WebTheorie

WebTheorie is a field of study that analyzes the World Wide Web as a socio-technical system. It examines how the architecture of the web, its content, user practices, and governance interact to shape information access, communication, commerce, and culture. It is interdisciplinary.

The term is commonly used in German-speaking scholarship to describe theoretical approaches to the web. The field emerged in the late 1990s alongside developments in hypertext, browsers, and the ascent of the Web 2.0 era, incorporating information science, sociology, media studies, and computer science.

Key concerns include the architecture and protocols that enable linking and retrieval (HTTP, HTML, URIs) and the balance between centralization and decentralization. The web as a platform emphasizes user-generated content, online identity, privacy, and data sovereignty, moderated by algorithms and platforms. Governance includes standards bodies like the W3C and debates on openness, net neutrality, and digital rights.

Theoretical approaches encompass actor-network theory, critical theory, information ecology, and science and technology studies. Researchers use case studies, discourse analysis, longitudinal data studies, and design investigations to understand how technologies, institutions, and users co-create the Web.

WebTheorie informs web design, digital policy, and education, addressing issues such as accessibility, digital literacy, search and recommendation practices, surveillance, and the digital divide. It also frames questions about the sustainability of web infrastructures and the long-term preservation of online knowledge.

Critics note the rapid pace of change, scale of platforms, and methodological challenges in measuring affect and behavior online. Proponents argue that a coherent theory of the Web can guide fair governance, inclusive design, and resilient information ecosystems.