Summary of Chapter 8 of Unspun - Ideology

Through out this chapter, John M. Sloop attempts to explain the comlex relationship between Ideology and the World Wide Web. Sloop uses three main points to explain to the reader what is actually going on among the new ideologies that are created as a result of the Web. First, however, he explains what exactly ideology is. Sloop states that ideoloy is "the process by which knowledge of self and of the world is created, maintained, and assumed." He then goes one to describe the three main ways that Ideology and the web are connected.

Sloop's first theory is that the web's public discouse is "given meaning through the lens of ideology." It is becasue of our already developed ideologies, that we can understand rhetoric that is on the web. The Web also greatly effects our current ideolodies. If we think about the web as a place where there is no discrimination and if race, gender, sexuality, and class have no place on the Web, we will eventually loose our ideologies about these topics.

Fostor's second theory is about the Web's "content." He states that it "is itself shaped by ideological concerns on the dominant cultural level. Therefore, whatever level of society is dominating the web, their concers and ideologies will be more readily available on the Web. People are most attracted and interested in information that address their concers or problems. Therefore, there is a higher demand for information about the dominant culture on the web. This same relationship is evident in the "offline" world as well. The dominant ideology is evident in dominant media.

Fosters third and final theory discusses "the Web as a 'form' and the types of knowledge and consciencesness it encourages." It is clear that as we move towards a more digital way of life, we move away from linear throught and more rational thinking. There is less of a complete story line, no begining, middle, and end. Texts are more "fluid" and are supposed to be seen and read that way. Our ideology of reading and learning must change in order to keep up and develop with the change in rhetoric.

Overall, these theories are simply based on Sloop's projection of the future. However, it is evident that whatever the dominant form of communication is, it will effect the ideology of the users. It changes what and how people think no matter what the content is.