The Internet and New Media Today

Introduction

In the Beginning Was the Word: Teletext

Minitel

Hometown America Gets Wired—Slowly

New Markets: Prodigy and America Online

ISPs Grow, Business Plans Fail

The Growth of the World Wide Web and What Came After

Internet Basics

Standards and Protocols

Old and New Domains

E-mail, Browsers, and Messaging

Plug-ins

Pulling an Elephant through a Straw—Downloading the New Media

Portals

Communities

The Bottom Line

Ownership and Alliances

Media Sharing: Napster and Peer-to-Peer Servers

The World Wide Web and Electronic Media

Evolving Radio and Webcasting: Streaming and Royalty Rights

Changing the Face of the Web News

Television on the Web, and WebTV

Beyond

Career Paths: Somewhere, Out There . . .

Summary

Key Terms

Suggestions for Further Reading

Internet Exercises