To broaden your understanding of the chapter, consider the following assignments related to the Internet.

1. One of the important topics discussed in this chapter is systems thinking. The systems approach has been applied to many societal institutions, including families. Find at least two websites dedicated to a family's heritage and note how any principles of systems thinking (e.g., hierarchy, wholeness, boundaries, and so forth) are present in the family "tree." Don't forget to look at the narratives that accompany most family histories as you consider the systems approach. Use any search engines (e.g., www.google.com, www.mamma.com, and so forth) to begin your search for family ancestry.

2. Ontology looks at questions related to the nature of reality. This is a pretty vague explanation in need of specific examples. Refer to a website dedicated to ontology (www.formalontology.it) and further clarify what ontology is and why it is important to consider in communication theory.