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Chapter 02: Essay
4. Briefly explain how the converging of media content on the Internet, from movies to books to
music, came about.
Essay
1. Name a group that worked to establish the early Internet. Explain the motivation for
developing the Internet.
ANSWER:
The Internet originated as a military-government project, with computer time-sharing
as one of its goals. In the 1960s, computers were relatively new, and there were only
a few of the expensive, room-sized mainframe computers across the country for
researchers to use. The Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency
(ARPA) developed a solution to enable researchers to share computer processing
time beginning in the late 1960s. This original Internet—called ARPAnet and
nicknamed the Net—enabled military and academic researchers to communicate on a
distributed network system. First, ARPA created a wired network system in which
users from multiple locations could log into a computer whenever they needed it.
Second, to prevent logjams in data communication, the network used a system called
packet switching, which broke down messages into smaller pieces to more easily
route them through the multiple paths on the network before reassembling them on
the other end.
2. Many experts agree that one of the major characteristics that make the Internet unique is that it
cannot be centrally controlled. Explain why and how this came about.
ANSWER:
In a centralized network, all the paths lead to a single nerve center. Decentralized
networks contain several main nerve centers. In a distributed network, which
resembles a net, there are no nerve centers; if any connection is severed, information
can be immediately rerouted and delivered to its destination. Ironically, one of the
most hierarchically structured and centrally organized institutions in our culture—the
national defense industry—created the Internet, possibly the least hierarchical and
most decentralized social network ever conceived. Each computer hub in the Internet
has similar status and power, so nobody can own the system outright, and nobody has
the power to kick others off the network. There isn’t even a master power switch, so
authority figures cannot shut off the Internet—although some nations and
corporations have attempted to restrict access for political or commercial benefit.
3. Briefly describe how digital communication has progressed from e-mail.
ANSWER:
Although e-mail remains a standard for business-related text communications in the
digital era, it has been surpassed in popularity by social apps, which include
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.
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Chapter 02: Essay
ANSWER:
The innovation of digital communication enables all media content to be created in
the same basic way, which makes media convergence, the technological merging of
content in different mass media, possible. In recent years, the Internet has become the
hub for convergence, a place where music, television shows, radio stations,
newspapers, magazines, books, games, and movies are created, distributed, and
presented. Although convergence initially happened on desktop computers, the
popularity of notebook computers and then the introduction of smartphones and
tablets have hastened the pace of media convergence and made the idea of accessing
any media content anywhere a reality.
5. What are the key issues involving ownership and control of the Internet?
ANSWER:
Ownership and control of the Internet are connected to three Internet issues that
command much public attention: the security of personal and private information, the
appropriateness of online materials, and the accessibility and openness of the
Internet. Important questions have been raised: Should personal or sensitive
government information be private, or should the Internet be an enormous public
record? Should the Internet be a completely open forum, or should certain types of
communications be limited or prohibited? Should all people have equal access to the
Internet, or should it be available only to those who can afford it? For each of these
issues, there have been heated debates but no easy resolutions.
6. Why do consumer advocates tend to favor the “opt-in” policy and marketers the “opt-out”
policy for the collection of browsing history data?
ANSWER:
Opt-in policies, favored by consumer and privacy advocates, require websites to
obtain explicit permission from consumers before the sites can collect browsing-
history data. Opt-out policies, favored by data-mining corporations, allow for the
automatic collection of browsing-history data unless the consumer requests to “opt
out” of the practice.
Completion
1. Designed by the U.S. Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency, the original
Internet was called _______.
ANSWER:
ARPAnet
2. The _______ helped transform the Internet into a mass medium.
ANSWER:
World Wide Web
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3. Invented in the 1980s, the _______ is the most popular part of the Internet and is essentially
the navigation system for it.
ANSWER:
World Wide Web
4. HTML stands for “hypertext _______ language.”
ANSWER:
markup
5. Written code that creates web pages and links is called _______.
ANSWER:
HTML
6. Web navigation software packages such as Firefox and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer are
known as _______.
ANSWER:
browsers
7. ISP stands for “Internet_______ provider.”
ANSWER:
service
8. AOL is an example of a(n) _______.
ANSWER:
Internet service provider
9. Although e-mail remains a standard for business-related text communications in the digital
era, it has been surpassed in popularity by _______, which include Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat, and Twitter.
ANSWER:
social apps
10. Facebook is an example of a(n) _______.
ANSWER:
social app
11. YouTube is an example of an online video_______ community.
ANSWER:
content
12. The Kindle Fire and iPad are examples of touchscreen _______.
ANSWER:
tablets
13. Apple’s voice recognition assistant, Siri, is an example of the _______.
ANSWER:
Semantic Web
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14. A(n) _______ is a procedure whereby websites ask for your explicit permission before they
can collect browsing history or other data.
ANSWER:
opt–in policy
15. The socioeconomic disparity between those who do and those who do not have access to
digital technology and media such as the Internet is sometimes referred to as the _______.
ANSWER:
digital divide
16. _______ is a term that describes the gap between the “information haves” and the
“information have-nots.”
ANSWER:
Digital divide
Multiple Choice
1. The Internet was originally created to transport messages more rapidly for an increasingly
sedentary and isolated population.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
2. The Internet originated as a military and government project.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
3. ARPAnet is a browser.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
4. The Internet is a hierarchically structured and centralized network.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
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5. The Internet is owned and operated by the federal government, which has the power to shut it
down when necessary.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
6. Computer engineer Ray Tomlinson established the “login name@host computer” convention
for e-mail addresses.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
7. The introduction of microprocessors, miniature circuits made of silicon, made personal
computers possible.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
8. HTML stands for “hypertext markup language.”
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
9. Netscape overtook Internet Explorer as the most popular web browser in the late 1990s.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
10. In the 1990s, AOL was the top Internet service provider in the United States.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
11. E-mail was one of the earliest services of the Internet.
a.
True
b.
False
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ANSWER:
a
12. By 2014, Bing had nearly 66 percent of the search engine market share.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
13. In a short time, social media have changed the way we consume, relate to, and even produce
media.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
14. The BlackBerry was the first popular Internet-capable smartphone in the United States.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
15. Apple sells twenty-five million tablets each year.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
16. The 1996 Telecommunications Act encouraged mergers and joint ventures among phone
companies and cable operators.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
17. Apple debuted its Apple Watch in 2015.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
18. Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce store.
a.
True
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b.
False
ANSWER:
a
19. Google is a subsidiary of YouTube.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
20. Facebook uses profile information to deliver targeted and personalized ads to its users.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
21. “Cookies” are files that allow a website owner to chart a computer user’s movements within
the website and collect other information about the user.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
22. Most websites follow an “opt-in” data policy when collecting information from online
consumers.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
23. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that efforts to ban indecent and obscene material on the web
through the Communications Decency Act of 1996 were unconstitutional.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
24. The Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000 requires schools and libraries that receive
federal funds for Internet access to filter out obscene, pornographic, or otherwise harmful content
from websites.
a.
True
b.
False
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ANSWER:
a
25. Linux is an example of open-source software.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
26. What was the original motivation for developing the Internet?
a.
technical innovation
b.
entrepreneurial ambition
c.
military-government project
d.
desire for a new toy or “novelty”
ANSWER:
c
27. Which of the following statements about the Internet is not true?
a.
One of the goals for its creation and early development was computer time-sharing.
b.
It is a hierarchical network in which some users have the power to kick others off the
network.
c.
Today, about nine out of ten adults use the Internet.
d.
In its development stage, the Internet was primarily used by universities, government
research labs, and corporations involved in computer software and other high-tech
products.
ANSWER:
b
28. Which two developments were key to the Internet’s marketability?
a.
microprocessors and fiber-optic cable
b.
ARPAnet and microprocessors
c.
ARPAnet and digitization
d.
e-commerce and distributed networks
ANSWER:
a
29. What is the difference between the Internet and the web?
a.
Both are competing computer programs; the web is the more popular one.
b.
The Internet was originally for file transfer, while the web was a data-linking system.
c.
The Internet is a system of linked computers; the web is a system of linked satellites.
d.
The Internet is the older version of the web.
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ANSWER:
b
30. The World Wide Web was developed in _____.
a.
the late 1980s
b.
1993
c.
the late 1990s
d.
2000
ANSWER:
a
31. The data-linking feature of the web, which allows computer-accessed information to
associate with other information no matter where it is on the Internet, is called _____.
a.
hypertext
b.
convergence
c.
spamming
d.
e-mail
ANSWER:
a
32. Which invention brought the Internet to mass audiences?
a.
web browsers
b.
search engines
c.
e-mail
d.
computer bulletin boards
ANSWER:
a
33. As broadband connections became more available, users moved away from the slower
______.
a.
Internet
b.
dial-up service
c.
e-mail
d.
Internet service providers
ANSWER:
b
34. Today’s major ISPs include all of the following except ______.
a.
Verizon
b.
Comcast
c.
AT&T
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d.
Google
ANSWER:
d
35. According to the textbook, which of the following technological advances has not
contributed to the rise of media convergence?
a.
the development of wireless networks, making it easier for people to access the
Internet almost anywhere
b.
broadband Internet connections, which improved the multimedia capabilities of
computers
c.
the competition of media companies
d.
the rise of the popularity of notebook computers
ANSWER:
c
36. Which of the following statements about media convergence is not true?
a.
Consumers can now access television shows, newspapers, and books on their
computers.
b.
Convergence took off at the same time as the rise of the personal computer industry in
the 1970s.
c.
Consumers now have the ability to access Internet-distributed content through their
television sets.
d.
Consumers often use more than one device to access media content.
ANSWER:
b
37. Which of the following is an example of media convergence?
a.
the tendency of news media to focus on local stories
b.
the use of tablets to access different forms of traditional media, like books and movies
c.
the theory that there are increasingly more media outlets
d.
the idea that every media format will eventually be replaced by another
ANSWER:
b
38. Which of the following statements about Apple‘s iPad is true?
a.
It functions solely as a device for reading e-books.
b.
It has been Apple’s fastest-growing product line, with newer versions featuring
cameras, a thinner design, and faster graphics.
c.
The Apple iPad will probably not have any competition from other companies or
devices in the near future.
d.
The iPad functions like a larger iPod shuffle.
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ANSWER:
b
39. By 2018, about how many apps were available for Apple devices?
a.
35,000
b.
2.2 million
c.
1 million
d.
750,000
ANSWER:
b
40. Apple’s response to which of the following established the new media economics?
a.
Napster
b.
Facebook
c.
Google+
d.
AOL
ANSWER:
a
41. Hypertext inventor Tim Berners-Lee published an article in 2001 that introduced the idea of
the ______.
a.
World Wide Web
b.
voice recognition assistant
c.
Semantic Web
d.
ISP
ANSWER:
c
42. According to the textbook, which of the following is not a big question about the future of
the Internet?
a.
Who will have access to the Internet?
b.
Will there be more video games online?
c.
Should there be limits on personal data-gathering?
d.
Should we be allowed to share anything on the Internet?
ANSWER:
b
43. Which statement about the business model of Google is true?
a.
Google makes the majority of its money from subscription fees.
b.
Google makes the majority of its money from pay-per-click advertisements.
c.
Google is a nonprofit organization dedicated to universal access to information.
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d.
The majority of Google’s revenue comes from selling its cloud-based word-processing
program.
ANSWER:
b
44. Which of the following statements about targeted advertising is not true?
a.
It is a passing fad because it is unpopular with advertisers and generates very little
revenue.
b.
It is a big part of the revenue of sites like Google and Facebook.
c.
Some versions read your e-mail messages to find key words that trigger specific ads.
d.
It may undermine the role of search engines to provide neutral access to information.
ANSWER:
a
45. What is spyware, and what does it do?
a.
It is a way for the government to figure out if you are accessing pornography online.
b.
It is software developed by the Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects for
spying on Russia.
c.
It is a computer program that lets you access secret information from sources like
WikiLeaks.
d.
It is software, secretly bundled with other software, that allows someone to collect
private information.
ANSWER:
d
46. Which of the following best describes an “opt-in” Internet policy?
a.
a policy that assumes a website has the right to collect and share your information
b.
a policy of inserting spyware on unsuspecting computers
c.
a policy whereby consumers have to give their consent before a website can collect
any browsing-history data
d.
a policy favored by marketers and data-mining corporations
ANSWER:
c
47. The law that grants sweeping powers to law-enforcement agencies to intercept individuals’
online communications, including e-mail messages and browsing records, is the ______.
a.
Communications Decency Act
b.
Telecommunications Act
c.
USA PATRIOT Act
d.
Children’s Internet Protection Act
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ANSWER:
c
48. A form of Internet identity theft involving phony e-mail messages asking customers to
update their credit card numbers, account passwords, and other personal information is called
_______.
a.
spamming
b.
data-mining
c.
open sourcing
d.
phishing
ANSWER:
d
49. According to the American Library Association, what are the limitations of trying to protect
children from inappropriate material on the Internet?
a.
It’s annoying to have to disable the filters every time an adult wants to access that
material.
b.
There is no way to filter out all illegal content but still allow access to constitutionally
protected materials.
c.
Current filtering software doesn’t block enough material.
d.
There isn’t enough federal funding for all schools and libraries to have the filtering
software.
ANSWER:
b
50. What does the term digital divide refer to?
a.
the ability of the rich to have access to the latest information technology while the
poor do not
b.
the length of time it takes for messages to travel between two continents
c.
the competition between software companies
d.
the programming gap between using a Microsoft operating system and a system like
Linux
ANSWER:
a
51. Which of the following statements about Linux software is not true?
a.
It is subscription based.
b.
Many people have contributed to its development.
c.
It is most often found on operating servers rather than on PC desktops.
d.
It was established by Linus Torvalds in 1991.
ANSWER:
a
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52. Which of the following is not a threat to privacy of personal information on the Internet?
a.
government surveillance
b.
data mining
c.
cookies
d.
digital archiving
ANSWER:
d
53. While no one owns the Internet, some businesses have had commercial success controlling
parts of the Internet experience. Which of the following endeavors has not been commercially
successful?
a.
providing physical access to the Internet through phone, cable, and satellite links
b.
creating viable nonprofit channels on the Internet
c.
designing and providing programs that allow users to network with others over the
Internet
d.
designing and running directories and search engines
ANSWER:
b