Dot the "I's" and cross the "T's": A sociological interpretation of Chinese cyberspace and the Qianyuan Grace Wang incident

This chapter discusses the normative implication of Internet use in specific social context. By drawing on an example of a case study of the Qianyuan Grace Wang incident in China before the Beijing Olympic Games 2008, the chapter discusses how the limitation of the Internet may condition Chinese people's understanding of the event and the conflicts between pros and cons Tibet parties. The chapter then tries to explore how Chinese netizens interpret and react based upon a transmitted, thin, and shallow understanding of the incident. Because of the leveling off of real Chinese relationships in cyberspace, the chapter proposes an explanation of the question why Chinese netizens were likely to be involved in the event and given the rights and duty to discipline and punish Wang. The chapter concludes that the Internet cannot be simply understood as a handy instrument to achieve human needs because the representation of Chinese cyberspace is embodied and co-constructed by Chinese indigenous cultures.