Online Journalism: Theory and Practice Week 1 Spring 2011 G. F Khan, PhD

1. Online Journalism: Theory and Practice Week 1 Spring 2011 G. F Khan, PhD

2. In this Class • What is the Internet? • And where did it come from? • History of the Internet • Properties of the Internet • Convergence • Issues and challenges related to internet • Discussion

3. Internet Usage • Estimated nearly 2 Billion users, over 100 countries

4. Questions about the Internet • What is the Internet? • How was it created, and by whom, and why? • Who controls the internet? • How is it developing, and who is doing the development?

5. What is Internet? • A worldwide group of connected networks (computers and devices) that allow public access to information and services • Largest network in the world – A network of networks • Not owned or controlled by any single organization • Every person who makes a connections owns a slice of the internet • Related concepts: • What is a network? • Types of Networks • LAN, MAN, WAN, Internet etc

6. How the Internet Began? Any Ideas?

7. History of the Internet • Began with the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network – ARPANET • The network was created by a small research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the United States Department of Defense. • Started in September 1969 consisting of four host nodes • University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), • The Stanford Research Institute (SRI) • University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), • The University of Utah • It was the world's first operational packet switching network and the core network for today's Global Internet • Over 100 million hosts connected today • A host is any computer that connects to the Internet

8. History of the Internet • The National Science Foundation (NSF) originally provided the backbone • Today, the infrastructure for the Internet is privatized and provided by: • Communications companies such as • Cable companies • Telephone companies • Satellite companies • Other Wireless providers • E.g. from Korea? • Governments

9. History of the Internet • The Internet is a public, cooperative, independent network: No single entity controls or owns it • Various organizations help define standards • The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) oversees research and set standards and guidelines http://www.w3.org/Consortium/mission.html • ICANN– Internet Corporation for Assigned Names (domains) and Numbers (IPs) http://www.icann.org/en/about/ • Internet2 (I2) is an http://www.internet2.edu/about/ • Internet research and development project • Develops and tests advanced Internet technologies • Provides a high speed Internet within the Internet

10. Connecting to the Internet • Data is sent via networks and communications channels owned by many companies which will provide service to us – for a fee • Internet Service Providers (ISP) • Have permanent connections to the Internet • Provide temporary connections to individuals and companies for a fee • Point of presence (POP) – points to connect to • Regional and National ISP’s • Online service providers • Supplies members only features, e.g. AOL

11. Connecting to the Internet • Dial-up access • Home or small business • Modem, computer and telephone line are used • Dial into an access point, to a phone number provided • Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) • Provides high speed connection over copper telephone lines • Cable Television Internet Services • Provides high-speed connection over cable • Wireless Internet Services • HSDPA, Wi-bro, WiMax

12. How Data Travels over the Internet • Three parts of an Internet Connection: Computers connected to the Internet work together using clients and servers • Server • A computer that manages the resources of a network and • Provides a central storage area • Client • A computer that can access the storage area on a server • Backbone • The inner structure of the Internet. The High speed communications lines that carry the heaviest amount of traffic

13. Regional ISP Step 3 Step 5 Step 1 Step 2 Step 4 National ISP Step 6 Local ISP Internet backbone Step 8 Step 7 National ISP How Data Travels over the Internet • A request is made for data from the Internet • A modem converts digital signals to analog signals, which can travel over phone lines • Data travels through telephone lines to a local ISP • Data may be sent through routers • The regional ISP uses lines, leased through a telephone company, to a national ISP • A national ISP routes the data across the country to another national ISP • Data travels from a national ISP to a regional ISP, and then to the destination server • The server retrieves the data and send it back to your computer

14. Internet Addresses • The Internet relies on a structured addressing system • IP (Internet protocol) address • Number that uniquely identifies each computer or device • Consists of 4 groups of numbers, separated by periods, e.g. 129.89.7.95 • Similar to a phone number with country code, city code or area code and local phone number • IPv4 v.s IPv6

15. Domain Names • Domain name • Text version of an IP address • Components separated by periods • e.g. www.yu.ac.kr • A Top-level domain (TLD) abbreviation identifies type of organization, e.g. .com, .edu, .org … • International Web sites outside the US include a country code • A Domain Name Server (DNS) stores domain names and their corresponding IP addresses • DNS servers used to translate domain name into its IP address

16. Domain Names • ICANN assigns and controls Top-Level Domain Names (TLDs) and maintains a registry of domain names in use

17. The World Wide Web (WWW) • WWW is one of many services available on the Internet • Developed in 1991 by Tim Berners-Lee • A collection Internet servers that store formatted electronic documents • Web pages and Web sites • Web pages are stored on Web servers • Deliver/serve Web pages • Web browser • Permits access to Web pages • FireFox, Opera, Internet Explorer, Safari • Minibrowers/microbrowsers are used for Web-enabled held-held devices

18. The World Wide Web (WWW) • Web pages may contain hyperlinks • Built-in connection to another Web page or part of a Web page • Allows for nonlinear searches • Can be represented by a word, phrase, image • Click on the link to activate it • http://www.yu.ac.kr/ • Web pages have unique addresses • Uniform Resource Locator (URL) • Also known as Web address • Tells the browser the location of the Web page • Consists of • Protocol (HTTP) • Domain name • Sometimes includes a path • http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2011/02/129_80954.html

19. Web Publishing • Develop and maintain Web sites: Five major steps 1. Plan the site • Identify purpose, characteristics of audience, elements that will differentiate the site from others 2. Analyze and design the site • Design layout • Text, graphics, audio, video • Define hardware needed to create layout • Sound card, digital camera, scanner • Define software needed to create layout • Plug-in to extend capability of browser 3. Create the site (“Web page authoring”) • Use the computer to compose the site • Word processor, Web page authoring software • HTML

20. Web Publishing 4. Deploy the site (make it real) • Store the site on a Web server • Service provider • Web hosting service • Obtain a domain name • Through Web hosting service • Apply to a registrar • Upload the site to the server • FTP – file transfer protocol • Copy to a Web folder • Register URL with search engines • Submission service 5. Maintain the site • Adding, deleting, modifying Web pages

21. Email • Transmission of files and messages via computer networks • E-mail Client Application • E-mail address • Combination of user name, ‘@’ symbol, and domain name • e.g. joezo@icu.ac.kr • Mailbox • Storage location usually residing a computer that connects to Internet (ISP server) • Mail server is the server containing mailboxes (ISP server) • Free e-mail services • hotmail.com, yahoo.com, google.com

22. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) • Internet standard that allows uploading and downloading of files on the Internet • FTP server • Computer that allows users to upload and download files • FTP program • Supports uploading and downloading of files using FTP, e.g. WS_FTP • FTP site • Collection of files that reside on an FTP server

23. Web 2.0 • Is a concept not technical specification • Web 2.0 websites allow users to do more than just retrieve information. • “Web 2.0 is the term given to describe a second generation of the World Wide Web that is focused on the ability for people to collaborate and share information online.” webopedia, 2011 • Examples: Wiki, blogs, social networking websites • (e.g. Facebook, flicker )

24. Properties of the Internet

25. What makes the Internet a better technology than its • predecessor technologies? • Does the Internet really have the potential to transform • competitive landscapes?

26. 10 Properties of the internet • 1) Mediating technology- The Internet provides interconnections to parties that are interdependent or want to be. • The Internet’s interactivity gives some unique advantages over the older media. (Print, Radio, and TV) Anyone connected to the Internet has the power to broadcast information to anyone on it. • 2) Universality- The Internet can enlarge and shrink the world! • Enlargement: Global market e.g. buying and selling through eBay • Shrink: Global collaboration e.g. e-learning, join research project over Internet

27. 10 Properties of the internet • 3) Network externality- More valuable to users as more people take advantage of it or connect to it. Ex) telephone system • Metcalfe’s Law: The value of a network increases as the square of the number of people in the network. • The value of net =N^2 (when N is the number of people in the network) • Network externalities (NE) also applies to products whose value to customers increases with complementary products. Ex) computer and software • NE Can be positive or negative

28. 10 Properties of the internet • 4) Distribution Channel- The internet has two kinds of effects on existing distribution channels. • Replacement effect: The Internet is used to serve the same customers served by the old distribution channel without bringing in new customers. Ex) distributing airline tickets of travel agencies • Extension effect: The Internet provides the chance to enter the market to potential customers who ordinarily cannot participate in the market.

29. 10 Properties of the internet • 5) Time Moderator- ability to shrink and enlarge time • Internet users can get the information which they want instantaneously using the web regardless of time • Shrink: e.g. time difference between USA and Korea). You don’t need to wait until morning to get info from an office in USA while in Korea • Enlarge: e.g. You can use banking service, auction etc. on internet 24 hours a day, seven days to a week. • 6) Information Asymmetry Shrinker- Information asymmetry exists when one party to a transaction has information that another party does not. E.g. comparing prices online • The web reduces some of these information asymmetries.

30. 10 Properties of the internet • 7) Infinite Virtual Capacity – The Internet often gives customers the feeling that it has infinite virtual capacity to serve them. • 8) Low Cost Open Standard – The Internet and the Web are standards open to everyone and everywhere. • Also the cost of the Internet is a lot lower than that of earlier means of electronic communications such as EDI.

31. 10 Properties of the internet • 9) Creative Destroyer – The Internet has shown creative destruction introduced by J.A. Schumpeter providing low entry cost, flexibility, interactivity, and virtually unlimited possibilities. • 10) Transaction-Cost Reducer – Transaction costs are the costs of searching for sellers and buyers; collecting information on products; negotiating, monitoring, and enforcing contracts; and the costs of transportation. The Internet reduces the transaction cost for many industries.

32. Convergence • Two or more domains of activity start to share common features, and therefore could be considered as one domain. • Digital technology • 1970s Computers and Communications • 1990s Multimedia Computers, the Internet • 2000s Wireless-wireless and Internet -wireless.

34. Convergence in the Internet Generic • Technical facility to create or present and control a message or information in a variety of media through a single integrated channel. It has the varying qualities of Multimedia-ness, Interactivity, Personalisation, Facility, Complexity and Universality. Technical • the convergence of computer, telecommunications and television technology as it develops to allow digital storage, manipulation, transmission and reproduction of any media type.

35. Meanings 2 Information • Multimedia breaks down the barriers between different information and communication types: it is “co-mingled bits” (Negroponte, 1994) It enables richer communications between humans and between humans and machines Industry/Business • The convergence of different industries, telecommunication, computer, information and entertainment which could be facilitated by innovation and diffusion of converging technologies.

36. Internet challenges • Commercialization, ownership and control • Censorship • Privacy • Globalization • Wireless • Dependability • Entertainment • Scalability • Addresses • Quantity • IP6 and Quality of Service • End-to-end applications e.g. VoIP, SIP (e.g.Skype) • Bandwidth

37. Access: price, skill, geography Social Need: Rights, Universal Access Community and Identity Changes the way we engage with ideas and people Privacy Personal Data Personal Thoughts Security terrorism crime Governance Role of governments Competition Protectionism/ National Competitiveness Taxation Freedom of Information Protection of Minors Content Regulation Privacy Democracy Citizen participation Citizen action/subversion Social/Economic Policy Issues

38. Limitation of transactions over the Internet • The nature of knowledge and people limits the extent to which the Internet can be used to conduct business. • Tacit Knowledge: Knowledge transmitted over the Internet is explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is difficult to be carried out over the Internet. How can you transmit the smell and feel of a car over the Internet? • People: Because human beings and their organizations are still limited cognitively, they may not be able to encode their knowledge into a form that can be transmitted over the Internet.

39. Discussion • What are the side effects of the internet? • Is the Internet the product of the Network Society, or the foundation of it? • Can the internet can be controlled? • How should it be governed? • Where will it evolve? • Who is it for?

40. Next-Class • Grand Theories • Theoretical approaches to studying the interactions and relationships between 'technology' and 'society’. • How does society make technology? • How does technology impact society? • Technological determinism, • Science and Technology studies - Social Shaping of Technology • The ‘Socio-technical’

41. Thank You Questions & Comments