Dan Biddle| 16:47 UK time, Tuesday, 25 August 2009
As you might expect, the final documentaries of Digital Revolution will involve segments where we have to explain elements of the web, internet and processes that make things work.
This could be tough work to get across, and even tougher work for an audience to consume. So, we're going to use graphics and animation to work though some of the more abstract concepts of the technology.
We need to explain this to our graphics company in simple. clear and accurate terms for them to depict the message simply, clearly and accurately. Simple we can do. Clearly and accurately... Well, we think we've got that sorted too, but we'd like to check that we've not strayed too far from the bounds of sense and fact.
Below are two examples of our briefs to the graphics team. We would greatly appreciate it if you could let us know if they're all right.
1) Packet switching works by taking a piece of information, say a file, a picture or an email and breaking it up into small digital pieces.
2) These are then sent over a network, often not in the right order or over the same line.
3) At the receiver's end the packets are recombined in the right order and the information is made whole again.
4) Packet switching is the perfect tool for computers to talk to each other because allows for a huge number of files to be transmitted over the net simultaneously.
Point 4 is the main point we're trying to get at in explaining how mass information transference is enabled. Is that a fair description?
Web filtering and blocking:
1) All internet communication works by one computer connecting to another computer, splitting the data into packets and sending them on their way to the intended destination.
2) Specialised computers known as routers are responsible for directing the packets on their way.
3) Data as it passes through routers can be blocked or filtered using software so that particular websites or e-mails can be prevented from being viewed.
4) The common methods of filtering / blocking the web are:
HTTP Proxy Filtering
Ok. Be gentle. Does it a) make sense? And b) look right?
The Virtual Revolution looks at how the web is shaping our world. Previously known as Digital Revolution (working title), it has been an open and collaborative production, which asked the web audience to debate programme themes, suggest and send questions for interviewees, watch and comment on interview and graphics clips, and download clips for personal use and re-editing.
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