Cyberactivism : Online Activism in Theory and Practice

The internet played a central role in some of the most memorable instances of contemporary political activism. On-line information sites enabled more than 70,000 protestors to come together to take on the World Trade Organization at the "Battle of Seattle" in 1999; similar ad-hoc groups were assembled at the April 2000 World Bank protests in Washington, D.C., at George W. Bush's inauguration, and most recently at the World Economic Forum in New York. This book examines the growing importance of online activism. The contributors show how online activists have used new technologies as a tool for change and how they have given new meaning to terms such as "activism" and "community". Topics addressed include the Mexican Zapatista movement's use of the web to promote their cause globally and the activities of "hacktivists" who disrupt commercial computer websites.