Web Science Research Initiative

Ever think it would be possible to get a PhD in « The Web »? MIT and the University of Southhampton are collaborating on the Web Science Research Initiative.

They are proposing a science of the web, where the web itself is the object under the microscope. A small snippet of what they say:

If we want to model the Web; if we want to understand the architectural principles that have provided for its growth; and if we want to be sure that it supports the basic social values of trustworthiness, privacy, and respect for social boundaries, then we must chart out a research agenda that targets the Web as a primary focus of attention.