|
The convergence of computers and television has been predicted for some years, but, according to Rich Gordon, author of the book Digital Journalism, technology changes are occurring that will put convergence in the living room by providing TVs with access to the Internet, the capacity to receive and store digital content, and the ability of viewers to interact with content and advertising on the screen. Internet access is available via cable Internet services, and digital broadcasting is available in such products as TiVo and writeable digital videodisc drives. Cable and satellite TV providers, particularly those in Europe, have started to provide interactive television services. Ron Kaufman, a high school instructional technology coordinator, created the Kill Your Television Web site to urge people to considerably reduce their TV watching. However, TV is still the dominant communication medium. On his Web site, Kaufman clarifies his response to sitting in front of the TV set, and the picture is not pretty. He also posts reviews, reports, and quotations from other TV critics. TV has been criticized for a long time, but the new twist is that anti-TV activists now have the Web as a commercial-free, interactive, global medium that assists them in gaining more support for their cause. Among anti-TV organizations highlighted are White Dot: The International Campaign Against Television and the TV-Turnoff Network. Links to other anti-TV sites are available at TV-Turnoff Network and Kill Your Television.
|