Rhetoric Public Spheres

Hauser, Gerard “Vernacular Voices: The Rhetoric Publics and Public Spheres,” (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999). In an alternative view of the public sphere, the author discusses the idea of a rhetoric public sphere, which relies on discourse rather than economic class and face-to-face interaction. Similarly, one of the major differences between traditional physical public spheres and the Deep Web public sphere is that of discourse, which users rely on, and which follow many of the of the rhetoric properties of the author’s rhetoric public sphere. For example, the author discusses the permeable boundaries of rhetoric public spheres, and how people outside territorial groups can contribute to the discourse. This coincides with the accessibility of the Deep Web, and will benefit my argument by demonstrating how these properties strengthen the influence of the Deep Web as a public sphere.

Howard, Alex. “The role of the Internet as a platform for collective action grows.” Radar O’Reilly. 2011.

Howard’s article focusses on a survey which looks at the Internet and its social benefits, including the promotion of democracy. This article will help me with my project because it demonstrates the value of Internet technologies …show more content…
However, the author discusses concerns with new forms of public spheres being mediated through advertisers. Thus, while one can deduce that the surface web and many forms of traditional media do not follow Habermas’ requirement of a public sphere being free from the economic markets (like advertising), the article will benefit my argument by showing that the Deep Web presents an unmediated alternative. It will also raise the topic of BitCoin as an online economy, however it is evident that this is separate from the public