Since the nineteenth century, big public events called world fairs have been organized. Fairs are divided into universal and specialized fairs. World expositions have one of the largest economic and cultural impacts on the world. The first expo was held in London in 1851. Stalls organized by different countries to represent each of the countries are the major point of interest at the world fairs. The advent of the internet has also changed the entire concept of world fairs. The 1996 Internet World Exposition changed the definition of exhibitions and pavilions. Instead of countries representing pavilions, it was individuals who designed and made their own pavilions. The concept of nationalities was broken down in the Internet World Exposition of 1996.
The purposes of worldÃÂÃÂs fairs have been the introduction of technologies and ideas. However with the advent of the internet, information is widely available for people. The latest technological updates are spread at an increased speed in every medium.
From music to politics and space exploration to basketball the latest information is not hard to find. The purpose of an internet based world fair is to make the information manageable (Schadewaldt, 1979).
A new world is constructed with porous borders and shifting of identities. World fairs were also organized to give a vision of the future for the people. Promises of better technology and consumerism have created skepticism amongst people. The 1996 Internet World Exposition has also introduced the dark side of technology. High speed spamming and cars were some of the dark sides of technology on cities and projects.
A unique feature of the Internet World Exposition was that it was built in cyberspace. It was an initiative to expand the transoceanic fiber optic networks. It represented a global population and the meeting place of all peoples and cultures...