Digital Universe The Global Telecommunication Revolution

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. 

Peter B. Seel, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University in the United States. He has taught new communication technologies, video production, digital photography, documentary film, and has extensive professional experience as a photojournalist and medical documentary producer. He is the co-author of two books and numerous articles on digital television and new media 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 

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.