In her chapter “Social Transformation from Virtual Communities,” Valverde discusses the internet’s role in connecting the diaspora with the homeland, and how that interaction leads to social movements. She examines the building of virtual communities through internet forums, specifically Vietnam Forum that comprised of both Vietnamese intellectuals and international scholars who used the platform to share postings and ideas. Further, Valverde notes that the members used the forum to promote social and political change that influenced the real Vietnamese community. Eventually, these transnational virtual communities gathered an exceeding amount of influence. She writes, “The virtual community created by VNForum served as the perfect venue for discussions on controversial topics. But founders and participants had to appear neutral and non-confrontational because highly influential powers - the SRV and anticommunist groups in the United States - were monitoring them (pg.80).” My question is, since the scope of the internet transcends national borders, what sovereign entity holds authority over these transnational virtual communities?
Kieu-Linh Valverde. "Social Transformations from Virtual Communities." Transnationalizing Viet Nam.
Image: vnetwork.vn
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