How Does the Internet Impact Subculture?

Something I've been thinking about a lot recently is how the Internet changes the dynamics of punk or alternative subcultures. I realize that as a preteen and teenager my experience of music and the whole "scene" was very much shaped by the Internet. I looked to music blogs more than the record store. Wikipedia informed me of the multiplicity of genres and forms. I learned about shows and clothes and everything else on message boards. I made e-zines instead of regular zines. This has interesting implications on a scene that is very much based on social interactions and physical demarcation.

The Internet has made living an alternative lifestyle easier. In many ways, it embodies the DIY ethos. It questions authority. For better or worse, we're all encouraged to go out there and say anything about anything. My blog can be your life and so forth. Think about veganism. Back in the day, curious vegans had to rely on things like the Hippycore Krew's Soy Not Oi! zines and books for recipes and ideas. Today, someone interested in an alternative diet can find a recipe for whatever flavor of vegan cupcake, donut, or whoopie pie their cruelty-free heart desires. The same is true of the green movement in general, bicycling, sexuality, and any number of "alternative" interests.

The Internet opens up everything, allowing for alternative models of education, of courtship, of work. What remains unclear is what alternatives work and could possibly offer ways to overthrow the old models of being and doing.