Web 2.0 operates as an imagined community promising democratized creativity and wealth

Evidence

“Web 2.0” is also a kind of social, economic, technological, and intellectual “imaginary” in Benedict Anderson’s sense of an “imagined community.” It describes and opens up for consideration a world in which technology creates greater cultural participation, where creativity and control are disseminated throughout the population rather than concentrated in the hands of a few large corporations. Web 2.0 suggests that technology can be used to bring about positive political changes and new relationships between citizens and governments, individuals and movements, and customers and businesses. It also articulates a world of wealth in which regular people, without Ivy League educations or family connections, can use the tools of web and application development to become very rich. In addition, it allows one to imagine a work environment unfettered by hierarchy or boredom. These ideals provide a way to make sense of a rapidly changing technological and economic landscape. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 24

“Web 2.0” is also a kind of social, economic, technological, and intellectual “imaginary” in Benedict Anderson’s sense of an “imagined community.” It describes and opens up for consideration a world in which technology creates greater cultural participation, where creativity and control are disseminated throughout the population rather than concentrated in the hands of a few large corporations. Web 2.0 suggests that technology can be used to bring about positive political changes and new relationships between citizens and governments, individuals and movements, and customers and businesses. It also articulates a world of wealth in which regular people, without Ivy League educations or family connections, can use the tools of web and application development to become very rich. In addition, it allows one to imagine a work environment unfettered by hierarchy or boredom. These ideals provide a way to make sense of a rapidly changing technological and economic landscape. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 24

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines Web 2.0 as an ‘imaginary’ in Benedict Anderson’s sense — a framing concept central to the field.
• XREF: Connects to Anderson’s ‘imagined communities’ from media studies and to the broader discourse critique of Silicon Valley ideology. — connects to: Web 2.0 repackaged American mythologies like rags-to-riches entrepreneurship into startup culture — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 22; Web 2.0 succeeded by reviving techno-utopian ideals while promising new wealth — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 150; Imagined communities emerge from capitalism, print, and linguistic diversity — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities: Living With…, 411 (+5 more)
• SEED: Angle: how the Web 2.0 ‘imaginary’ functions as Silicon Valley’s founding myth that influencer culture inherits.
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 24

Broader Connections

• Web 2.0 succeeded by reviving techno-utopian ideals while promising new wealth #corroborates (0.85) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 150
• Imagined communities emerge from capitalism, print, and linguistic diversity #expands (0.72) — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities, 411