One way of looking at technology and social interactions as ‘one’ and not distinctive from each other is through the language and methodology of the actor-network theory. At least it has provided me with such understanding that indeed technologies are social constructs that at the same time affect social structures in which they are imbedded.

I have bunch of entries on this subject at http://www.kmentor.com/socio-tech-info/archives/cat_actornetwork_theory_methodology.html

The following entry is nice exchange of information with Jeremy:

http://www.kmentor.com/socio-tech-info/archives/000072.html

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Mentor

I won’t say I’m trying to avoid theory here (since that’s quite a bit like “avoiding” ideology), but since it’s a lead-in for a fairly practical piece, I’m trying to let the uninitiated know why weblogs might be different from other web publishing. I realize I am representing the relationship between interpersonal relationships and the mediation of an emerging technology in an unproblematic way, but that is really just because I am trying to keep the presentation succinct.

However, when it comes to practice and explanatory power, I have found the actor-network language as a powerful tool for explicating in a common framework both the technological and social. Like with any theory, one does not need mention the implicit theory used to guide and inform a particular piece (argument) in the writing itself.

BTW, I do agree with you that weblog publishing is definitely different that other types of website publishing. :) Just how different are they, and what does that actually tell us about the interplay between the social structures within which weblogs are meaningful and the technology enabling the weblog publishing?

later,
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