Internet Histories, Narratives and the Rise of the Network Ideology

By revising the popular narratives surrounding the history of the Internet, and especially some famous accounts of the Internet origins, the chapter stresses how a dominant and linear narrative of Internet history has been constructed and widely spread by media, scientists and academia during the last century. In order to challenge this dominant narrative, a more complex and detailed historical analysis of the Internet can help to unveil the different ‘network imaginaries’ that circulated especially in Western countries. The chapter also highlights the emerging literature on local, national and alternative network histories, beside the influence of old media such as broadcasting on networking projects, the relevance of the material dimension of networks, and the influence of rhetorical constructs for the institutionalization of the dominant narrative of Internet history. To look historically at the multiple dimensions of the ‘network imaginaries’ is here conceived as an essential step to challenge and de-construct the rise of the ‘network ideologies’.