The history of passwords is probably as old as the history of mankind; at least as old as the hum... more The history of passwords is probably as old as the history of mankind; at least as old as the human language. Never before have passwords had such a vital role in our daily lives; they have become a central part of our digital lifestyle. During their history, passwords have changed from “something we know” to “who we are.” Due to their use as tools of authentication for our computers, email-, webshop-, and social media accounts, they have become a key to our identity. Nowadays, we are protecting our identity with a technique which has failed from the start. This paper deals with the historical background of passwords, their use as a tool of authentication in computer and network systems and our practical everyday use. Starting with the examination of the meaning of passwords in our everyday culture and their changes, follows an analysis of the discourses on the topic in philosophical, cultural studies, netculture, science and technology. Hypotheses built from this analysis were then analyzed by empirical research in the form of a survey about the form of passwords and personal opinions on passwords.
In the last phase of the campaign for the Austrian national election in october 2017 a fake news ... more In the last phase of the campaign for the Austrian national election in october 2017 a fake news scandal was uncovered. The social-democratic party (SPÖ) operated anonymously a Facebook page to spread false information about their political opponent, the candidate of the ÖVP, Sebastian Kurz. By using data from the Austrian post-electoral survey (N = 1203) this study was able to prove the findings of previous studies and showed that news use is an influencing factor on political sophistication. However, the results showed that the voter's political persuasion was not strongly influenced by this single event. A result which can be seen as a positive one. It shows that a single event, which occurs shortly before the day of election has no strong influence on the opinion voters already made. This study contributes to the growing field of research on social media and its influence on political and civic aspects.
Vor inzwischen mehr als 50 Jahren begannen amerikanische Universitäten, ihre Großrechner miteinan... more Vor inzwischen mehr als 50 Jahren begannen amerikanische Universitäten, ihre Großrechner miteinander zu verbinden. Das daraus resultierende Internet stellt heute eine der zentralen Kommunikationstechnologien dar. Die neu entstanden Kommunikationsmöglichkeiten wurden bald als Freiräume verstanden die der Entwicklung der Gesellschaft dienen sollten. Gleichzeitig wurde der Anspruch nach einer Selbstverwaltung des Internets in Form des Prinzips der Internet Governance umgesetzt. Diese Arbeit verfolgt das Ziel, das Verhältnis von Internet Governance und Internetfreiheit in Österreich zu untersuchen und dessen Auswirkungen auf die Öffentlichkeit zu ermitteln. Dazu wurden acht leitfadengestützte Interviews mit Expertinnen und Experten geführt, die an der Entwicklung des Internets in Österreich bzw. an dem Prozess der Internet Governance beteiligt sind. Die Ergebnisse der Auswertung mittels einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse zeigen, dass das Prinzip der Selbstverwaltung des Internets grundsätzlich hochgehalten wird, auch wenn den dahinter stehenden internationalen Organisationen Skepsis und Kritik entgegengebracht wird. Der Prozess der Internet Governance in Österreich wird hingegen vorwiegend, wenn auch nicht von allen, positiv beurteilt. Die Wahrung des Anspruchs auf Internetfreiheit würde entsprechend angepasste Regulierungen erfordern, vor allem die großen Plattformen würden einen negativen Einfluss auf die Öffentlichkeit ausüben. Dabei wurde der Themenbereich des Schutzes der Privatsphäre besonders betont. Als neue Herausforderung konnte der ökologische Fußabdruck des Internets identifiziert werden. Schließlich zeigte sich, dass die Covid-19-Pandemie zwar die Schwächen von Online-Kommunikation verdeutlicht, aber auch die Digitalisierung in Österreich begünstigt hätte.
More than 50 years ago, American universities began connecting their mainframe computers. Today, the resulting Internet is one of the central communication technologies. The newly created communication possibilities were soon understood as free spaces that were to serve the development of society. At the same time, the demand for self-administration of the Internet was implemented in the form of the principle of Internet Governance. This paper aims to examine the relationship between Internet Governance and Internet Freedom in Austria and to determine its impact on the public. To this end, eight guided interviews were conducted with experts involved in the development of the Internet in Austria or in the process of Internet Governance. The results of the evaluation by means of a qualitative content analysis show that the principle of self-governance of the Internet is basically upheld, even though the international organizations behind it are met with skepticism and criticism. The Internet Governance process in Austria, on the other hand, is predominantly viewed positively, although not by everyone. Safeguarding the claim to Internet freedom would require appropriately adapted regulations, and the large platforms in particular would exert a negative influence on the public. The issue of privacy protection was particularly emphasized. The ecological footprint of the Internet could be identified as a new challenge. Finally, the Covid 19 pandemic showed the weaknesses of online communication, but would also have favored digitization in Austria.
The history of passwords is probably as old as the history of mankind; at least as old as the hum... more The history of passwords is probably as old as the history of mankind; at least as old as the human language. Never before have passwords had such a vital role in our daily lives; they have become a central part of our digital lifestyle. During their history, passwords have changed from “something we know” to “who we are.” Due to their use as tools of authentication for our computers, email-, webshop-, and social media accounts, they have become a key to our identity. Nowadays, we are protecting our identity with a technique which has failed from the start. This paper deals with the historical background of passwords, their use as a tool of authentication in computer and network systems and our practical everyday use. Starting with the examination of the meaning of passwords in our everyday culture and their changes, follows an analysis of the discourses on the topic in philosophical, cultural studies, netculture, science and technology. Hypotheses built from this analysis were then analyzed by empirical research in the form of a survey about the form of passwords and personal opinions on passwords.
In the last phase of the campaign for the Austrian national election in october 2017 a fake news ... more In the last phase of the campaign for the Austrian national election in october 2017 a fake news scandal was uncovered. The social-democratic party (SPÖ) operated anonymously a Facebook page to spread false information about their political opponent, the candidate of the ÖVP, Sebastian Kurz. By using data from the Austrian post-electoral survey (N = 1203) this study was able to prove the findings of previous studies and showed that news use is an influencing factor on political sophistication. However, the results showed that the voter's political persuasion was not strongly influenced by this single event. A result which can be seen as a positive one. It shows that a single event, which occurs shortly before the day of election has no strong influence on the opinion voters already made. This study contributes to the growing field of research on social media and its influence on political and civic aspects.
Vor inzwischen mehr als 50 Jahren begannen amerikanische Universitäten, ihre Großrechner miteinan... more Vor inzwischen mehr als 50 Jahren begannen amerikanische Universitäten, ihre Großrechner miteinander zu verbinden. Das daraus resultierende Internet stellt heute eine der zentralen Kommunikationstechnologien dar. Die neu entstanden Kommunikationsmöglichkeiten wurden bald als Freiräume verstanden die der Entwicklung der Gesellschaft dienen sollten. Gleichzeitig wurde der Anspruch nach einer Selbstverwaltung des Internets in Form des Prinzips der Internet Governance umgesetzt. Diese Arbeit verfolgt das Ziel, das Verhältnis von Internet Governance und Internetfreiheit in Österreich zu untersuchen und dessen Auswirkungen auf die Öffentlichkeit zu ermitteln. Dazu wurden acht leitfadengestützte Interviews mit Expertinnen und Experten geführt, die an der Entwicklung des Internets in Österreich bzw. an dem Prozess der Internet Governance beteiligt sind. Die Ergebnisse der Auswertung mittels einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse zeigen, dass das Prinzip der Selbstverwaltung des Internets grundsätzlich hochgehalten wird, auch wenn den dahinter stehenden internationalen Organisationen Skepsis und Kritik entgegengebracht wird. Der Prozess der Internet Governance in Österreich wird hingegen vorwiegend, wenn auch nicht von allen, positiv beurteilt. Die Wahrung des Anspruchs auf Internetfreiheit würde entsprechend angepasste Regulierungen erfordern, vor allem die großen Plattformen würden einen negativen Einfluss auf die Öffentlichkeit ausüben. Dabei wurde der Themenbereich des Schutzes der Privatsphäre besonders betont. Als neue Herausforderung konnte der ökologische Fußabdruck des Internets identifiziert werden. Schließlich zeigte sich, dass die Covid-19-Pandemie zwar die Schwächen von Online-Kommunikation verdeutlicht, aber auch die Digitalisierung in Österreich begünstigt hätte.
More than 50 years ago, American universities began connecting their mainframe computers. Today, the resulting Internet is one of the central communication technologies. The newly created communication possibilities were soon understood as free spaces that were to serve the development of society. At the same time, the demand for self-administration of the Internet was implemented in the form of the principle of Internet Governance. This paper aims to examine the relationship between Internet Governance and Internet Freedom in Austria and to determine its impact on the public. To this end, eight guided interviews were conducted with experts involved in the development of the Internet in Austria or in the process of Internet Governance. The results of the evaluation by means of a qualitative content analysis show that the principle of self-governance of the Internet is basically upheld, even though the international organizations behind it are met with skepticism and criticism. The Internet Governance process in Austria, on the other hand, is predominantly viewed positively, although not by everyone. Safeguarding the claim to Internet freedom would require appropriately adapted regulations, and the large platforms in particular would exert a negative influence on the public. The issue of privacy protection was particularly emphasized. The ecological footprint of the Internet could be identified as a new challenge. Finally, the Covid 19 pandemic showed the weaknesses of online communication, but would also have favored digitization in Austria.
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This paper deals with the historical background of passwords, their use as a tool of authentication in computer and network systems and our practical everyday use. Starting with the examination of the meaning of passwords in our everyday culture and their changes, follows an analysis of the discourses on the topic in philosophical, cultural studies, netculture, science and technology. Hypotheses built from this analysis were then analyzed by empirical research in the form of a survey about the form of passwords and personal opinions on passwords.
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More than 50 years ago, American universities began connecting their mainframe computers. Today, the resulting Internet is one of the central communication technologies. The newly created communication possibilities were soon understood as free spaces that were to serve the development of society. At the same time, the demand for self-administration of the Internet was implemented in the form of the principle of Internet Governance. This paper aims to examine the relationship between Internet Governance and Internet Freedom in Austria and to determine its impact on the public. To this end, eight guided interviews were conducted with experts involved in the development of the Internet in Austria or in the process of Internet Governance. The results of the evaluation by means of a qualitative content analysis show that the principle of self-governance of the Internet is basically upheld, even though the international organizations behind it are met with skepticism and criticism. The Internet Governance process in Austria, on the other hand, is predominantly viewed positively, although not by everyone. Safeguarding the claim to Internet freedom would require appropriately adapted regulations, and the large platforms in particular would exert a negative influence on the public. The issue of privacy protection was particularly emphasized. The ecological footprint of the Internet could be identified as a new challenge. Finally, the Covid 19 pandemic showed the weaknesses of online communication, but would also have favored digitization in Austria.
This paper deals with the historical background of passwords, their use as a tool of authentication in computer and network systems and our practical everyday use. Starting with the examination of the meaning of passwords in our everyday culture and their changes, follows an analysis of the discourses on the topic in philosophical, cultural studies, netculture, science and technology. Hypotheses built from this analysis were then analyzed by empirical research in the form of a survey about the form of passwords and personal opinions on passwords.
More than 50 years ago, American universities began connecting their mainframe computers. Today, the resulting Internet is one of the central communication technologies. The newly created communication possibilities were soon understood as free spaces that were to serve the development of society. At the same time, the demand for self-administration of the Internet was implemented in the form of the principle of Internet Governance. This paper aims to examine the relationship between Internet Governance and Internet Freedom in Austria and to determine its impact on the public. To this end, eight guided interviews were conducted with experts involved in the development of the Internet in Austria or in the process of Internet Governance. The results of the evaluation by means of a qualitative content analysis show that the principle of self-governance of the Internet is basically upheld, even though the international organizations behind it are met with skepticism and criticism. The Internet Governance process in Austria, on the other hand, is predominantly viewed positively, although not by everyone. Safeguarding the claim to Internet freedom would require appropriately adapted regulations, and the large platforms in particular would exert a negative influence on the public. The issue of privacy protection was particularly emphasized. The ecological footprint of the Internet could be identified as a new challenge. Finally, the Covid 19 pandemic showed the weaknesses of online communication, but would also have favored digitization in Austria.