Encyclopedia of New Media: An Essential Reference to Communication and Technology / Edition 1

by Steven Jones

Overview

"Scholars and students finally have a reference work documenting the foundations of the digital revolution. Were it not the only reference book to cover this emergent field, Jones's encyclopedia would still likely be the best."
--CHOICE

"The articles are interesting, entertaining, well written, and reasonably long. . . . Highly recommended as a worthwhile and valuable addition to both science and technology and social science reference collections."
--REFERENCE & USER SERVICES QUARTERLY, AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

From Amazon.com to virtual communities, this single-volume encyclopedia presents more than 250 entries that explain communication technology, multimedia, entertainment, and e-commerce within their social context.

Edited by Steve Jones, one of the leading scholars and founders of this emerging field, and with contributions from an international group of scholars as well as science and technology writers and editors, the Encyclopedia of New Media widens the boundaries of today's information society through interdisciplinary, historical, and international coverage. With such topics as broadband, content filtering, cyberculture, cyberethics, digital divide, freenet, MP3, privacy, telemedicine, viruses, and wireless networks, the Encyclopedia will be an indispensable resource for anyone interested or working in this field.

Unlike many encyclopedias that provide short, fragmented entries, the Encyclopedia of New Media examines each subject in depth in a single, coherent article. Many articles span several pages and are presented in a large, double-column format for easy reading. Each article also includes the following:

A bibliography

Suggestions for further reading

Links to related topics in the Encyclopedia

Selected works, where applicable

Entries include:

Pioneers, such as Marc Andreesen, Marshall McLuhan, and Steve Jobs

Terms, from "Access" to "Netiquette" to "Web-cam"

Technologies, including Bluetooth, MP3, and Linux

Businesses, such as Amazon.com

Key labs, research centers, and foundations

Associations

Laws, and much more

The Encyclopedia of New Media includes a comprehensive index as well as a reader's guide that facilitates browsing and easy access to information.

Recommended Libraries

Public, academic, government, special, and private/corporate

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761923824
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	12/10/2002
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Steve Jones is UIC Distinguished Professor of Communication and Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois Chicago, USA and Adjunct Research Professor in the Institute for Communications Research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA. He is editor of New Media & Society and co-editor of Mobile Media & Communication. His research interests encompass popular music studies, music technology, sound studies, internet studies, media history, virtual reality, human-machine communication, social robotics and human augmentics. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and the Tides Foundation.

Table of Contents

Comprehensive Index
List of Entries
A Reader's Guide
Introduction
Encyclopedia of New Media
Bibliography
Contributors
Name Index

Editorial Reviews

"From Space Invaders to digital television, the 275 entries explore the developments of computer and Web applications and related media. Most take a historical perspective to innovation, but many explain such concepts as access, firewalls, information design, linking, markup languages and usability. . . . This informed and up-to-date guide to emerging technologies is highly recommended to academic and public libraries."

Lawrence Looks at Books - John R.M. Lawrence

There is something for everyone within the just over 250 entries….All entries conclude with useful bibliographies, which, not surprisingly, feature a large number of Web citations….Recommended for all public and academic libraries.

From the Publisher

The articles are interesting, entertaining, well written, and reasonably long. . . . Highly recommended as a worthwhile and valuable addition to both science and technology and social science reference collections.

Reference & User Services Quarterly

"Scholars and students finally have a reference work documenting the foundations of the digital revolution. Authoritative and well organized, edited by communication professor and prominent new media scholar Jones, the encyclopedia's scope follows his wise tenet that any definition of the subject matter 'derives from an understanding of history, technology, and society in combination.' In this spirit, the signed articles by more than three dozen contributors, mostly academics, provide clear, critical overviews of the people, products, events, social implications, trends, texts, and concepts related to contemporary innovations in communication and information technology. Selected bibliographies, suggested readings, and cross-references to related subjects appear throughout, and thorough indexing bridges any perceived omissions among individual entries. Were it not the only reference book to cover this emergent field, Jones's encyclopedia would still likely be the best. "

CHOICE

"From Space Invaders to digital television, the 275 entries explore the developments of computer and Web applications and related media. Most take a historical perspective to innovation, but many explain such concepts as access, firewalls, information design, linking, markup languages and usability. . . . This informed and up-to-date guide to emerging technologies is highly recommended to academic and public libraries. "— John R.M. Lawrence, Reference Librarian

Lawrence Looks at Books

"Scholars and students finally have a reference work documenting the foundations of the digital revolution. Authoritative and well organized, edited by communication professor and prominent new media scholar Jones, the encyclopedia's scope follows his wise tenet that any definition of the subject matter 'derives from an understanding of history, technology, and society in combination.' In this spirit, the signed articles by more than three dozen contributors, mostly academics, provide clear, critical overviews of the people, products, events, social implications, trends, texts, and concepts related to contemporary innovations in communication and information technology. Selected bibliographies, suggested readings, and cross-references to related subjects appear throughout, and thorough indexing bridges any perceived omissions among individual entries. Were it not the only reference book to cover this emergent field, Jones's encyclopedia would still likely be the best. "

Choice Magazine

This accessible and easy-to-navigate one-volume encyclopedia covers the ever-changing world of "new media," which includes communication technologies from World War II to the present. Editor Jones (chair, communications, Univ. of Illinois, Chicago) has selected a wide range of topics and themes that highlight the dramatic changes in communication and media, especially in the last 30 years, presenting important developments, organizations, and people. The 250-plus signed entries have been classified into 12 general thematic categories (art, music, and performance; business and commerce; cyberculture; hacking; legal topics; networks and networking; open-source software; organizations and labs; people; social issues; technology; and writing) and cover a variety of subjects, ranging from Brian Eno's contributions regarding electronic music, content filtering, and object-oriented programming to emoticons, computer viruses, and the increasingly popular MP3s. Beyond basic descriptions of the terms, the contributors put each subject in its social and historical context, thus providing a broader understanding of the impact it has had on communication and the media. Entries are usually one to two pages long and include a bibliography, suggestions for further reading, and a list of related topics. Biographical entries also include a list of the subject's selected works and occasionally a black-and-white photo. Also useful is a detailed bibliography, a comprehensive index, and a list of all 40 contributors and their affiliations. For academic and larger public libraries.-Michele McGraw, Hennepin Cty. Lib., Edina, MN Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Gr 10 Up-From "Cookies" to "Copyleft," "Blogs" to "Wireless Networks," "Brian Eno" to "Steven P. Jobs," this comprehensive map of modern media's technological and sociological terrain makes an essential guide for library users bewildered by the seismic changes that the past few decades have brought. Sandwiched between opening alphabetical and topical tables of contents, and a reasonably thick index, approximately 250 signed articles are arranged in a single alphabet; each one is a serious, specific topical or biographical study, enhanced by closing lists of scholarly sources and a generous number of cross-references. Along with articles about ARPANET, Vannevar Bush's prescient 1945 essay "As We May Think," and other nods to the antediluvian past, hot-button subjects of current interest such as the Communications Decency Act or the MP3 controversy receive detailed treatment, and entries on "Gender and New Media," "Telecommuting," and "Race and Ethnicity and New Media," among others, broaden the focus. Despite its stingy selection of murky black-and-white photographs, this volume merits serious consideration, even for midsize collections, as a major and well-organized source of new or hard-to-find information on a mind-bending array of topics.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal