With this quote Sir Tim displays either an incredible gullibility, or I am really missing something.

PG: Why do we need a specific science to study the web

TBL: If we don’t have the ability to understand the web as its now emerging we will end up with things that are very bad. Certain undemocratic things could emerge and misinformation starts spreading over the web.

Source: BBC NEWS | Technology | Q&A: Web science

The concept that internet is a social changing medium is not exactly rocket science.  And the fact that any page can be read, and likely will be read as fact is well established.  And yes people interact differently and across spaces/ countries/ time/ in ways that could never occur unless internet existed.

Is this really news, and do we need a science to understand it?  But the part that gets me is that ” perhaps, certain undemocratic …..  “.  I think that al qaeda and others have proven the train that is this worry has left the station.