Documenting the media revolution Research Paper

Documenting the media revolution - Research Paper Example Nonetheless, the Internet began spreading in 1983 as university and research center networks. The Internet got its first significant boost in 1990 following the invention of the web by Tim Berners-Lee. The second boost of the Internet was witnessed in 1993 following the release of the first browser Mosaic. At the time, the Internet was only accessible in few developed countries. The Internet, however, began spreading rapidly from 1994 onwards. Today, almost every part of the world is internet accessible (Kozlowski 2). Nevertheless, the spread of the Internet did not bring an end to the traditional print media, radio, movies, or television. Instead, it created its own space as a new form of media to access documents, obtain information, broaden knowledge, and communicate across the world and languages (Kozlowski 3). With the invention and spread of the Internet, booksellers began selling books online both within and outside the home country. Libraries also began developing websites as ‘virtual’ window and digital libraries stemming from their print collections. The website made it possible for patrons to surf information they needed at a period search engines were less accurate and unreliable. With time, library catalogues went online. This was followed by the availability of online magazines and newspapers, as well as their archives. Lebert notes that, with the spread of the Internet, authors began developing websites for their works online (3). Today there are several online books making it possible for people to read online without having to buy a printed book. Libert reveals that the Internet has become a common mode of communication and interaction since 2009. It offers people the opportunity to work, communicate, study, and entertain through the Internet (Primary Research Group 48). This paper will discuss the history of e-books, as well as the various devices where e-books are read. It will also explore how e-books e-magazines and e-newspaper reading may become more of internet connective or group activity. Finally, the paper will provide a prediction of how books will be read in the next decade. 1.1. History of e-books The history of e-books dates back to 1971 following the invention of the e-text #1by Michael Hart in his Project Gutenberg. Lebert reveals that, after the invention of the e-book, Hart disseminated the e-books to the rest of the world (5). The project Gutenberg allowed people of the twentieth century to have a digital library free of charge. Despite skepticism from many people who criticized Hart for his idea, he went ahead to prove them wrong by inventing an e-book. Hart with the assistance of volunteers began by creating online Bibles, which became a huge success. This was followed by the creating Shakespeare online book. Lebert indicate that, by 1989, Project Gutenberg had completed its tenth e-book. Among the books are The King James Bible (1769) both New and Old testaments and 5M for the entire file s. Research indicates that there were only about 250,000 internet users by 1990. This stage is considered an infant stage of the Internet where the standard was just 360 k disks. Later on in 1991, Hart typed Lewis Carroll’s, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) followed by Peter Pan (1904) by James M. Barrie. Lebert reveals t