Table of Contents

Contents: Power and Meanings of the Internet as a Communication System – Traditional Media and the Rise of Digital Communication Technologies – The Past - The Development and Evolution of Digital Technologies – The Future - Predicting the Future of the Digital Revolution – Can or Should a Purpose Be Attributed to Digital Technologies Such as the Internet? – Business of the Internet: Marketing – Internet as a Knowledge and Information Generating System – Social Networking Sites – Connecting on the Internet: Pornography and Dating – Transcending Space, Time, and Class: Video Sharing, Video Gaming, and Praying Online – The Pragmatics of Communication - The Internet as a Coherent and Complete Societal System – The Internet and United States Politics – Privacy, Transparency, and the Internet in America – International, Corporate, and Radical Politics – The Future of the Internet and Web Reconsidered: Back to the Future With Tim Berners-Lee.

About the Author

James W. Chesebro (PhD, University of Minnesota) is retired Distinguished Professor of Telecommunications and Director of the Graduate Program in the Department of Telecommunications at Ball State University. He has published 9 books and over 100 journal articles and served as president of national and regional communication associations.
David T. McMahan’s (PhD, University of Iowa) research and teachings encompass relationships, technology, and media. He is the coauthor of The Basics of Communication: A Relational Perspective and Communication in Everyday Life. He is the incoming president of Central States Communication Association.
Preston C. Russett (MA, Ball State University) is a freelance culture jammer and cyborg anthropologist. He has a growing catalog of publications and short films exploring the effects of media and digital technologies on such notions as privacy.