MCOMM Exam

Why was the Internet created?

As a way for college researchers and the military to share data.

Who created it? What was it called?

U.S. Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects—-ARPAnet

What were some of the early functions

E-mail & bulletin boards

What invention allowed for the development of personal computers?

microprocessors

What was the major achievement from this era?

World Wide Web

Who invented the World Wide Web? Why?

Tim Berners-Lee—- Help scientists collaborate

What is HTML?

HyperText Markup Language: language used to tell a web browser how to make a page look

What was the name of the first user friendly browser?

Mosaic

What was the first commercial browser?

Netscape

What was the major achievement from this era? (Web 2.0)

Media convergence; accessibility

Know something about instant messaging and social networking.

IM—> Small group of contacts, Social Networking—-> One-to-many communication

What is a wiki? What is a blog? Should we be cautious about their content?

Anyone can edit; no fact checks

What does net neutrality mean?

the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally by Internet Service Providers.

Who is in favor of it? Who is opposed to it? (Net Neutrality)

Favor: Google, Yahoo, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Oppose: Telephone and cable companies

How do companies like Google and Facebook make money?

Advertising

How have Internet service providers (ISPs) changed over time?

Provide consumers access to Internet, Become broadband

What company dominated the ISP market in the late 1990s and early 2000s?

AOL

Why did that change? (AOL)

Content now free, adapting with Time Warner then split

What are the dominant web browsers and search engines?

Internet Explorer, Google, Safari, Opera

What do internet companies spend money on? What is their overhead?

Investments; software, facilities, equipment

What is open source software? What are some examples?

Microsoft, Anyone can learn to modify

What is digital archiving? Who is working on it?

Internet Archive; all US citizens

What are some examples of government surveillance

Collecting browser histories and online records

What is a phishing scam?

Internet identity theft

What are some examples of unethical data gathering?

E-commerce, cookies, spyware

What is the Children's Internet Protection Act?

Act that requires schools and libraries that receive federal funding for internet access to use software that filters out any visual content deemed obscene, pornographic, or harmful to minors, unless disabled at the request of adult users

What are some major social movements that have been credited to the Internet?

Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, Tea Party

For example, know something about the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party movements.

Political movements, Arab Spring—> Regime changes in Middle East, US—> Examples of getting together on SM to protest, (Big Government)———-> Political movement tied to Internet

What is the digital divide?

Contrast between the "information haves" and the "information have nots"

Why do some governments block access to the Internet?

Spread of information can create hostility

What is mechanical gaming? What is a penny arcade?

Mechanical gaming— coin operated contraptions, Penny arcade— Home to entertainment

Why was pinball banned early in its history? What changed?

Gambling, return flaps (Flipper bumper)

What were some of the first home gaming systems?

Odyssey

What were some of the most popular games?

Pong

What was the role of arcades? What did arcades signal?

Created social medium

How have graphics evolved? What is a bit? How many bits are in a standard game?

Binary digits that can be processed at a time(the higher the rate, the more graphics)

What game consoles currently dominate the market?

Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft

What early advantage did computer games have? What is their role now?

Classics have nostalgia; convenience

What was the first game to connect to the Internet?

Sega Dreamcast

What is the impact of online fantasy sports?

Inclusive with TV, social component

What is an MMORPG? What are some examples?

Massive multiplayer online role-player games—- Set virtual worlds

What is Second Life? What is an avatar?

Second-Life: Set in real-time; human avatars; Characters played and customized by the player

How do they speak to each other? What are some terms they use? (for example what is a noob?)

PUGs, ninjas, trolls, noobs—-> Gamespeak

What is collective intelligence?

Tips and cheats held in a database for electronic games

Know something about immersion and addiction.

Immersion—- More inclusive for all and more appealing; Addiction—- Habit formation

How do gaming companies make money? How big is the market?

Sell of gamings and consoles; 60% has consoles

How much can games cost to make? Why? What has been one of the most expensive games ever made?

The same as a movie; Grand Theft Auto 4

What is included in a development budget?

The money spent on designing, coding, scoring, and testing

What is the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)?

Labeling to inform parents of violence and sexual content

Why do games have First Amendment protection? How did that happen?

Supreme Court declared freedom of speech after selling an M game to minors

Where are some of the many places we see ads?

Everywhere

Why is advertising important when studying mass media?

The new market, persuasive techniques, brand-names

What are some ways we can avoid advertising?

DVRs, blocking pop-ups

Why were there very few ads prior to the Industrial Revolution?

No personalization, differentiate their product from competing goods

What was a space broker?

individuals who purchased space in newspapers and sold it to various merchants

Who opened the first ad agencies? (Hint: one worked for the newspapers and the other didn't)

Volney Palmer (Newspaper) & N.W. Ayer

What is one of advertising's greatest accomplishments? (Hint: think branding)

Manufacture sold their goods directly to retail—- give idea of who made them; ads made consumers want specific

How did the sale of patent medicine change advertising?

Federal Food & Drug Act. Companies police their own forces

How has advertising shaped and influenced American culture?

Technological advances create values and enforced ideas "good housewife"

What are some of the watchdog groups?

Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission (FTC),

What government agency regulates ads?

Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC)

What are subliminal ads? Why were they banned?

Hidden or disguised in print, bother subconscious minds

What types are there? (ad agencies)

Mega-agencies & boutique agencies

What are the four main areas of an ad agency? What are their functions?

Account planning, creative development, media buying, and account management

Which area is the "nerve center?"

Creative Development

What tools would an agency use to create a successful ad? How would they conduct research? What metrics would they use?

Research and creativity, viral marketing— Accounts

How has the Internet changed advertising?

It is now curated to the individual and paid search advertising dominates Google, Yahoo!, Bing

What is a testimonial? What is the bandwagon effect? What are some examples?

Testimonial-Sayings from either famous or regular people for the purpose of buying, Bandwagon— Everyone is using product, fear of being left out

What is the difference between snob appeal and hidden-fear appeal?

Snob—Elevate status for snob, Hidden-fear—- Plays on insecurities

What is the association principle? What are some examples?

Associates a product with a positive cultural value or image

What are some concerns about advertising?

Promote drinking, eating disorders, smoking, drugs directly to consumers—Aim towards children and teens

What are some problems that are often blamed on ads?

Drinking and drugs

What is the role of political advertising?

Use of ads to promote a candidate's image and persuade to adopt a particular viewpoint.

hat was the Citizens United case? Why is it important?

Advertising influences us through political ads; 2010— Citizen United vs. Election, Created super PAC (Political Action Committee)— Exist to raise money and buy ads—- Same level of first amendment as any average citizen; Criticized

How do we define PR? What is its purpose?

Public Relations; Construct images, adopt a certain point of view

What was a press agent? What were their goals?

People who conveyed favorable messages to the public about their clients

Who was P.T. Barnum? Who was William F. Cody?

Circus— exaggeration, Cody—- Promote himself and his traveling shows

What were some of the tactics press agents used to promote the railroads?

Deadheading, hiring press agents to help get federal funds and put value on the Railroad

Who was Ivy Lee? Who was Edward Bernays? How did they influence PR?

Lee—-Helped Rockefeller— Come out with the story of oil company before the press,

Bernays—- Promoted women, psychology and sociology of profession

What is propaganda?

Communication that is presented as advertising or publicity and that is intended to gain (or undermine) public support for a special issue, program, and policy

What research tools do PR practitioners use to formulate the message?

Press Releases, Video News Releases, Public Service Announcements

What tools do they use to convey the message?

Interactions, press kits, YouTube, PR based Websites

How do they work with the media? What is crisis management?

Sole source of information, clean up reputation of a company or business

How do they manage community and government relations?

Have clients perform as good citizens, donations and events, new business with satisfaction

What is astroturf lobbying?

Lobbying effort to look like it came from the common folk (masses) but isn't—-> From corporation

How would you describe the relationship? Do they need each other?

Antagonistic, interdependent

What is interdependence?

Rely on each other; Press Releases— Info, PR controls the access to information

Why are journalists sometimes skeptical of PR?

Control the flow of information; What isn't a reason that a journalist may be skeptical

What is PRSA?

Public Relation Society of America— PR WatchDog Groups

What are some other watchdog groups (or publications)?

Public Relations Society of America

What is PR's role in politics?

Favorably shape or reshape candidate's image

What is spin?

Skewing of a story to either look good or bad, change the way it is framed, changing impact—— Crisis Communication (BP)

We discussed nine criteria that make an item newsworthy:

Timeliness, proximity, conflict, prominence, human interest, consequence (or impact), usefulness, novelty, and deviance

What does neutrality mean? What are some reasons journalists practice this?

Present “facts” and information without judging them; Greater credibility

Who was Herbert Gans? Which values did he observe?

Sociologist, “enduring values”—> Studied newsroom cultures

What is ethnocentrism?

Reporters judge other countries and cultures on the basis of how “they live up to American practice and values”

What is responsible capitalism?

Assumes that the purpose of business is not to maximize profits but “to create increased prosperity for all.”

What is small-town pastoralism?

Favoritism of the small over large and rural over urban.

What is the difference between absolutist ethics and situational ethics?

Absolutist— Moral society has laws and codes that everyone must live by at all times and all cases
Situational—based on case-by-case basis