Web Materialities

Although Web development was driven by a conceptual repertoire of dematerialisation, of eliminating borders between “Netizens” and ensuring the independence of cyberspace (John Perry Barlow), in the 1990s the accessibility of the Web was largely subject to material challenges associated with infrastructures, equipment, Internet billing and regulation. They were also linked with groups of technicians and communities of practice, the development of ISPs, the acquisition of equipment or the use of cyber cafés. Taking the example of France in the 90s as a starting point, this contribution will shed light on the agencies at work in a bid to demonstrate why digital materiality matters in Web histories.