| This research seeks to provide a systematic understanding of how communication technologies affect behavior. The ability of these technologies to influence or regulate online experiences is widely recognized in a number of fields including computer-mediated communication, organizational communication, and legal scholarship. However, the theoretical understanding of this phenomenon is immature. As a result, policymakers cannot assess the effects of these technologies or offer guidance for proactively using these technologies as an alternative to law.; A number of case studies were conducted on communication technologies that affect societal concerns, such as privacy. These case studies include the NCSA Mosaic web browser, Netscape's cookies, the Platform for Internet Content Selection, Apache, and finger command. The case studies led to creation of a theoretical model for how technologies regulate, the Recursive Regulatory Model for Technology (RRMT). This model is largely based upon Giddens structuration theory with some insights from Actor-Network Theory. The elements of the RRMT consist of institutions, individuals, and technology. The three main relationships between these elements are examined in this dissertation.; The first relationship examines how communication technologies develop. Specifically, RRMT focuses on the role of institutions. This area focuses on how values are embedded in technologies and how this affects the social and technical characteristics of communication technologies. A major part of this work has been to map out how different institutions, e.g., universities and firms, differentially emphasize social and technical characteristics of technologies.; The second relationship considers how people use, manipulate, and reconfigure technologies. Technology constrains and facilitates certain types of actions, because of the norms and values inscribed into technology. This dissertation identifies key material characteristics of communications technology. Regulators can manipulate these as "knobs and levers" to influence how technology regulates.; The third section focuses on how people may individually or collectively influence the values embedded in technologies to promote social goals. This could occur either through market pressure, public pressure, fiscal incentives, or regulation. This section contains a comprehensive analysis of these methods while considering pertinent technological and regulatory issues. |
