Michael Hauben (d. 2001) was a computer scientist and theoretician interested in the transformative social effects of online communities and the latent political power of the Internet. In 1992 he coined the term netizen to describe an Internet user who possesses a sense of civic responsibility for her/his virtual community in much the same way as people would feel responsible for a physical community.
Michael received degrees from Columbia University and was a fixture on the Columbia campus for over ten years. He was an avid music fan, contributing one of the original web sites for band listings in existence. He committed suicide in 2001.
