Characters Of The Information And Communication Industry [Paperback]

Richard F. Bellaver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 21, 2006

I teach a graduate course called the History and Culture of the Information and Communications Industry. This book is a result of that course. It shows how the world has moved from primitive means of communication to the integrated multi-media situation we are in today. Its concentration is on the fields of journalism, telecommunications, broadcasting, and computing. Emphasis is placed on the leaders of the areas of interest and the political and cultural surroundings that encouraged or discouraged growth of the industry. One of the leaders mentioned is that lucky fellow Johann Gutenberg. Gutenberg certainly built a press that used movable type, but he became famous because of an early confluence of technology. At the time of his work good cheap paper became available from Italy, and longer lasting inks were developed in India. The technology of printing took off because quality and economy came together. We also are lucky that we know so much about Gutenberg because the Germans had such a good legal record keeping system in the sixteenth century and Mr. G. had so many run-ins with the law. Four hundred years later the confluence of satellite broadcasting and color printing techniques enabled another printing leader, Allen Neuharth, to produce a national newspaper called USA Today. This book mentions several lucky incidents or "what ifs" in the computer industry. For example, where would Microsoft be if Gary Kildall of Digital Research Corp. hadn't taken off to fly his airplane when the IBMers came to invite him to build the operating system for their new PC? Or before that, what if Charles Ramlett Flint had reconsidered hiring a convicted felon to run the Computing-Tabulating Recording Company when he brought on Thomas Watson Sr. who turned it into IBM? Or before that, what if Charles Babbage had and the money and the machinery to do the fine grinding work on the Analytical Engine. Politics, especially represent

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About the Author

Professor Bellaver has forty years experience in telecommunications and Information Technology. He has been at Ball State University for seventeen years where he is the Associate Director of The Center for Information and Communications Sciences. He teaches courses in the History of the Information and Communications Industry, Human Factors in Design, Knowledge Management and Strategic Planning. To supplement his teaching his research, he and John Lusa have edited a book called Knowledge Management Strategy and Technology, he is a past Vice President of the Usability Professionals' Association, and he has done extensive research on the use of electronic books. ( www.bsu.edu/web/rbellave/index.htm. ) Immediately prior to Ball State he was at AT&T Headquarters where he was the Acting Director for System Engineering. He was responsible for the integration of the activities of the General Departments, Long Lines, and Information Systems programming staffs. He was responsible for planning the analysis of all systems leading to the establishment of the computer systems architecture, the logical relationship of all applications and data. He helped establish the Data Stewardship program at AT&T and helped supervise the integration of the activities of 13,000 programmers. While with the Michigan Bell Company his responsibilities were in Billing, advanced communications studies, and planning for the IT function at the Corporate level. He was a rate case witness and spent some time in Business Research. Professor Bellaver spent six years at the Bell Telephone Laboratories as Department Head for Directory Assistance Computer, Bell System Coordinator for the BISCOM project, and Member of the Technical Staff responsible for various technical and human factors usability studies. Mr. Bellaver is a graduate of Purdue University with a BS in Industrial Economics, attended Rutgers and Wayne State Universities taking graduate economics courses, and has an MBA from Mic

Product Details

• Paperback: 396 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (September 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425945023
• ISBN-13: 978-1425945022
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,952,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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