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WST Papers and Reports

A new collection of papers on emerging and critical topics

In a new series commissioned by the Web Science Trust, we offer new perspectives from established and upcoming authors on key topics in Web Science. Each author has been invited to write the paper but in each case is offering their own personal viewpoint.

Web Science Manifesto

Twenty-seven years ago, one of the biggest societal changes in human history began slowly when the technical foundations for the World Wide Web were defined by Tim Berners-Lee. Ever since, the Web has grown exponentially, reaching far beyond its original technical foundations and deeply affecting the world today – and even more so the society of the future.

Manifesto
Dagstuhl Report

The Dagstuhl report is a document which details the findings of 10 years of Web Science. Named after the ‘Perspectives Workshops’ held in Dagstuhl, June 2018, the report seeks to scope the main impacts that the discipline has formed over the years. These have been highlighted and discussed by a wide interdisciplinary team, with backgrounds in Computer Science, Sociology, Philosophy and Law.

Dagstuhl
Digital Modernity

“Modernity” is a social, cultural, or historical descriptor for a certain type of society or set of social arrangements. It is a contentious and disputed term, often understood implicitly.

Modernity
Privacy, Privacy-Enhancing Technologies & the Individual

Law has granted individuals some rights over the use of data about them, but data protection rights have not redressed the balance between the individual and the tech giants.

Technologies
Web3 – the promise and the reality

Web3 describes a group of technologies for managing collective interactions on the internet while avoiding centralised control, granting users agency over access to their data, and managing distribution of value as digital assets.

Web3