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316 Soraj Hongladarom

the Internet clearly points to that kind of culture. When people
from all parts of the globe communicate with one another, it is dif-
ficult enough when they face each other to observe all the non-ver-
bal cues. (Those cues might be interpreted differently.) But since
Internet communication happens almost exclusively through texts,
the task becomes much more difficult. Communication requires
that participants share at least some sets of values and assump-
tions. Participants have to accept that what others say are largely
true, as Donald Davidson (1984, 200–01) argues. Thus when texts
become the only means of communication in building a virtual com-
munity, this shared set of assumptions and values already exists.
These values, however, do not belong to any local, traditional cul-
ture, but are whatever makes global computer-mediated communi-
cation possible.
It is well known that the shared set of values and assumptions
prevalent on the Internet resembles that of liberalism and egalitar-
ianism typical of modern Western, liberal culture. The origin of the
Internet as a repository for exchanges of discussion and information
by computer scientists and other scholars points to the fact that the
Internet bears the stamp of the culture of this group. Its birthplace
in the United States explains why these assumptions and values are
so well-embedded. Nonetheless, the potential of the Internet as the
global forum of international communication makes it almost nec-
essary that this shared set of values and assumptions is held by the
participants. The set is an outcome of an international, cosmopolitan
culture where participants share little in common in terms of histor-
ical backgrounds. In order to make communication possible among
those who come from disparate historical, traditional backgrounds,
the values and assumptions germane to a particular local culture
cannot do the job. Participants either talk about their professional
matters, the topic of international conferences, or they talk about su-
perficial stuff guaranteed to be shared already, like the weather. The
Internet does not have to originate in the United States for it to ac-
quire the cultural traits it already has. It could have come from
Japan, for example, but when it is truly globalized it has no choice
but to be what it is now. It is in this sense, then, that the Internet
could be regarded as a globalizing agent.
This shared set of values and assumptions typical of the
Internet becomes apparent when it spreads its roots to states
where the ideas of liberalism, egalitarianism, and democracy face
violent resistance from the political authorities. The newsgroup