Projects and Exercises
Project 1: Free vs. Fee
Conduct a survey in which you ask participants the following question: If your favorite website switched from free content to a subscription format costing $4.95 per month, would you pay the fee to continue using the site? If the answer is no, ask them what price, if any, they would be willing to pay. Also ask the participants why they answered yes or no and make note of their responses to this question. Your survey should include at least 20 subjects. Once you have compiled data for at least 20 subjects, plot the data on an Excel worksheet and illustrate the Yes/No data with a column chart. Then write a 1–2 page report that summarizes the data, including the reasons why participants answered yes or no.
Project 2: Pay per View/Download
Find a website that follows the pay-per-view/pay-for-download revenue for the majority or all of its content. Prepare a presentation that explains why you think this particular site will or will not be successful. If you think the site will be successful, include ideas about what factors it should be careful of in order to maintain its success. If you think the site will be unsuccessful, present ideas that the site could use to improve its prospects.
Project 3: Movie Pirates
Write a newspaper or magazine-style article on the topic of digital piracy in the film industry. What are the major forces behind the pirated movie business? What are the major film production studios and distributors doing to combat piracy? What damage has the film industry suffered as a result of piracy? To what extent has the Internet increased movie piracy?
Project 4: Kindle vs. Nook
Gather information about the Kindle and Nook, and create a chart comparing the two devices. Now do the same for the iPad and the Kindle Fire HD. Which do you prefer and why?
Project 5: Cable Cutters
A number of firms offer hardware devices that enable you to stream movies on your television. In fact, many experts believe the future of television is not cable TV, but the Internet. Investigate three manufacturers of PC-television devices. Options include Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Roku. Prepare a report comparing the various devices. Which one would you choose and why?
Copyright © 2021 Kenneth C. Laudon and Carol G. Traver