[WSIS CS-Plenary] Re:Netizens expose scientific fraud in South Korea

[David Allen]

With Ronda's posting of theses links, I wonder if it is time to take 
our understanding of 'netizen' a next step.  The second article (I am 
unable to open the first) does itself speak in terms of 'netizens.' 
But it begins by identifying three online groups who participated in 
uncovering evidence of the fraud.  The names of the groups make clear 
that the participants are members of various sub-branches in the 
scientific community there.

Then we might say that these individuals, first, consider their 
'group membership' to be in some scientific community.  The online 
postings simply serve as a more powerful means of exchange among the 
group members.  But group membership remains some subset of the 
scientific world.

Are we the (pure) netizens, devoted to the future of the medium? so 
that others are users of the tools, while their membership remains in 
a local community?  Or, does that Korean scientist, when posting to 
his/her group, feel dual membership, both in a local scientific group 
and as netizen?

Jean-Louis Fullsack's scores, on either side of the ledger, could 
then be either a measurement of our tools or, in the broader 
interpretation, score-keeping among the groups.

David

Ronda wrote:
>Hi all
>
>Interesting developments in South Korea show the power of the 
>Internet once a society had widespread broadband access.
>
>The online community of scientists have uncovered scientific fraud 
>in articles in the US scientific journal "Science" by a leading 
>South Korean researcher.
>
>The story in in the news around the world, but in general the news 
>account leaves out the fact that the online community of scientists 
>in South Korea were responsible for finding the fabrications in the 
>articles and then others in the online community helped to spread 
>knowledge and an understanding of the nature of the scientific 
>fabrications.
>
>
>South Korea leads the world in broadband access and the result has 
>been this significant event. Below are two articles that give more 
>of the details.
>
>"South Korean 'Netizens of the Year': The online scientific 
>community and Internet media challenge old hierarchies"
>
>http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=3Dc10400&no==3D266352&rel_no=3D1
>
>and
>
>"Korean Cloning Hero Deconstructed Online: Online Scientific 
>Community in South Korea Uncovers Fabrication of Data in Acclaimed 
>Stem CellResearch Papers"
>
>http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/21/21647/1.html
>
>Best wishes for a good New Year and for a New Year where access to 
>the Internet for communication purposes is spread to more and more 
>of the world's population.
>
>  Ronda
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet
>
>http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook