From modernization to neoliberalism? How IT opinion leaders imagine the information society

Before the information society becomes reality, it exits as discourses and arguments. These narratives shape people's expectations, imaginations, and understandings of the concrete form of information society. The article first reviews some recent literature on the social and cultural history of the Internet and information technologies. Then, we will critically examine some prominent discourses on new information technology, especially the Internet, by cultural intermediaries in China. We hope to understand how the different imaginations of information society come into being, their internal diversity, their sources of influence, and how they help imagine a social form in which these technologies shape, belong, and work well.