Thesis (LLM)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation examines the conclusion of contracts on the Internet in English and South African law on the one hand, and German law on the other. Because these legal systems have not developed specific rules for the formation of contracts by way of this medium of communication, the question is whether the traditional doctrines are adequate to the demands of tecnological innovation. The study accordingly proceeds from a detailed discussion of the traditional rules of offer and acceptance developed in each of the systems. To this end, the leading cases and of English and South African law are considered with an emphasis on the points of difference between the approach of the courts in these systems. Where there is uncertainty or different points of view, regard is had to the critical points of view of English and South African commentators. In respect of the codified German civil law, the authoritative provisions of the general part of the civil code are discussed against the background of the commentary of academic authors. An investigation of the technical structure of the Internet and the various methods of communication afforded by it, provides a foundation for an examination of the application of the general principles of the various legal systems to contract formation on the Internet. It is concluded that despite fundamental differences in the of approach of the systems under consideration, the general principles of each system are capable of application in the context of electronic contracting. The dissertation endeavours to develop proposals regarding adequate solutions to the problems typical of the process of contract formation on the Internet. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is afgestem op die hantering van kontraksluiting op die Internet in die Engelse en Suid-Afrikaanse Reg aan die een kant, en die Duitse Reg aan die ander kant. Omrede geeneen van hierdie stelsels tot op hede spesifieke maatreëls daargestel het vir kontraksluiting deur middel van hierdie kommunikasiemiddel nie, is die vraag of tradisionele beginsels afdoende is met die oog op eise van die nuwe tegnologie. Die ondersoek gaan derhalwe uit van 'n behandeling van die tradisionele reëls van aanbod en aanname soos wat dit in elkeen van die stelsels ontwikkel het. Met die oog hierop, word sleutelvonnisse van die Engelse en Suid-Afrikaanse reg ontleed, veral dan ook met klem op verskille in die benadering van die howe in hierdie twee stelsels. In geval van onsekerheid en verskille van mening, word verwys na die kritiese standpunte van Engelse en Suid-Afrikaanse kommentatore. Met verwysing na die gekodifiseerde Duitse stelsel word die gesaghebbende bepalings van die Burgerlike Wetboek behandel teen die agtergrond van die kommentaar van Duitse akademiese skrywers. 'n Ontleding van die tegniese struktuur van die Internet en die verskillende kommunikasiemetodes wat dit bied, verskaf die grondslag vir 'n ondersoek na die toepaslikheid van die algemene beginsels aangaande kontraksluiting van die onderskeie regstelsels in die konteks van elektroniese kontraktering. Die gevolgtrekking is dat ten spyte van fundamentele verskille in benadering, die algemene beginsels van die verkillende stelsels wel aanwendbaar is in die nuwe omgewing. Die verhandeling poog om 'n bydrae te lewer tot die ontwikkeling van aanvaarbare oplossings tot die probleme wat tipies is aan kontraksluiting deur middel van die Internet.

Public press and companies have increasingly strong interests in the impact on businesses brought about by virtual communities. In recent years, virtual communities have become significant sources of information for consumers and businesses by offering unprecedented opportunities for information sharing. Scholars recognize that information posted in virtual communities has important implications for the behaviors of community members and subsequent economic decisions and market performance. However, relatively less is explored about how the informational value of virtual communities results from an aggregated or fragmented community of information. In particular, the underlying motives and mechanisms of user interactions in virtual communities are challenging to understand because of the amount of information available and the potential noises. To investigate user dynamics and the resulting informational value in virtual communities, I explore three major issues in my dissertation. First, I empirically examine whether community fragmentation or aggregation prevails in the context of virtual investment communities. Results indicate that instead of the common belief of virtual communities serving as melting pots that comprise opinions, online investors, in particular, show strong homophily behavior in virtual investment communities. Second, using data from virtual investment communities, I investigate the interactions among online investors that drive homophily and community fragmentation. I find that psychological needs for supportive opinions mainly drive the information seeking and interaction behaviors of online investors as compared to economic rationales. Following this line of exploration, I also identify the informational impact of virtual communities on user behaviors in the context of electronic markets. With data from online retailers, I examine the possible shrinkage of consumer product consideration that is reinforced by online recommendations. A resultant change of consumer consideration leads to a landscape shift of product competition for online retailers, suggesting strategic implications to manufacturers. All in all, my dissertation contributes to an understanding of the value of virtual communities as informational media, how virtual communities shape online user opinions, and how online user preferences impact businesses and markets in a networked economy. My research pushes the frontier toward understanding virtual communities and sheds light on the insights into exploring online network dynamics. / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong,2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 346-373.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-145). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 206-215). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Ed.), Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1999. / Bibliography: p. 80-83.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Internet has become such an integral part of computer users' daily existence that it seems as if it has always been there. The Internet with its unique borders - or lack of borders - places an enormous burden on geographically based legal systems. Regulation, that has specifically been designed for the Internet, is a necessity because virtually every aspect of the law is challenged by the Internet and that many legal frameworks are inadequate to deal with the Internet. The other aspect which complicates the Internet even more, is that there is no specific organisation, business or government to whom the Internet belongs. Individuals and organisations have rights to the web pages that they own on the Internet, but there is no ownership of the Internet in its entirety. The development of the Internet in South Africa took place during a difficult time in the country's history. The apartheid era initially limited the growth of the Internet. Much of the existing legislation in South Africa has been partially adapted to accommodate the Internet, but the government could not envisage what the actual impact of the Internet would be and consequently they reacted when it came to the regulation of the Internet. In 2002 the Electronic Communication and Transaction Act 25 of2002 came into operation. In fact, the physical component of the Internet has already been regulated to a degree by the pure coincidence as a result of its physical presence. This is because the backbone of the Internet had not originally been created by the Internet, but by the telephone. There are a number of legislative Internet-organisations that are, among others, responsible for the technical standards of the Internet, dispute resolutions and in general what is important for the Internet community. Various international conventions regulate specific aspects of the Internet such as copyright, intellectual property rights, domain names, trademarks and cyber crime. The international conventions and agreements are an important step in the direction of standardised regulation. However, the lack of borders creates problems surrounding jurisdiction of the cyber space. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Internet het al so deel van rekenaargebruikers se alledaagse bestaan geword dat dit soms wil voorkom asof dit maar nog altyd daar was. Die Internet met sy unieke grense - of sy gebrek aan grense - plaas 'n groot las op geografies gebaseerde regstelsels. Regulering wat spesifiek vir die Internet ontwerp is, is 'n noodsaaklikheid, aangesien byna elke aspek van die reg deur die Internet uitgedaag word en baie regsraamwerke onvoldoende is om die Internet te hanteer. Wat die regulering van die Internet verder kompliseer, is dat daar nie een spesifieke organisasie, onderneming of regering is aan wie die Internet behoort nie. Individue en organisasies het regte tot die webwerwe wat hulle op die Internet besit, maar daar is nie eienaarskap van die Internet in sy geheel nie. Die ontwikkeling van die Internet in Suid-Afirka het tydens 'n moeilike tydperk in die Suid- Afrikaanse geskiedenis plaasgevind. Die apartheidsera het die aanvanklike ontwikkeling en groei van die Internet in Suid-Afrika beperk. Verskeie bestaande Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing is deels aangepas om die Internet te akkommodeer, maar die regering het nooit besef wat die werklike impak van die Internet sou wees nie en het gevolglik re-aktief te werk gegaan wanneer dit by die regulering van die Internet gekom het. In 2002 het Suid-Afrika se Elektroniese Kommunikasie en Transaksies Wet 25 van 2002 in werking getree. Die regulering van die fisieke komponente van die Internet is tot 'n mate as gevolg van sy fisieke teenwoordigheid deur blote toeval, gereguleer. Dit is omdat die ruggraat van die Internet nie oorspronklik vir die Internet geskep is nie, maar vir die telefoon. Daar bestaan verskeie wetgewende Internet-organisasies wat onder meer verantwoordelik is vir die tegniese standaarde van die Internet, dispuutresolusie en wat oor die algemeen aan die belange van die Internet-gemeenskap wil voldoen. Verskeie internasionale konvensies reguleer spesifieke aspekte van die Internet soos kopiereg, intellektuele eiendomsreg, domeinname en handelsmerke en kubermisdaad. Die internasionale konvensies en verdrae is 'n belangrike stap in die rigting van gestandaardiseerde regulering. Tog skep die grenslose omstandighede van die Internet probleme rondom jurisdiksie in die kuberruim.

Please read the Abstract in the 00front part of this document. Copyright 2003, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Addo, GHK 2003, Utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) for education in South Africa : An examination of the world links for development (WorLD) programme, DPhil thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-09192005-142901/ > / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Information Science / unrestricted