I have just printed my PhD thesis for submission to the University of Cambridge. The title is 'Militant Islamist radicalisation: does the Internet atomise?'. The following is a summary of the thesis extracted from part of the summary. In a nutshell, I was exploring how ideas traverse the Internet. The State is feeling the first … Continue reading PhD thesis summary
Category: online militant memes
“The Internet, the Perpetual Beta, and the State: The Long View of the New Medium”
Studies in Conflict & Terror, the foremost peer-reviewed journal in its field (edited by Bruce Hoffman), has just published my article "The Internet, the Perpetual Beta, and the State: The Long View of the New Medium". This follows on from an earlier article I published in the journal in 2007, and introduces what I believe … Continue reading “The Internet, the Perpetual Beta, and the State: The Long View of the New Medium”
Teaser of research on memes and atomization in webforums
Brief teaser of data mining and statistical analysis: The graphs below are from a small part of the dataset provided of harvested forums. The original forums were harvested by the Dark Web project at the University of Arizona Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. I have data mined them for indications of references to al Qaeda, militant media … Continue reading Teaser of research on memes and atomization in webforums
Internet is Fecund but Hazardous (PhD –> the gyst)
The new book, A History of the Internet and the Digital Future, is due in September 010. While I’m waiting for that I’ve been wrapping up my PhD work. And I think I now have answers – at least, almost final answers. Or at least some pre-almost-final answers. Since 2005 various Governments of EU Member … Continue reading Internet is Fecund but Hazardous (PhD –> the gyst)
My talk at RUSI on “Terror, The State, The Perpetual Beta, and The Internet: The Long View of the New Medium”
Terror, The State, The Perpetual Beta, and The Internet: The Long View of the New Medium - Johnny Ryan from Johnny Ryan on Vimeo. Terror, The State, The Perpetual Beta, and The Internet: The Long View of the New Medium - Johnny Ryan from Johnny Ryan on Vimeo. Speech by Johnny Ryan at the Study … Continue reading My talk at RUSI on “Terror, The State, The Perpetual Beta, and The Internet: The Long View of the New Medium”
Data mining (help!)
I am examining how certain phrases crop up in vBulletin web forums to see how ideas spread among Internet audiences over time. I'm having problems and suggestions are welcome. (Update: to see how this research worked out, see this post) Method at the moment... Step 1. After trying a few alternatives I've started to use … Continue reading Data mining (help!)
Speech at European Commission public private dialogue.
I spoke at the European Commission Public Private Dialogue to fight online illegal activities, Brussels, 27 November 2009. My talk below... Text of statement by Johnny Ryan, Senior Researcher, Institute of International & European Affairs, at the European Commission Public Private Dialogue to fight online illegal activities, Brussels, 27 November 2009.. Preliminary remarks: It is … Continue reading Speech at European Commission public private dialogue.
Revision note for University of Cambridge Students on secret world intelligence topic
This is a revision note I have drafted for final year pre exam revision for University of Cambridge undergraduates who were supervised by me on Militant Islamist Radicalization on the Internet. Good luck, make use of this, and keep in touch! The challenge now is to apply the Internet-focused information and approach from our sessions … Continue reading Revision note for University of Cambridge Students on secret world intelligence topic
Review in IISS Survival journal
Survival, the journal of IISS in London, has published a review of my Countering militant Islamist radicalisation on the Internet: a user driven strategy to recover the web in a bumper three book review article. The other books are Brynjar Lia's Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of Al Qaeda Strategist Abu Musab al-Suri, and … Continue reading Review in IISS Survival journal
Internet censorship book free to view on Google Books
One of the benefits of having published Countering militant Islamist radicalisation on the Internet: a user driven strategy to recover the web with the Institute of International & European Affairs is that I am free to make the book freely available. It has attracted interest from unforeseen quarters. I recently discovered that it was on … Continue reading Internet censorship book free to view on Google Books
Swiss Government CT paper: “Internet governance: why openness is security”
I spoke on the issue of Internet governance at the Swiss Government's counter terrorism seminar on 29 April 2008. Here is the presentation. http://www.iiea.com/documents/geneva-ryan-2008 (15 mb)
My research plan – ‘Online Islamist militant discussion: does the Internet atomise?’
Note: Since I am writing a book on the value of 'openness' on the Internet, I have begun to appreciate the worth of making what might otherwise be defendend as intellectual property public. Here follows a stripped down and un footnoted version of my PhD plan. I will be completing this research between now and … Continue reading My research plan – ‘Online Islamist militant discussion: does the Internet atomise?’
Irish Independent – coverage of O’Reilly Foundation Scholarship
I was profiled in the Irish Independent in an article about the O'Reilly Scholarship: "...his first book, 'Countering Militant Islamist Radicalisation on the Internet', which was launched last year by the former chair of the UK Joint Intelligence Committee, Dame Pauline Neville-Jones. The book argued against the European Commission's suggestion of using internet censorship to … Continue reading Irish Independent – coverage of O’Reilly Foundation Scholarship
The Four P-Words of Militant Islamist Radicalization and Recruitment: Persecution, Precedent, Piety, and Perseverance
Published in: Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Volume 30, Issue 11 November 2007 , pages 985 - 1011 Abstract: This article suggests that a single interpretative framework can be used to understand Islamist militant rhetoric, and to compare it to supposedly more orthodox campaigns such as Irish Republican militancy, differences of culture, scale, and lethality. … Continue reading The Four P-Words of Militant Islamist Radicalization and Recruitment: Persecution, Precedent, Piety, and Perseverance
Review of “Countering Islamist Militancy on the Internet”
“Ryan offers a comprehensive policy-based solution to the issue of militant Islamist rhetoric on the internet. … This book demystifies the “intellectual-unknown” of the internet and its use by groups such as al-Qaeda. ... The book represents the unique and positive contribution that Irish defence scholars can make at EU and international level” - The … Continue reading Review of “Countering Islamist Militancy on the Internet”
Radicalisation & recruitment on the internet: Policy responses & implications.
UPDATED THIS PROJECT HAS CONCLUDED. Most of the resulting materials have been made openly available. See My 2007 book [buy it on Amazon] or [read it free at Google Books] and my related articles which are more up to date. Also, I have now initiated a new phase in this research, finally returning to Cambridge … Continue reading Radicalisation & recruitment on the internet: Policy responses & implications.
Islamists on the internet: brotherhood of belief
This title should have read "Islamist militants on the Internet". Published in Magill, May 2005. In Britain the speed with which the Muslim diaspora embraced the internet was demonstrated by the British Muslim Parliament's order to all mosques and Muslim schools to install web access as early as 1996. With so many young Muslims in … Continue reading Islamists on the internet: brotherhood of belief
Dr Johnny Ryan FRHistS 