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There's much here to provoke discussion, including the idea that social control in cyberspace is largely in keeping with medieval social norms, and the argument that cyberspace doesn't eliminate the consideration of racial identity but rather alters the way in which racial identify is judged (or misjudged). This is not a collection that hesitates to challenge long-standing assumptions. Editors Smith and Kollock have gathered contributions from scholars holding widely diverse viewpoints as they question both the "legitimacy" of cybercommunity and the methods of its operation. Although the authors do come to a consensus that cyberspace does house true communities, they reveal some surprises in the ways those cybercommunities differ from geographical ones. -- Elizabeth Lewis
