TechSoup by Sonja Kangas

TechSoup: "I am currently writing an article together with Dr. Outi Cavén-Pöysä on online youth cultures. More closely we will focus on motivation factors, trust and attitudes towards social networking. The article will be based on quantitative data from Japan, South Korea and Finland (2006-2007). We decided to focus on these three pioneer countries of the 1990s because at the end of 1990s SMS culture in Finland, iMode craze in Japan and online multiplayer gaming culture in South Korea were something different and never before seen. The article will study if these countries have special qualities to generate novel kind of internet cultures in future as well or would innovations develop anywhere regardless of the history?" Writes Sonja Kangas.

On her blog she tells about herself:

Name: Sonja Kangas

Location: Helsinki HC, Finland. Digital media and game enthusiast. Curious, excited and energetic.

"According to Paul Budde Communications the Internet is growing at a good rate, but the growth rate is not the same all over the world. The growth rate will not increase until broadband is further developed, and its price rates reduced. Will the Internet penetration have an effect on user innovations or the development of novel web cultures? How much does grass roots innovation, chance and cultural issues have to do with the development? Most likely we will not be able to offer answers to all of those question but I thought of sharing them with you anyhow."

Helge: We are friends on Facebook. I think I've seen the energetic Sonja on Jaiku, the microblogging site that has been down for several days while Google moves over Jaiku to its own servers. Google acquired Jaiku a year ago, if I remember right.

Sonja Kangas also reports, "According to InternetStats, the number of Internet users has more than doubled since the year 2000, and in 2007 there were over 1.1 billion people online worldwide. Web services have shaped youth cultures since mid 1990s, instant communication tools have introduced real time communication culture to masses. Web has also changed the way of working. New web2.0 companies and web service developers bring forward new services and solutions to be distributed potentially to the "whole world" at once."