Question 1 (Based on Marsden’s 2008 article)
How has the Internet been regulated? What are the major differences between Internet and mass media content?
Marsden’s article examines the regulation of the internet from the perspective of consumer policy in comparison to ‘offline attitude to consumer policy. Marsden points out the many areas in which the internet has been regulated, albeit to some degree sporadic and often best described as ‘self-regulated’ through coalitions of ISP and social networking sites to name but a few. The contrast between the difficulties in regulating the internet in comparison to Mass Media Content (essential ‘offline media’), is that the internet presents far more needed regulation as there are many problems in enforcing regulation such as geographic and judicial problems.
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Question 2 (based on Kowack 2008 article)
What role did the U.S. government play in the invention and innovation of the internet? Why was the Internet allowed to develop without opposition or influence from established post, telephone, and telegraph organizations?
As Kowack notes in his article, the United States Government played and fundamental role in the birth of the internet through packet switching technology to connect computers at different research bases under the U.S. Department of defense (Kowack 75). The fundamental reason why the internet, as a new means of communication, was not challenged by the then traditional mediums and industries of communication (such as post, telegraph and telephone services or PTT) was that the industries themselves did not invest in connectionless networking instead focusing on their own areas of communication and thus missed the opportunity to dictate and develop that emerging internet market. (Kowack 75)
Question 3
What is Web 2.0, what is driving it and what kinds of applications are part of it?
The web 2.0 phenomenon is described by Marsden as the newer aspects to the internet which move it from a static data driven nature to a closely integrated system which promotes interaction (such as social networking sites Face book and MySpace) (116). As well as this Web 2.0 is the term used to talk about technological integration such as the advent of Smart phones and TV’s with closer interaction with all differing types of technology. The sort of applications range from on demand TV and film services for smart TV’s to instant downloads and online remote control for sound systems.
- Marsden, C. T. (2008) Beyond Europe: The Internet, Regulation, and Multistakeholder Governance – Representing the Consumer Interest? Journal of Consumer Policy 31:115–132
- Kowack, G. (2008) Unanticipated and Contingent Influences on the Evolution of the Internet. Interaction. (Jan-Feb) 74-78
