Digital Universe

An illuminating examination of the benefits and drawbacks of global, digital communication  In this newly revised Second Edition of Digital Universe: The Global Telecommunication Revolution, journalism and digital telecommunication expert Peter B. Seel delivers a fascinating and insightful exploration of digital communication technologies and their substantial effects on contemporary life. This book traces the evolution of digital information and communication tools used around the world, from undersea telegraph  cables to the newest mobile phones.  Digital Universe introduces readers to important inventors, scientists, artists, and thinkers in its discussions of the history and socio-cultural effects of technology adoption. It offers an accessible tour of the global digital universe and provides new perspectives and critical observations on mediated human communication. The book also includes:   A thorough introduction to digital communication, the internet, and the origins of the world wide web  Comprehensive explorations of telecommunication and media convergence, including the profound effects of the adoption of wired and wireless technologies worldwide  Practical discussions of internet control, cyberculture, and dystopian views -- including online censorship, the loss of personal privacy, surveillance capitalism, increasing data hacks, and cyberwarfare  The book introduces an original concept, the Tao of Technology, that encourages readers to adopt an enhanced worldview of informed ambivalence toward the diffusion of new telecommunication technologies  A new chapter on artificial intelligence (A.I.) explores its application in global telecommunication and examines the biases introduced by its creators  In-depth examinations of new technologies, including alternative digital realities such as virtual and augmented realties, and their potential effects on the future of digital communication  Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students in journalism, technical communication, speech communication, technology history, sociology, anthropology, computer information systems, and education; it provides the latest data on innovations in telecommunication. The second edition of Digital Universe: The Global Telecommunication Revolution will be an invaluable resource for anyone with an interest in the evolution of the internet, new telecommunication technologies, communication privacy and surveillance, the rise of social media, and the consequences of the diffusion of information and communication technologies.

Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Key Terms and Abbreviations xiii Part I Introduction and Framing 1 1 Immersion in the Digital Universe 3 2 The Future of Moore’s Law in the Digital Universe 12 3 Critical Perspectives 22 Part II Internet and Web History 35 4 Origins of the Internet 37 5 Internet Evolution 54 6 The Web 68 Part III Global Telecommunication and Media Convergence 85 7 Telecommunication and the “Flat” World 87 8 Wired and Wireless Technologies 104 9 Digital Media Convergence 129 Part IV Internet Control, Cyberculture, and Dystopian Views 143 10 The Public and Private Internet 145 11 Censorship and Global Cyberculture 163 12 Privacy and Surveillance 179 Part V New Communication Technologies and the Future 201 13 Artificial Intelligence and Telecommunication 203 14 Alternative Digital Realties 224 15 The Future of the Digital Universe 245 Index 252