Intro to Media 102 Final Exam

byte

8 bits

protocols

rules that allowed the supercomputers to join the network and speak to one another.

internet

the vast network of fiber-optic lines, wireless connections, and satellite systems that links laptops, mobile phones, tablets, game consoles, smart TVs, and a growing array of smart devices to enormous data centers around the world.

ARPAnet

enabled researchers to pool computing power and established the cornerstone of what would become the Internet’s infrastructure.

bulletin board services

precursors to websites, where people with a shared interest in topics, like particle physics or Star Trek, could post information and become part of a community.

microprocessors

miniature circuits that process and store digital electronic signals

fiber-optic cables

made of glass replaced metal wires as the standard for network connections, dramatically increasing the amount of data networks could handle and the speed by which data could be transmitted.

HTML (hypertext markup language)

a language for displaying text, images, and other multimedia that allowed users to link files to one another.

broswers

software applications that help users navigate the web

internet service providers

emerged to offer Internet access to home users

broadband

connections soon led to much faster download speeds.

search engines

relying on mathematical algorithms, offered a more automated way to find content by allowing users to enter key words or queries to locate related web pages.

read-only

websites were places people went to view information.

read-write

a place where users could read information, contribute their own digital content, and directly engage with other users.

Section 230

protected any company operating an “interactive computer service” from liability for anything published on their service by a third party.

wikis

open and collaborative websites where people work together to edit and create content

Semantic Web

web pages and databases would be created in such a way that a computer—functioning as something akin to artificial intelligence—could examine the web’s vast quantities of data and automatically provide useful solutions to people’s needs

Internet of Things

integrating the Internet into almost every part of our environment, including hospitals, urban infrastructure, factories, financial systems, and our homes.

gatekeepers

newspaper editors, network TV managers, record executives, and others who have traditionally decided which messages get circulated

misinformation

false or misleading information spread by people who assume it’s true

disinformation

false or misleading information spread knowingly by people with malicious intent

filter bubbles

spaces where we are exposed only to ideas and opinions that match our existing beliefs

confirmation bias

tendency to socialize with people similar to ourselves as well as to favor information that conforms to our preexisting beliefs over information that challenges them

analog

a category that refers to various ways of encoding information that existed before binary code

remix culture

a term used to describe a society in which people are able to create and communicate by mixing, editing, combining, manipulating, or repurposing existing texts

GIFs

allow us to participate in conversations over text or social media using clips culled from popular culture

right of fair use

a legal doctrine that permits people to use copyrighted material without permission as long as the use does not compromise its value.

deepfakes

images or videos that use advanced digital editing technology to create fraudulent but convincing content.

survellience capitalism

an increasingly important business model that involves making money by controlling the personal data of millions of users.

data mining

tracking our search histories, locations, browser settings, and even the videos we watch on YouTube. If

cookies

computer files that automatically collect and transfer information between a website and a user’s browser, which makes revisiting a website easier or more personalized.

Internet Protocol (IP) Address

the unique number that every device uses when communicating on the Internet—can be used by a data miner like Google to make assumptions about such details as which user is online and where that user is located.

addictive design

principles developed from research into human behavior modification.

survellience states

societies in which governments conduct systematic mass surveillance on their populations.

wall gardens

highly managed environments brought to us by apps

net nuetrality

same access to the network and travel across it at the same speed.

opt-in policies

require websites to obtain explicit permission from consumers before the sites can collect browsing history data

open source software

computer software with source code that is freely available to the public

universal access

the notion that every citizen, regardless of income or location, should have the opportunity to use and benefit from a technology.

digital divides

refers to the growing contrast between the “information haves”—those who can afford to purchase a computer and pay for Internet services—and the “information have-nots”—those who may not be able to afford a computer or pay for Internet services.

5G

the next generation of mobile networking technology that promises download speeds on par with home broadband

penny arcade

an indoor area with coin-operated mechanical games, photography booths, picture shows, and other amusements.

pinball machine

the most prominent of the mechanical games; players score points by manipulating the path of a metal ball on a slanted table sealed within a glass-covered case.

arcades

establishments that gathered together multiple coin-operated games

consoles

devices people use specifically to play video games—put digital games on a path to becoming a mass medium, bringing gaming into households and sparking unprecedented growth in game development.

gameplay

the way in which the rules structure how players interact with the game—rather than by any sort of visual or narrative style.

massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs)

digital games—once designed for solo or small-group play—now engage huge numbers of player-participants

avatar

a graphic interactive “character” situated within the world of the game—of their own design.

Multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs)

can also have hundreds of thousands of active players worldwide.

Battle royale games

which are a subset of MOBAs, are also multiplayer, but the number of players is limited (usually to a hundred players), since the objective is to be the last player (or team) surviving.

PUGs (pick up groups)

temporary teams usually assembled by matchmaking programs integrated into the game

guilds/clans

groups organized by players themselves

collective intelligence

sharing of knowledge and ideas is an excellent example of

modding

“modifying game software or hardware.”

online fanstasy sports

games where participants assemble virtual teams of real-life athletes and compete based on those players' statistical performance in actual games

cosplay

game publishers

make up the part of the industry that releases games to the public.

game developers

write the code, can be sold or given away for free, with the hopes of eventually making money through other means.

intellectual property

stories, characters, personalities, and music that require licensing agreements

in-game advertisements

ads are integrated into the game as billboards, logos, or storefronts

designated market areas

\help advertisers understand where their target audience is located and make informed decisions about where to place their ads

O&O’s

each broadcast network owns and operates a limited number of broadcast stations

affiliate

the network will usually enter into an exclusive contractual relationship with one local station. In doing so, the network promises to provide programming to the … stations, which in turn promise to air the network’s lineup.

kinescope

worked by placing a film camera in front of a TV screen to capture a program as it aired, but the image quality of the resulting copy was poor, limiting its usefulness for later broadcasts.

Big Three

NBC, CBS, and ABC

kinescope

worked by placing a film camera in front of a TV screen to capture a program as it aired, but the image quality of the resulting copy was poor, limiting its usefulness for later broadcasts.

prime time

the critical evening hours when TV viewing (and thus advertising revenue) was highest.

anthology dramas

illustrates how demands for efficiency shaped programming; a television or radio series where each episode or season features a self-contained story, often with different characters and settings, and sometimes even different genres

episoidic series

a format in which the main characters remain the same from week to week.

chapter shows

all story lines wrap up each week, creating self-contained episodes.

serial programs

story lines continue across episodes.

cloning

involves creating a new series by copying the key features of an innovative and popular program.

spin-off

a character from a hit series becomes the lead in a new one. The successful sitcom All in the Family (1971–1979), for example, spawned Maude (1972–1978) and The Jeffersons (1975–1985).

franchise

producers leverage the name recognition of a popular show to brand other series. The longest lasting example is the Star Trek franchise.

CATV

first cable systems were called this; community antenna television

must-carry rules

required cable operators to include all local TV broadcasts on their systems

access channels

nonbroadcast channels dedicated to local education, government, and the public.

cable franchise

a mini-monopoly awarded by a city or town, usually for a fifteen-year period

direct broadcasting satellite (DBS)

transmit signals directly to satellite dishes near or on customers’ homes.

time shift

record programs to watch at their convenience

least objectionable programming (LOP)

a strategy aimed at attracting as big an audience as possible by not turning off any viewers

narrowcasting

specializing in TV

quality audience

a strategy aimed at attracting as big an audience as possible by not turning off any viewers

Telecommunications Act of 1996

required every broadcaster to replace its analog transmitting equipment with digital equipment (which ultimately rendered the old big box TVs useless, unless they were fitted with an adapter

multiplexing

required every broadcaster to replace its analog transmitting equipment with digital equipment (which ultimately rendered the old big box TVs useless, unless they were fitted with an adapter

multiple-system operators

corporations that own many cable systems around the country

linear TV

broadcast television’s and cable’s traditional approach to content delivery, in which a show airs at a specific time

on demand TV

programs are made available to viewers to watch whenever they want.

video on demand

can select from that service’s many offerings whenever they choose.

place shifting

the practice of accessing stored media from different locations.

content delivery services

companies whose business it is to gather and distribute TV content

rating

companies whose business it is to gather and distribute TV content

share

What percentage of TV households who had their TV set turned on at that time were watching that episode?

over the top

refers to streaming sites like Hulu and Netflix, which allow viewers to access TV content through an Internet connection without having to go through broadcast, cable, or satellite providers

cord cutting

consumers cutting the cord to expensive cable subscriptions in favor of a streaming subscription (and maybe free local television) in order to fill their viewing needs at a much lower cost.

digital subchannel broadcast networks

the practice of transmitting multiple, independent television or radio programs simultaneously on the same physical frequency channel using digital broadcasting technology

peak TV

to a period, generally considered to have begun in the late 1990s and peaked in the 2010s, marked by an abundance of high-quality, original scripted television series

syndication

the process by which producers lease the right to air a program to local TV stations, cable channels, and streaming services

First-run syndication

relates to any program originally produced for sale into syndication markets

fringe time

immediately before the evening’s prime-time schedule (early fringe) and after either the local evening news or a network late-night talk show (late fringe).