Media Can Recover from its Missteps posted: 20/04/2019
by Andy Marken
Howw nice of you to join us tonight and add COLOR to these monochromatic proceedings! - Dr. Arliss Loveless, Wild Wild West, Peters Entertainment, 1999
Gawed, they were naive.
It seems like eons ago that we consulted with a bunch of equally young idealists in San Diego who were going to build the western U.S. part of the intergalactic network. The goal was to let people - initially just scientists, engineers, big thinkers - exchange data, information and share computer resources to streamline advances and produce a better world.
Couldnt remember our login with so many numbers and letters that we didnt need a password because no one could remember it. Even had it written on a piece of paper in our billfold.
First, it was Arpanet (Advanced Research Agency Network), then the DOD wanted to oversee it to save information flow from them and then simply Internet.
The San Diego arm was dubbed the California Educational Research Federation Network. They shortened it to CERFNET; but before it became official, Vint Cerf, recognized as one of the fathers of the Internet, was asked if it was okay with him.
The infrastructure was robust, he liked what he saw and BAM! CERFnet it was.
Two of the key people at CERFnet, Pushpendra Mohta and Manny Robles, drove around the states educational institutions and military/industrial complexes in a beat-up VW with tons of cable connecting computers and minds to pool ideas, speed discussions and make the world a better place.
Back in the late 60s,Vint Cerf and the folks I worked with for 10 years at CERFnet had no freakin idea how awesome the internet would be.
Two of the key people at CERFnet, Pushpendra Mohta and Manny Robles, drove around the states educational institutions and military/industrial complexes in a beat-up VW with tons of cable connecting computers and minds to pool ideas, speed discussions and make the world a better place.
Back in the late 60s,Vint Cerf and the folks I worked with for 10 years at CERFnet had no freakin idea how awesome the internet would be.
Okay, it has become immensely popular, but things havent worked out exactly as planned.
Who knew folks - especially kids - would be telling the world their deepest secrets, where theyre at, what theyre doing, who their doing it with and documenting it all with photos on top of photos on top of ...
No one could imagine that wed be plugging everything into the internet - smartphones, microwaves, refrigerators, cars/trains/planes, power grids, screens of every shape/size and yes; computers for hackers, digital criminals, countries looking for ways to exploit, expose, eradicate each other with it.
Instead of a free and open exchange of information, the internet and its siblings on the Web where data collection, use and sale became the central focus.
Half Way There - About half of the worlds population is now connected to and active on the internet. Of course, there are some who will never get online and others who wish they could get off.
Chinas population is big-1.4B big. And with 30M new internet users in the first half of the year, the total number of internet users has hit 800M.
While Chinese tech firms used to copy Silicon Valley, organizations have taken off in a number of ways with short videos, podcasts, blogs, streaming TV--all on the social media players who know how to play.
Watched over by tens of thousands of censors and without the concerns of Europes GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation); Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu, ByteDance and others have clear guidelines how data is collected, stored and shared.
Money Makers - If youre one of the recognized social media stopping points it can almost be like printing money as long as you abide by governmental rules of the road.
Creatvity is in full swing. The one simple rule they have is dont undermine the State!
Stuff people might post that is even tinged as anti-government disappears.
Everything else is fair game, including making money. That includes taking on the old, arthritic state-run businesses - media, finance and healthcare.
Okay, its true; they do expect a piece-of-the-action and a little oversight of management; but its mostly hands off if content isnt creepy, kinky or weird.
It could be worse.
According to Freedom House, the international watchdog organization, internet freedom has declined around the globe for the 7th year in a row.
Internet Freedom Defined - While the internet was initially developed to ensure free, open and fast exchange of information and ideas; freedom has become a relative term. There were always commonly accepted rules of acceptable and unacceptable traffic
Thats idealistic perhaps, but they feel everyone should have access to the same online experience, including free/open internet access.
The biggest abusers include Russia, Syria, Cuba, Iran, Vietnam , Egypt and China.
Even free nations like the U.S. saw a decline in their internet freedoms as governments balked at things like encryption security, VPNs (virtual private networks), manipulation of online posts, service disruptions, etc.
Governments are all for freedom of speech, assembly, etc.
Funny, they dont really like unbreakable encryption, and the inability to increase data surveillance/retention and checking folks/stuff out for citizens protection.
Person of Interest - Initially, it was a fictional TV show; but increasingly, tracking; facial recognition and surveillance services are gaining popularity with a number of governmental agencies around the globe
It is estimated that Brits have their photos taken an average of 300 times a day - not including GPS identified selfies - with cameras installed ... everywhere.
The great thing is that you can quit taking all the selfies they do it for you!
While the internet was developed and
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Media Can Recover from its Missteps posted: 20/04/2019 
