It's hard to believe that in todays society, the most succesful modern book to be published was the Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling. other than this, the only other book to be this popular was the Holy Bible itself. this does not necessarily mean that it was the most well sold book but it also made more money than any other in movies and other franchises. Books have deffinatly come a long way from when they first had been created. Books had started back from Egyptian times when they had began experimenting with alphabets and they had struggled to find a way to preserve these written symbols. Books had started being written on things such as papyrus and then later in time moved to parchment. the chinese had also written things that closely resmbled book and they where the first to make paper and created a "codex" which was one of the first types of books.
Books today is a huge money making indusrty. An example of this is the billions of dollars exchanged from books today. College books generate up to 3.7 billion dollars every year. Proffessional books generate 3.4 billion dollars and EL-HI books create the most revenue with up to 6.4 billion dollars. This is a huge market which puts tons of money in tons of people's pockets because it involves so many people to generate all of these books. Theres one thing that will influence this in todays economy though. Ebooks and electronic media are starting to take over the industry. i think that in time even though people prefer a hard copy book, books are transferring online and what not. this in itself will start to decrease the amount of money being exchanged throughout our economy today.
Even though books are converting to online and electronic media, there are still things that help sell books today. Television and film industry influence things today and help people decide what books to purchase. this is not always a bad thing that books are being digitized. This is also helping the most recent trend of preserving and restoring older books. Books that are older and are written on acid based paper which in time deteriorates are targeted for preservation. this is not a big money industry but it is helping restoring our history itself.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Chapter 8 Newspapers
Today newspapers play many roles in our society. One of which is to find important news and report it to the public so that the community can be updated constantly on current events. Another role they play is to inform and entertain. Newspapers touch on subjects such as scientific, technological, and medical issues as well. Even though newspapers try and stay current on issues such as this, the digital age is taking over and we are slowly losing our newspapers. people are turning to online news and television for their news instead of paying and waiting for a new paper every week. It is said that newspapers still hold a significant part in advertising but no longer holds the monopoly on advertising. According to the book, ad revenue of newspapers has fallen 7 percent across the industry even though online ad sales have risen 20 percent. the loss of readers and subscribers is now hurting newspapers all over. reporter stocks have also dropped because again people are turning to online media and television.
Newspapers are just a block in the building of passing news to others. it started back when tribes would orally transfer news to one another. news has been around as long as language itself. The first newspaper was published on september 25 1690 by Benjamin Harris. This was just the start of abjection against the government. he had stated things about the colonial government and the government opposed this. He had a negative tone towards the government and the government did not approve. In 1704 th first regularly published newspaper was formed, called the Boston Newsletter. It only reported on events that had occured in Europe months before. in 1765 close to 30 newspapers had been circulating throughout the colonies which led to the first daily paper in 1784. When newspapers had first come out, they where limited to educated wealthy men who controlled politics and commerce. this grew over time to the general public and the paper was made common for everyone to view.
The idea of a newspaper has grown across the world. Newspapers have spread across many countries. the newspapers have also been directed towards several different races as well such as African Americans, Spanish Americans, Asian Americans, and even Native Americans. this showed that the newspaper was not racist and was directed towards all types of races and people. throughout history most newspapers have been directed towards white mainstream readers but since Benjamin Franklin launched a paper in 1732, newspapers have been more commonly aimed at ethnic groups who played a major role in our society.
Newspapers are just a block in the building of passing news to others. it started back when tribes would orally transfer news to one another. news has been around as long as language itself. The first newspaper was published on september 25 1690 by Benjamin Harris. This was just the start of abjection against the government. he had stated things about the colonial government and the government opposed this. He had a negative tone towards the government and the government did not approve. In 1704 th first regularly published newspaper was formed, called the Boston Newsletter. It only reported on events that had occured in Europe months before. in 1765 close to 30 newspapers had been circulating throughout the colonies which led to the first daily paper in 1784. When newspapers had first come out, they where limited to educated wealthy men who controlled politics and commerce. this grew over time to the general public and the paper was made common for everyone to view.
The idea of a newspaper has grown across the world. Newspapers have spread across many countries. the newspapers have also been directed towards several different races as well such as African Americans, Spanish Americans, Asian Americans, and even Native Americans. this showed that the newspaper was not racist and was directed towards all types of races and people. throughout history most newspapers have been directed towards white mainstream readers but since Benjamin Franklin launched a paper in 1732, newspapers have been more commonly aimed at ethnic groups who played a major role in our society.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Chapter 6 Cable: Wired v. Wireless World.
I am one of the millions of people who watch cable television today. It has progressed throughout the years and has now evolved into what most of us watch today. Cable started in the 1940's and since then has grown tremendously. Cable was designed for people who couldn't recieve broadcast television. I for a few years was one of those familes who didn't have cable right away. I remember when we had the rabbit ear antenna on top of our TV in order for us to get basic channels. It was not till recently did our family get full cable television and ever since then I have enjoyed it well. Most people don't think about how much people of society today actually depend on basic cable television. News, sports, comedies, soaps, citcoms, and everything else people watch today is now on cable for usually a pretty decent price. I personally don't pay for cable at my apartment because it is included in the rent but it is a gift to me indeed.
Some facts about cable are how when cable was first invented, it was called CATV which had started in Oregon, PA and NY city. They were started here because of mountains and tall buildings which had blocked TV signals. This only served about 10% of the country and only had about 12 channels to start. Even basic cable today includes more channels than when it first began. When cable came about it started to threaten Broadcast television. it was a problem because it started something new that came about quickly to the people. It was not hard to acquire and was not very expensive. It carried farther than broadcast television and could reach places that broadcast could not. Now a days, cable includes things such as Pay-Per-View, special channles such as a sports package, and HBO channels as well.
Now it almost seems that cable is also being outdated as well. Something known as DBS came about which came wirelessly to a dish outside a persons house. When they first came about during the 1970's they had been huge and bulky and even so didn't include every channel. Now they are conveniently small and can access thousands of channles much like cable can. This has its advantages and disadvantages much like anything else but leads to more futuristic things such as wireless signals used in cellphones. These improvements to technology has proven seemingly impactful on the popluation today. there are so many choices as to what many people can get. Satellite television is provided by several providers and cable television is the same way as well. this just goes to show how far advanced the television industry has come since it started in the 1940's
Some facts about cable are how when cable was first invented, it was called CATV which had started in Oregon, PA and NY city. They were started here because of mountains and tall buildings which had blocked TV signals. This only served about 10% of the country and only had about 12 channels to start. Even basic cable today includes more channels than when it first began. When cable came about it started to threaten Broadcast television. it was a problem because it started something new that came about quickly to the people. It was not hard to acquire and was not very expensive. It carried farther than broadcast television and could reach places that broadcast could not. Now a days, cable includes things such as Pay-Per-View, special channles such as a sports package, and HBO channels as well.
Now it almost seems that cable is also being outdated as well. Something known as DBS came about which came wirelessly to a dish outside a persons house. When they first came about during the 1970's they had been huge and bulky and even so didn't include every channel. Now they are conveniently small and can access thousands of channles much like cable can. This has its advantages and disadvantages much like anything else but leads to more futuristic things such as wireless signals used in cellphones. These improvements to technology has proven seemingly impactful on the popluation today. there are so many choices as to what many people can get. Satellite television is provided by several providers and cable television is the same way as well. this just goes to show how far advanced the television industry has come since it started in the 1940's
Chapter 5 Television and the Power of Visual Culture.
Like mentioned by several other students other than myself, television has evolved drastically in the last 40 years. It started with black and white and only a few channels to what it is today with thousands of channels and thousands of different programs. Television has progressed much like the radio industry has as well. It was controlled by the same company and was regulated daily to ensure that the programs were suitable for all audiences. I see this as more or less a problem. I think that television should not be controlled as much. Yes it can be very influential but should be the parents responsability to control what their kids should watch. I think that certain shows should not be allowed on television because of their intent and content but should not be controlled so harshley. It is to the point where words are bleaped out and body parts are hidden. We live in a different society today than we did when television had first begun. I would personally like to see all shows played as is. They are shown in theatres with everything and should be shown as is.
I think a problem that occurs with television that may not be completely emphasized in this chapter is how influential it is on our culture today. How many teens walk around school gossiping about last nights episode of American Idol or what not. Kids are constantly trying to stay updated with the latest trends that TV stars or singers wear. People like teens and even younger audiences should have their televisions monitered by their parents and the content they view should be limited to age appropriate. They all seem to look at television as something to look up to. Kids try things like drugs, sex ,and other things that they can see in movies or on television. Many people don't seem to realize how much television influences people of our society today.
I guess what I never realized was how much actually went into running a television network or station. There are hundreds of people behind the scenes that also contribute to what many people see on television today. There is big money in television. There are ways that companies save money though and that is a way that alot of networks function today. They gather multiple programs onto one network and by having multiple programs they avoid having to pay licensing fees and what not. By selling an ad, a company can gain double what they put into the advertising. This is also how networks make their money by selling air time to advertisers and what not. I just think it's amazing how much goes into television. There is trading and bartering going on everyday within these companies and this genereates millions of dollars to be distributed among networks and affiliates alike.
I think a problem that occurs with television that may not be completely emphasized in this chapter is how influential it is on our culture today. How many teens walk around school gossiping about last nights episode of American Idol or what not. Kids are constantly trying to stay updated with the latest trends that TV stars or singers wear. People like teens and even younger audiences should have their televisions monitered by their parents and the content they view should be limited to age appropriate. They all seem to look at television as something to look up to. Kids try things like drugs, sex ,and other things that they can see in movies or on television. Many people don't seem to realize how much television influences people of our society today.
I guess what I never realized was how much actually went into running a television network or station. There are hundreds of people behind the scenes that also contribute to what many people see on television today. There is big money in television. There are ways that companies save money though and that is a way that alot of networks function today. They gather multiple programs onto one network and by having multiple programs they avoid having to pay licensing fees and what not. By selling an ad, a company can gain double what they put into the advertising. This is also how networks make their money by selling air time to advertisers and what not. I just think it's amazing how much goes into television. There is trading and bartering going on everyday within these companies and this genereates millions of dollars to be distributed among networks and affiliates alike.
Chapter 4 Popular Radio and the Origins of Broadcasting.
It is hard to believe but the thing most of us use everyday in our lives known as the Radio has evolved from almost nothing to something used by millions. Radio was introduced to the mass public by the 1920's. It was to the point that most families in the United States actually owned and used their radios daily. The technology of a radio had been already used for military purposes several years prior to this. It was madated in 1910 by congress that all ships carry a radio and have a man on them 24/7. this actually saved hundreds of people when the tragedy of Titanic had occured. A man had been on the radio that night on a nearby ship and heard the call and managed to save hundreds from drowning. The invention of the radio was used in the war as well which also benefitted soldiers in combat. As the years progressed, more and more networks had been fighting for space on the limited radio space. There was beginning to be too many networks fighting for a channel and this brought about the Radio act of 1927 from congress. This led to acts being placed which controlled what was to be played on the radio such as the FCC. They regulate what is or is not too innappropriate for the general public.
Radio is one of the most popular and most used media of today. Even today it still reaches 92% of American teens and adults every single week. The radio is home to a broad spectrum of people trying to advertise, play their record, create a station, or create some other radio groups. The economics of radio are phenomonal because of how much money the radio actually generates. The money generated by advertising on the radio are about 3/4 that of all ad revenue for local ad sales. Something that was common during the 1950's was something called payola. This is something where a record promoter or someone of that sort, pays or bribes a dj to play their song or record. The telecommunications act of 1996 changed the ownership of the radio and the public airwaves. From 1995 to 2005 the number of radio station owners decreased by up to 1/3. This was from about 6,600 to about 4,400 owners. Even though all of these stations have been eliminated and controlled, this still makes the radio one of the most popular forms of media used today.
When the FCC had started to buckle down and control the radio, people had turned to "pirate" radio. from 1995 to 2000 more than 500 illegal Pirate radio stations have been shut down. They operate on a low power signal from 1 to 10 watts of power. They are still around today. As many as 1000 pirate radio stations are still in service today, set up in small towns and urban areas. Even though we are fighting Pirate radio stations today, there are things that we have gained from the radio. Programs such as soap operas, situation comedies, and broadcast news have also been created from radio. The radio also popularized rock and roll, car culture, and the politics of talk radio. Yet no matter what has been done, radio has still remained the supremely local medium.
Radio is one of the most popular and most used media of today. Even today it still reaches 92% of American teens and adults every single week. The radio is home to a broad spectrum of people trying to advertise, play their record, create a station, or create some other radio groups. The economics of radio are phenomonal because of how much money the radio actually generates. The money generated by advertising on the radio are about 3/4 that of all ad revenue for local ad sales. Something that was common during the 1950's was something called payola. This is something where a record promoter or someone of that sort, pays or bribes a dj to play their song or record. The telecommunications act of 1996 changed the ownership of the radio and the public airwaves. From 1995 to 2005 the number of radio station owners decreased by up to 1/3. This was from about 6,600 to about 4,400 owners. Even though all of these stations have been eliminated and controlled, this still makes the radio one of the most popular forms of media used today.
When the FCC had started to buckle down and control the radio, people had turned to "pirate" radio. from 1995 to 2000 more than 500 illegal Pirate radio stations have been shut down. They operate on a low power signal from 1 to 10 watts of power. They are still around today. As many as 1000 pirate radio stations are still in service today, set up in small towns and urban areas. Even though we are fighting Pirate radio stations today, there are things that we have gained from the radio. Programs such as soap operas, situation comedies, and broadcast news have also been created from radio. The radio also popularized rock and roll, car culture, and the politics of talk radio. Yet no matter what has been done, radio has still remained the supremely local medium.
Chapter 3 Sound Recording and Popular Music
As far as I'm concerned this is a very interesting chapter. it reveals facts about the audio world that I personally did not know. The start of recording music started in 1850 and was finalized by Thomas Edison in 1877. He simply recorded his own voice but for the time period it was revolutionary. In 1948 CBS records created a "long-playing" record. this allowed for 20 minutes of music on each side of the album. This in turn created the market for multi song records and albums.In the 1960's casatte tapes had started to become popular to the public. This was more portable for people to listen to music. This also led to the sony walkman which played casette tapes on the go. 1983 was the year that cd's had hit the market. It was stated that cd's made casettes nearly obsolete except for people who still used them such as a DJ. 1999 was the year that MP3s had become popular. it was the year that almost seemed to ruin the recording business. People learned it was more convenient and easier to download their music than go spend the money on it at the store. this lead to what we have today. Cd sales are down more than ever today because majority of people download their music offline wether it be illegal or not.
Since music has been created, their have been multiple genres to which each artist belongs. One of the most common would be Rock and Roll. Hip hop was not far behind. I learned that Hip Hop music has been around since 1880's. Some of them are known as marches that artists like John Phillip Sousa had created and Scott Joplin with his ragtime piano pieces.Rock and Roll had started in the 1950's. It was described as a "cultural storm" to the music industry since it was so influential to people. Rock and Roll started with the Blues and R&B. This started back in the 1930's and to some people was kind of a shock. Another thing that helped Rock and Roll progress was the invention of the elctric guitar. This opened a whole new world of sound. People could play loud enough to cover the sounds of people in the bar or tavern they where in at the time. The electric guitar also made new sounds which seemed to appaul some people. There have been several new creations and inventions which have helped the progression of hip hop and rock and roll to become what it has today.
Now all of this music doesn't do anybody any good if it can't be marketed and sold to the community. The music industry is controlled by several competing labels which buy the music. There are talent scouts which decide what artists are good for marketing. They then record the music in a recording studio. After the music is put together in one record or cd, it is sold then to record stores or other retail stores such as Best Buy or Wal-Mart. The music is then priced and sold to the public. While it seems to be easy to make a song then find a way to sell it but it actually takes a decent amount of time to accomplish. It has to go through several steps in order to become a good marketing device. After this is all said and done the music is published and the stars and everyone else involved makes their cut of money and fame.
Since music has been created, their have been multiple genres to which each artist belongs. One of the most common would be Rock and Roll. Hip hop was not far behind. I learned that Hip Hop music has been around since 1880's. Some of them are known as marches that artists like John Phillip Sousa had created and Scott Joplin with his ragtime piano pieces.Rock and Roll had started in the 1950's. It was described as a "cultural storm" to the music industry since it was so influential to people. Rock and Roll started with the Blues and R&B. This started back in the 1930's and to some people was kind of a shock. Another thing that helped Rock and Roll progress was the invention of the elctric guitar. This opened a whole new world of sound. People could play loud enough to cover the sounds of people in the bar or tavern they where in at the time. The electric guitar also made new sounds which seemed to appaul some people. There have been several new creations and inventions which have helped the progression of hip hop and rock and roll to become what it has today.
Now all of this music doesn't do anybody any good if it can't be marketed and sold to the community. The music industry is controlled by several competing labels which buy the music. There are talent scouts which decide what artists are good for marketing. They then record the music in a recording studio. After the music is put together in one record or cd, it is sold then to record stores or other retail stores such as Best Buy or Wal-Mart. The music is then priced and sold to the public. While it seems to be easy to make a song then find a way to sell it but it actually takes a decent amount of time to accomplish. It has to go through several steps in order to become a good marketing device. After this is all said and done the music is published and the stars and everyone else involved makes their cut of money and fame.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The internet chapter 2
I guess for me when I read this chapter it kind of wakes me up a little bit. I never really thought how far the internet and what not have progressed since just the 1960's. Just 50 years ago we didn't have the technology we do today and it still just amazes me. This chapter has taught me a few things though that I had not been aware of before reading it. The Original Internet was called "ARPnet" and was used strictly for the military to use and had all of it's cool security advantages and what not. It was a very smart design. Not one person could control the internet. One person couldn't kick another off of the system. It just goes to show how far our civilization has advanced and another example of that is microprocessors. They where invented in 1971 and they have advanced to make personal computers and into today's computers that you see on the market now, which by the way are faster than any other compter we have seen so I give it credit. Now when a person goes onto the web, it is clearly not just for the military anymore like it used to be. Just for the first time if a person visited the web they would be appaulled at what they see. we have several different types and kinds of email available to us, Instant messaging is also really popular with lots of people today, blogs are common, social networking... People are finding friends from high school after 10 15 years of not speaking. couples are finding each other on dating sites.. This just goes to show how much the internet has advanced and how much people today rely on the internet and web.
Another issue I would touch on would have to be the government surveillance..The government re-enacted the "U.S PAtriot Act" which gave authorities the power to gain access to any files they so choose that could be a possible threat. If you ask me I really don't see how that posts any freedom for our citizens whatsoever. If the government sees fit they can just access my computer and see who I've talked to, what our convorsations where about, what websites I have visited, and anything else they so choose. The government says that this is so that they can track any online terrorists or terrorism to our country but as stated in the book, doesn't this seem a little to loosely worded? I personally do not agree with this myself. I have nothing to hide so i really don't care but i would rather not allow anyone to just view whatever they would like that is clearly my business.
Another subject on the internet is who and what should be allowed to be on the web. Who should all have access and what should they be able to put on or view on the web as well. Should pornography be allowed on the web? it's simply a click away for most kids to access if they know how. Should violent pictures and movies, and games be allowed on the web for just anyone to access? This is a problem that I see with the internet is how easy it is to get into whatever i want or please with just a click. Yes I feel that it is very convenient but is it too much? Does it really show how lazy our culture today really is? Fraud is very common today as well. People are stealing identities everyday because of the internet and the things people do on it. Credit cards are stolen online, bank information is stolen online, and in all reality its not that hard for someone to do. Who should have access to the Internet? About 75 percent of all americans are connected to the internet today. Most of them are people ranging from 18- mid 40's. Like stated in the book, it is a fight to see who should be allowed to have a computer and all internet services. Should it just be allowed to anyone who pleases? Or should they have to earn it and pay for the services like most people do? This is a fast paced world we live in today and to be honest it seems a bit hard to keep up with it all but as shown, we are making technological advances most people have never even dreamed of..
Another issue I would touch on would have to be the government surveillance..The government re-enacted the "U.S PAtriot Act" which gave authorities the power to gain access to any files they so choose that could be a possible threat. If you ask me I really don't see how that posts any freedom for our citizens whatsoever. If the government sees fit they can just access my computer and see who I've talked to, what our convorsations where about, what websites I have visited, and anything else they so choose. The government says that this is so that they can track any online terrorists or terrorism to our country but as stated in the book, doesn't this seem a little to loosely worded? I personally do not agree with this myself. I have nothing to hide so i really don't care but i would rather not allow anyone to just view whatever they would like that is clearly my business.
Another subject on the internet is who and what should be allowed to be on the web. Who should all have access and what should they be able to put on or view on the web as well. Should pornography be allowed on the web? it's simply a click away for most kids to access if they know how. Should violent pictures and movies, and games be allowed on the web for just anyone to access? This is a problem that I see with the internet is how easy it is to get into whatever i want or please with just a click. Yes I feel that it is very convenient but is it too much? Does it really show how lazy our culture today really is? Fraud is very common today as well. People are stealing identities everyday because of the internet and the things people do on it. Credit cards are stolen online, bank information is stolen online, and in all reality its not that hard for someone to do. Who should have access to the Internet? About 75 percent of all americans are connected to the internet today. Most of them are people ranging from 18- mid 40's. Like stated in the book, it is a fight to see who should be allowed to have a computer and all internet services. Should it just be allowed to anyone who pleases? Or should they have to earn it and pay for the services like most people do? This is a fast paced world we live in today and to be honest it seems a bit hard to keep up with it all but as shown, we are making technological advances most people have never even dreamed of..
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