers. Essentially the audience has to be present in order to witness an action.  Boyd speaks about how when she tripped up a curb the audience was an unmediated public.  This is because only the people who were present or hear about her tripping through word of mouth will know about the incident. [1]
 * Mediated publics are technologies such as telvision, radio and the internet. This means that when Boyd tripped on the curb she would have to worry about the reproduction of the incident if someone had caught it on camera. These people will be witnessing  the reproduction of the event as much as they like.  The secondary audience (those who watch through reproduction) are now affected by persistence, replicability, invisible audiences and searchability. [1] (The definition for these four words can be found at New Media Definitions)


 * Return to New Media Mid-Term Study Guide

1. Boyd, Danah, (2007) "Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life." MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Learning -- Youth, Identity, and Digital Media Volume (ed. David Buckingham). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.