Digital Universe traces the evolution of digital information and communication tools used worldwide, from the invention of the telegraph to the emergence of mobile phones as personal computers, and their seismic effects on global societies. Critical perspectives on the diffusion of these technologies are explored, including the “dark side” of the internet – invisible surveillance, privacy infringement, and digital divides based on geography, race, and income. New communication technology applications such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence are also examined.

The text introduces an original concept called the Tao of Technology to describe a future where the positive attributes of digitally-augmented human intelligence must be weighed against the dystopian effects of increased surveillance (e.g. via face recognition), and diminished personal privacy. New communication technologies are marketed to global societies using their positive attributes -- only after their wide adoption do we observe their negative effects.

This illuminating text introduces readers to important inventors, scientists, artists, and critics, offering a unique blend in its discussion of the history and socio-cultural effects of technology, and its examination of the human face of invention and criticism. This is more than a primer on information and communication technologies; it is an empowering tour of the global digital universe offering critical observations and new perspectives on mediated human communication and digitally augmented human intelligence.

Peter B. Seel, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University in the United States. He has taught new communication technologies, video production, digital photography, documentary film, and has extensive professional experience as a photojournalist and medical documentary producer. He is the co-author of two books and numerous articles on digital television and new media technologies.

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Key Terms and Abbreviations xiii

Part I Introduction and Framing 1

1 Immersion in the Digital Universe 3

2 The Future of Moore’s Law in the Digital Universe 12

3 Critical Perspectives 22

Part II Internet and Web History 35

4 Origins of the Internet 37

5 Internet Evolution 54

6 The Web 68

Part III Global Telecommunication and Media Convergence 85

7 Telecommunication and the “Flat” World 87

8 Wired and Wireless Technologies 104

9 Digital Media Convergence 129

Part IV Internet Control, Cyberculture, and Dystopian Views 143

10 The Public and Private Internet 145

11 Censorship and Global Cyberculture 163

12 Privacy and Surveillance 179

Part V New Communication Technologies and the Future 201

13 Artificial Intelligence and Telecommunication 203

14 Alternative Digital Realties 224

15 The Future of the Digital Universe 245

Index 252