The Internet
In what decade was the World Wide Web created and by whom?
1980s (1989) by Tim Berners-Lee
What are some factors that can affect how a person understands or "receives" a message/communication?
age, gender, educational level, ethnicity, occupation
What is communication?
creation and use of symbol systems, such as languages, that convey information and meaning
Why as humans do we play games?
to learn how to work together, strategize, think differently and think similarly
How does Google make most of its money?
shopping-related searches/advertising
To survive a military attack; it is a "distributed network" meaning that nobody has the power to kick others off the network
What is the name for the cultural industries that produce and distribute cultural products to large numbers of people?
The mass media
What do all media do?
tell stories or narratives
Why was the first video game created?
To show what computers could do
What is the difference between media emergence and convergence?
Emergence: When a person invents a new way to communicate to solve a problem
Convergence: When older media is reconfigured into something new (streaming TV shows on Netflix rather than watching on a traditional broadcast network ... oral communication becomes text messages)
What is the difference between a search engine and a browser?
A browser provides access to the Internet (like a windshield, you can see it) but a search engine allows you to navigate the Internet (like a steering wheel)
What is the difference between the linear model of communication and the cultural model?
Linear assumes that information moves smoothly from sender to receiver (like a bowling ball toward a set of pins); cultural model takes into account the different experiences and background information of each receiver and the fact that different people interpret information in their own ways.
What are the eras in communication?
oral, written, print, electronic, digital
Why was John Madden Football revolutionary?
It focused on realism and making the players feel as though they were on the football field
What is selective exposure?
the fact that people tend to seek out messages that agree with what they already believe
What is spyware?
Software that is secretly bundled with free software, designed to collect private information
Why was the telegraph such an important invention?
It commodified information; also it served as the basis for future inventions such as the fax machine and cell phone
Define culture
symbols of expression that people and societies use to make sense of daily life and articulate values; culture is a process that delivers the values of a society through products. We assign meaning to songs, books, TV shows, digital games.
What elements of e-sports are similar to those of more traditional sports?
sponsorships, prizes, jerseys, play-by-play announcers
Define the digital divide?
The gap between the media "haves" and "have nots" that deals with those who have the devices and access to the Internet, as well as the levels of access.
What is the attention economy and how does it relate to social media?
The attention economy is an approach to the management of information that treats human attention as a scarce commodity that can be monetized; it is the sole business model for social media companies: the longer they hold your attention, the more money they make
Why, according to Sherry Turkle, is it important for face-to-face conversations to last at least seven minutes?
It's by that amount of time that we are able to ascertain if a conversation is "interesting"
What is a key goal of this class?
To move from just being consumers of media toward being knowledgable critics
What is considered the most influential video game ever created and why?
Pong; it was the first to gain mainstream popularity around the world
Net neutrality means...
every user should have the right to the same Internet speed and access