This text advances the hypothesis that the meaning of the Web as an object of study has diluted as a clear research domain. One example of this phenomenon is the identity crisis of the Web Conference and the International Semantic Web Conference. At its root is the Web's evolution from a focused technological object into a universal digital environment, a transition whose very success has fragmented its academic community and obscured its core identity. We chart this trajectory from a well-defined object of study to a fragmented backdrop, identifying key pressures such as the "academic tragedy of the commons" and the disruptive force of AI. We conclude that a fundamental community discussion is needed to define what it means to study the Web now that it has become the universal infrastructure for global digital activity.
翻译:本文提出一个假设:网络作为一个明确的研究领域,其作为研究对象的意义已趋于淡化。这一现象的一个例证是国际万维网大会和国际语义网会议的同一性危机。其根本原因在于网络从一个聚焦的技术对象演变为普遍的数字环境,这一转型的成功反而使其学术共同体碎片化,并模糊了其核心身份。我们勾勒了其从定义明确的研究对象到碎片化背景的演变轨迹,识别出诸如"学术公地悲剧"和人工智能的颠覆性力量等关键压力。我们得出结论:鉴于网络已成为全球数字活动的普遍基础设施,学界亟需开展基本讨论,以界定在当前环境下研究网络的意义所在。