Thursday, August 16, 2007

netizen

netizen: ciudadano internauta

my colleague Tori raised the good point that limited English speakers might not recognize this term if you're going Sp>En, but it's much more widely used, and a whole lot cuter, than cybercitizen

see Spanish use here
and from whatis.com here's a better definition that what's on wikipedia:

The word netizen seems to have two similar meanings.
  1. A citizen who uses the Internet as a way of participating in political society (for example, exchanging views, providing information, and voting).
  2. An Internet user who is trying to contribute to the Internet's use and growth. As a powerful communications medium, the Internet seems to offer great possibilities for social change. It also creates a new culture and its own special issues, such as who shall have access to it. The implication is that the Internet's users, who use and know most about it, have a responsibility to ensure that is used constructively while also fostering free speech and open access.
Cybercitizen is a synonym.