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Information society
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==Definition== There is currently no universally accepted concept of what exactly can be defined as an information society and what shall not be included in the term. Most theoreticians agree that a transformation can be seen as started somewhere between the 1970s, the early 1990s transformations of the [[Eastern Bloc]] nations [[Post-communism|from socialist to capitalist economies]] and the 2000s period that formed most of today's net principles and currently as is changing the way societies work fundamentally. Information technology goes beyond the [[internet]], as the principles of internet design and usage influence other areas, and there are discussions about how big the influence of specific media or specific modes of production really is. [[Frank Webster (sociologist)|Frank Webster]] notes five major types of information that can be used to define information society: technological, economic, occupational, spatial and cultural.<ref name=":0" /> According to Webster, the character of information has transformed the way that we live today. How we conduct ourselves centers around theoretical knowledge and information.<ref>Webster, F. (2006). Chapter 2: What is an information society? In ''Theories of the Information Society'', 3rd ed. (pp. 15-31). New York: Routledge.</ref> Kasiwulaya and Gomo (Makerere University) allude{{Where|date=February 2018}}<!-- Exactly where do they make this allusion (if allusions are even worth bothering with)? -->{{Dubious|date=February 2018}}<!-- If they don't dare say it but merely allude to it, why are we bothering with this? --> that information societies are those that have intensified their use of IT for economic, social, cultural and political transformation. In 2005, governments reaffirmed their dedication to the foundations of the Information Society in the [[Tunis Commitment]] and outlined the basis for implementation and follow-up in the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society. In particular, the Tunis Agenda addresses the issues of financing of ICTs for development and Internet governance that could not be resolved in the first phase. Some people, such as [[Antonio Negri]], characterize the information society as one in which people do immaterial labour.<ref>{{Citation|title=Magic Lantern Empire: Reflections on Colonialism and Society|date=2017-12-31|work=Magic Lantern Empire|pages=148–160|publisher=Cornell University Press|doi=10.7591/9780801468230-009|isbn=978-0-8014-6823-0}}</ref> By this, they appear to refer to the production of knowledge or cultural artifacts. One problem with this model is that it ignores the material and essentially industrial basis of the society. However it does point to a problem for workers, namely how many creative people does this society need to function? For example, it may be that you only need a few star performers, rather than a plethora of non-celebrities, as the work of those performers can be easily distributed, forcing all secondary players to the bottom of the market. It ''is'' now common for publishers to promote only their best selling authors and to try to avoid the rest—even if they still sell steadily. Films are becoming more and more judged, in terms of distribution, by their first weekend's performance, in many cases cutting out opportunity for word-of-mouth development. [[Michael Buckland]] characterizes information in society in his book ''Information and Society.'' Buckland expresses the idea that information can be interpreted differently from person to person based on that individual's experiences.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Buckland|first1=Michael|title=Information in Society|date=March 3, 2017|publisher=MIT Press}}</ref> Considering that metaphors and technologies of information move forward in a reciprocal relationship, we can describe some societies (especially the [[Japanese society]]) as an information society because we think of it as such.<ref>[[James Boyle (academic)|James Boyle]], 1996, 6{{Vague|date=February 2018}}<!-- WHAT, published by Boyle in 1996? --></ref> <ref>Kasiwulaya and Walter, Makerere University. Makerere University Press.{{Vague|date=February 2018}}<!-- WHAT is this? --></ref> The word information may be interpreted in many different ways. According to Buckland in ''Information and Society'', most of the meanings fall into three categories of human knowledge: information as knowledge, information as a process, and information as a thing.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Information and Society|last=Buckland|first=Michael|publisher=MIT Press|year=2017|location=Cambridge, MA|pages=22}}</ref> Thus, the Information Society refers to the social importance given to communication and information in today's society, where social, economic and cultural relations are involved.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Polo Roca |first=Andoni |date=2020-06-29 |title=Information Society, Digital Society, Control Society |url=http://inguruak.eus/index.php/inguruak/article/view/68-2020-art05 |journal=Basque Journal of Sociology and Political Science |issue=68 |page=53 |doi=10.18543/inguruak-68-2020-art05 |s2cid=225651269 |issn=0214-7912|doi-access=free }}</ref> In the Information Society, the process of capturing, processing and communicating information is the main element that characterizes it. Thus, in this type of society, the vast majority of it will be dedicated to the provision of services and said services will consist of the processing, distribution or use of information.<ref name=":2" />
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