The Internet characteristics of Internet immediacy 24 hours

The Internet

characteristics of Internet • • immediacy – 24 hours a day ubiquity transparency: everything is available relevancy: directly relates to the individual.

history of Internet • Cold War origins (Advanced Research Project Agency). Goal: decentralized communication network. • ARPANET (1969 -70 s) • 1980 s: Internet growth (PCs, rise of email)

current uses of Internet average user: 19 hours/month; 44% of homes; $36 b in 2000. • electronic mail. • world wide web • threaded conference • on-line chat • streamed broadcasting

demographics recent changes: • more women than men • not just upscale users use by children: 42% cyber addiction

politics and the Internet (1) voter information (2) candidate campaigning, fundraising, volunteer recruitment/mobilization, email

decency and Internet • • Communications Decency Act (1996) Reno v. ACLU, 1997 state efforts limited Child On Line Protection Act (CDA II) -1998 • filters • Loudon County, VA

recent legal developments May 31, 2002 Children’s Internet Protection Act -- 2000 • Requires public libraries receiving federal technology funds to install filters on their computers or risk losing aid • Federal judicial panel strikes down the law, saying that the filters “also block sites on politics, health, science and other topics that should not be suppressed. ”

recent judicial panel Judicial panel finds: • Internet = open public forum. Any move to exclude content must be narrowly tailored • less restrictive ways than software filters to shield children from Internet porn (e. g. , parental consent before using unfiltered computer; requiring parent to be present while child surfs)

• Law allowed adults to ask that the filtering technology be turned off. • Judges: some library patrons might be embarrassed by havint to ask; some librarians may lack technical expertise to comply if asked.

Justice Department • Internet smut pervasive • these protections needed to protect children • law asks libraries to use same care in selecting online content as for books or magazines • libraries could turn down federal funding if they want unfiltered web access

American Library Association, ACLU • law would make it harder for people without home computers to get information on topics such as breast cancer or homosexuality – which are sometimes accidentally blocked by filters

dissent and Internet • • difficulty of regulation China Korea Saudi Arabia

hate groups • proliferation • efforts to curb (primarily abroad)

community and Internet • transcending space and time • common interests • value for non-mainstream groups

advertising and the Internet • arguments over advertising, commercial uses of web • growth of advertising, uncertainty about effectiveness • improved quality • security

future of the Internet • making other media obsolete? • further expansion, easier to use, convergence • more choices, customizing, direct links • tradeoffs: privacy, digital divide, free speech.

media reality, reality

why media reality not reality 1. external influences (many work to shape media content: politicians, advertisers, PR agents, pressure groups, etc. ) 2. internal influences (media profit motive, production process, norms)

who gets left out? • over 35/40 • people of color • women how well can media serve the broader democracy?

what can you do? • media literacy: be a smart viewer/reader • make your voice and views heard