The Internet has also grown rapidly in the last
few years and we are seeing the gap narrow between television
and Internet technology with shows such as Big Brother and Pop
Idol. Shows like these have created compelling, cross-platform
experiences where audiences split their time between the television
and the computer in search of a variety of rich content. In this
new interactive space, it is increasingly necessary for interactive
media to be delivered alongside television programmes and this
is an issue central to the production, broadcast and future of
screen based entertainment.
After the crash of the financial markets caused by dotcom mania
at the end of 2001, there was speculation that the Internet as
a medium would not survive. Now, the Internet is the fastest growing
medium after mobile phones. Acceptance of the Internet has been
widespread and rapid.
The origins of the Internet can be traced back to 1957 with the
launch of Sputnik (the first artificial satellite) and the formation
of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, but it is widely believed
that it hasn't fulfilled its potential as a medium of mass communication
as rapidly as was expected. Now however, the 'net is advancing
at an unprecedented rate and the services it provides such as
email, research and e-commerce have quickly become an essential
part of our daily lives.
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