Chapter 9
The Computer Industry:
History, Careers, and Ethics
Computer Concepts 2014
9 Chapter Contents
Section A: Computer History
Section B: The Computer and IT Industries
Section C: Careers for Computer Professionals
Section D: Professional Ethics
Section E: Work Area Safety and Ergonomics
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9 FastPoll True/False Questions
Answer A for True and B for False
090100 Charles Babbage invented the first digital circuits.
090200 The ABC, Harvard Mark I, COLOSSUS, and ENIAC
can be classified as computer prototypes.
090300 UNIVAC was one of the first personal computers.
090400 Transistors were an important technology in radios
and second-generation computers.
090500 Integrated circuits were a key technology in thirdgeneration computers.
090600 The dot com bubble refers to the period when
domain names were added to the Internet.
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9 FastPoll True/False Questions
Answer A for True and B for False
090700 VARs are online discount computer dealers.
090800 The Internet is regulated in the U.S. by the FDIC.
090900 Many computer professionals work in IT
departments.
091000 The computer industry employs very few contract
workers.
091100 The Association for Computing Machinery has
identified five major computing disciplines.
091200 In the computer industry, certification works just as
well as a 4-year degree.
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9 FastPoll True/False Questions
Answer A for True and B for False
091300 A metasearch tool can search more than one online
database at a time.
091400 The Digital Millennium Copyright Act was replaced
by the USA Patriot Act.
091500 CRTs are safer to use than LCDs.
091600 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is classified as a
sedentary lifestyle risk factor.
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9 Section A: Computer History
Manual Calculators
Mechanical Calculators
Computer Prototypes
Generations of Computers
Personal Computers
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9 Question
092100 If you were around when third-generation
computers were invented, you would have been
listening to what type of popular music?
A. Grateful Dead
B. Beatles
C. Elvis
D. Aerosmith
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9 Manual Calculators
Devices that assist in the process of numeric
calculations, but require the human operator to
keep track of the algorithm
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9 Manual Calculators
Chapter 9: The Computer Industry: History, Careers, and Ethics
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9 Mechanical Calculators
Implement algorithms autonomously
Schickard’s Calculator
Pascaline
Leibniz Calculator
de Colmar’s Arithmometer
Difference Engine
Analytical Engine
Hollerith Tabulating Machine
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9 Mechanical Calculators
Chapter 9: The Computer Industry: History, Careers, and Ethics
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9 Computer Prototypes
Experimental devices that typically must be further
developed and perfected
Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)
Z3
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9 Computer Prototypes
Harvard Mark I (IBM Automatic Sequence
Controlled Calculator) COLOSSUS
ENIAC
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9 Generations of Computers
UNIVAC is considered the first commercially
successful digital computer
First-generation computers
Vacuum tubes
Second-generation computers
Transistors
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9 Generations of Computers
Third-generation computers
Integrated circuits
RCA Spectra 70
IBM 360
DEC PDP-8
IBM AS/400
Fourth-generation computers
Microprocessor
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9 Personal Computers
Mark-8
MITS Altair
Apple I / Apple II
VisiCalc
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9 Personal Computers
IBM PC
IBM PC XT
Apple Lisa
Xerox Alto
Apple Macintosh
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9 Section B: The Computer
and IT Industries
Industry Overview
Economic Factors
Product Life Cycles
Market Share
Marketing Channels
Industry Regulation
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9 Question
092200 Understanding the computer industry can be useful
when purchasing a computer or making investment
decisions. Which one of the following is the LEAST important
aspect of the computer marketplace for consumers and
investors?
A. Market share
B. Market valuation
C. Market channels
D. Market synthesis
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9 Industry Overview
The computer industry encompasses companies
that manufacture computers and computer
components
The information technology industry refers to
companies that develop, produce, sell, or support
computers, software, and computer-related
products
Equipment manufacturers, chipmakers, software
publishers, IT service companies, and computer retailers
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9 Industry Overview
Dot coms refer to the group of
Internet-based companies
Silicon Valley was the
birthplace of integrated
circuits, microprocessors, and
personal computers
Outsourcing vs. offshoring
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9 Economic Factors
The IT industry is dynamic, prosperous, and
economically beneficial
The dot com business failures in 2001 and 2002
Population growth and business globalization
contributed to the success of the IT industry
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9 Product Life Cycles
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9 Market Share
Refers to a company’s share, or total percentage, of
the total market
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9 Marketing Channels
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9 Marketing Channels
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9 Marketing Channels
Value-added resellers (VARs) combine
commercially available products with specialty
hardware or software
Consumers can benefit from a variety of channels
Channel conflict occurs when vendors within the channel
find other channel vendors pirating their sales
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9 Industry Regulation
Some aspects regulated by
government agencies
FCC
FTC
Most IT industry leaders
oppose further regulation
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9 Section C: Careers for
Computer Professionals
Jobs and Salaries
Education and Certification
Job Hunting Basics
Resumes and Web Portfolios
Professional Networking Sites
Job Listings
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9 Question
092300 Suppose you’re considering a computing career.
Which one of the following would give you the LEAST
marketable resume for a career in the computer industry?
A. An associate degree in computer information systems
and a network certificate
B. A Ph. D. in information technology with 4 years of
work experience at Apple
C. A four-year degree in software engineering
D. An MBA with an emphasis on information systems
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9 Jobs and Salaries
Information Systems department
Chief Information Officer
Systems Analyst
Computer Programmer
Security Specialist
Database Administrator
Network Specialist/Administrator
Computer Operator
Technical Support Specialist
Web site designer
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9 Jobs and Salaries
Outside the IS department
Technical Writer
Computer Salesperson
Quality Assurance Specialist
Computer Engineer
Manufacturing Technician
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9 Jobs and Salaries
Contract workers are typically hired as consultants
and are not official employees
Telecommuting allows workers in many industries
to work from home and makes financial sense
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9 Education and Certification
Computer engineering
Computer science
Information systems
Information technology
Software engineering
The Peterson’s Web site is a comprehensive
resource for educational services
www.petersons.com
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9 Education and Certification
A certification exam is an objective test that verifies
your level of knowledge about a particular
technology or subject
General computer knowledge
Software applications
Database administration
Networking
Computer hardware
Computer security
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9 Job Hunting Basics
Job hunting steps
The Internet is a great resource for finding a job
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9 Resumes and Web Portfolios
You can prepare your
resume in formats
suitable for different
computer platforms and
delivery methods
Print
E-mail
HTML
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9 Resumes and Web Portfolios
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9 Resumes and Web Portfolios
A Web portfolio is a hypertext version of your
resume, which might contain links to relevant Web
sites
You can post your Web portfolio on your personal
Web site
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9 Professional Networking Sites
Every person who has serious career
ambitions should have a LinkedIn account
Complete your profile
Request recommendations
Add connections
Join groups
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9 Job Listings
Sources of job listings
Newspaper’s Help Wanted section
School’s career placement office
Local state employment agency
Online newspapers
Company Web sites
Employment services
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9 Job Listings
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9 Section D: Professional Ethics
Ethics Basics
IT Ethics
Ethical Decision Making
Whistleblowing
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9 Question
092400 It is not unusual to encounter situations at work that
call for ethical decisions. Which one of the following is the
LEAST useful way to prepare for such situations?
A. Accumulate as much proprietary information as
possible that pertains to your company and its
employees.
B. Become familiar with relevant laws and legal
decisions.
C. Take time to look at one or more codes of ethics.
D. Get to know your employer’s policies.
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9 Ethics Basics
Professional ethics refers to on-the-job choices and
actions that reflect a person’s values
Laws try to promote ethical behavior
Laws and ethics are not necessarily the same
Ethical values apply to any career field
Ethical decisions can vary from one field to another
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9 IT Ethics
Situations that require computer professionals to
make ethical decisions often involve
Software copyrights
Privacy
Conflict of interest
Use of work computers
Software quality
Hacking
Social responsibility
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9 IT Ethics
Confidentiality is the obligation not to disclose
willingly any information that should be kept private
Applies to individuals and organizations
Proprietary information
It is never good practice to use facilities at work for
personal activities
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9 IT Ethics
Computer professionals have to keep up with the
latest threats from viruses and intrusion attempts
Hacking
Computer professionals should consider the
repercussions of shortened software test cycles
Software developers should consider whether they
will be responsible for how their software is used
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9 Ethical Decision Making
Talk to people whose judgment you respect
Consider what the most ethical person you know
would decide to do
Think about what you would do if your actions were
made public
Look at the problem from the opposite perspective
Consult a code of professional ethics
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9 Ethical Decision Making
A code of ethics is a set of guidelines designed to
help professionals make decisions
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9 Ethical Decision Making
Codes of ethics are published online and are
available to the public
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9 Whistleblowing
Disclosure by an employee of confidential
information which relates to some danger, fraud, or
other illegal or unethical conduct
Speaks out against on-the-job activities
Whistleblowers are often fired or forced out of their
jobs
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9 Whistleblowing
Before whistleblowing:
Examine your motives
Try the normal chain of command
Collect evidence to back up your accusations
Record events as they unfold
Act ethically
Be ready to accept repercussions
Establish a support network
Consult a lawyer
Consider your strategy
Chapter 9: The Computer Industry: History, Careers, and Ethics
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9 Section E: Work Area Safety
and Ergonomics
Radiation Risks
Repetitive Stress Injuries
Eye Strain
Back Pain
Sedentary Lifestyle
Chapter 9: The Computer Industry: History, Careers, and Ethics
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9 Question
092500 Which one of the following is the best way
to avoid health hazards while working with
computers?
A. Use a CRT display.
B. Take frequent breaks.
C. Move your display to a position lower than
your chin.
D. Elevate your keyboard to chest height.
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9 Radiation Risks
Every electronic device emits some type of
radiation
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9 Radiation Risks
CRTs and LCD screens emit radiation
LCD screens emit low levels
Cell phones emit RF energy
The scientific community continues to study and debate
the amount of RF radiation that should be considered
safe for long-term use
Use a hands-free headset to reduce exposure
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9 Repetitive Stress Injuries
A repetitive stress injury (RSI) is not a specific
disease but a group of similar overuse disorders
that affect the tendons, muscles, and nerves
Carpal tunnel syndrome
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9 Repetitive Stress Injuries
Ergonomics is the
study of safe and
efficient
environments,
particularly
working environments
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9 Eye Strain
Studies have found links between computer use
and eye problems
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9 Eye Strain
Adjust screen resolution to a comfortable level
Native resolution
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9 Back Pain
Back pain can be caused by many factors, including
poor posture and careless lifting of heavy objects
The key to comfort while working on a computer is
keeping your shoulders relaxed so that tense
muscles don’t generate headaches and stiffness
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9 Sedentary Lifestyle
People who live and work in digital cultures tend to
spend many hours each day in sedentary pursuits,
such as watching television and using computers
Sitting still for long periods of time, especially in
positions that limit blood circulation can be a health
risk
Your chair should not prevent good circulation to
your legs
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9 Sedentary Lifestyle
Try to take breaks periodically
Break reminder software can help you remember
when it is time to take a break from your work
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9 What Do You Think?
093100 Does the Turing Test of machine intelligence make
sense to you?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure
093200 If a computer can beat human contestants in
Jeopardy!, is it showing signs of intelligence?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure
093300 Do you believe that computers might someday have
the capacity to think?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure
Chapter 9: The Computer Industry: History, Careers, and Ethics
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Chapter 9 Complete
Computer Concepts 2014
UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE
Recent Trend Impacts
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
6. Discuss the impact recent trends within the computer industry have on information systems.
6.1 Identify recent technology trends within IT and the computer industry.
6.2 Describe the role of computer technology and how it affects industry in today’s global
economy.
Reading Assignment
Chapter 9:
The Computer Industry: History, Careers, and Ethics, pp. 486-509, 542-543, 546-547
Unit Lesson
Unit VI examines the impact that recent trends within the computer industry have on information systems.
This lesson will discuss these trends and what the future may hold.
In 2009, a developer known as Satoshi Nakamoto created an digital currency called Bitcoin. Bitcoin was
known as a form of untraceable cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is actually a form of digital money. According to
McCormick (2013), Bitcoin is the perfect tool for money laundering and criminal activity, but Bitcoin also offers
positive benefits in the global economy. The value of Bitcoin is in the technology that allows you to program
money just like any computer code, and this technology could basically allow anyone to create unbreakable
contracts and create monetary policy that emulates Google’s processes (Valleskey, 2014).
Bitcoin was the first decentralized peer-to-peer payment network powered by its users, with no middleman or
central authority (Bitcoin Thrives, 2014). PayPal has built a relationship with Bitcoin known as BitPay. PayPal
values innovation, and this integration between PayPal and BitPay gives people more choices for creating
value, sharing it, buying it, selling it, and trading it (BitPay and PayPal, 2014).
Bitcoin users can quickly move their money and holdings around the world without having to rely on any
central clearinghouse. Bitcoin is cheap to use because banks are not needed to execute or confirm
transactions. Bitcoin payments are considered easier than using debit and credit cards, and can be used
without a merchant account. Payments are made from a wallet application, either on a computer or a
smartphone. There is no limit on the amount of money that can be sent or received anywhere in the world at
any time. Bitcoin is totally anonymous (Bitcoin Thrives, 2014).
Bitcoin & Namecoin Accepted Here sign.
(ninjarobot, 2013)
CS 1010, Computer Essentials
Greenpeace USA has started accepting Bitcoin donations.
Greenpeace is an environmental activist group: an independent,
nonprofit organization. Greenpeace is one of the first major
international charities to accept Bitcoin. Since it was founded, BitPay
has offered Bitcoin payment processing to non-profit organizations
free of charge (Greenpeace USA, 2014). Bitcoin seems to have a
promising future and is not used just for criminal activity, as some
people may have heard. Dell is also eyeing Bitcoin. Dell started using
Bitcoin as a payment method on a trial basis in July 2014 for its U.S.
consumers and small business customers (Gilbert, 2014).
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Bitcoin has good privacy properties. As the Bitcoin market matures, it is expected that Bitcoin will gain more
acceptance. This technology trend is still evolving and could become a game changer in the global market.
Today, there are many new trends such as portable computing devices, cloud computing, wearable
technology, and artificial intelligence. Information technology is an integral part of all of these There are more
trends, but portable computing devices and cloud computing will be addressed in this lesson. First, it is
important to understand what portable computing devices actually are. Mobile components are used to create
mobile computing devices. These mobile computing components include mobile hardware and software.
What are portable computing devices? The portable computer is one such device that was actually created in
the early 1970s. External hard drives are considered portable computing devices. Other examples include
smartphones, notebook computers, media players, smart watches, satellite navigation systems, digital
cameras, and Internet tablets. Smartphones and tablet computers have anytime-anywhere capability to
access information. Now, mobility devices have evolved to wearable technology such as the smart watch
(Kim & Shin, 2015).
There are more portable devices out there, but the list is too long to detail. According to Soukup (2015), all
mobile phone sales are dominated by smartphones. The smartphone keeps improving with more and more
computing power.
Another trend that everyone is talking about is cloud computing. Many companies today such as Apple,
Netflix, Amazon, and Google use cloud computing. This list is not exclusive. For illustration purposes,
traditional computing will be compared to cloud computing. In traditional computing, companies are the
following:
required to own and operate a data center,
the bearers of all associated costs,
able to use only isolated effort,
at a competitive disadvantage, and
have limited scalability.
In cloud computing, companies are the following:
not required to own and operate a data center,
potentially able to reduce direct costs,
capable of appropriately distributing workload,
able to use collaborative effort,
at a competitive advantage, and
capable of vast scalability.
There are many different cloud service models, such as platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service
(SaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). These are the main cloud service models, but there are many
more. There are two main deployments known as private and public. Some of the advantages of the private
deployment model include control, regulatory issue benefits, and limited configurations. The disadvantages of
the private model include resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and pay-as-you-go pricing. The disadvantages of
the public deployment model include limited configurations, control, and regulatory issues. The advantages of
the public deployment model include elasticity, utility pricing, core competency, no required up-front
investments, and automated software upgrades. There are many factors to consider before adopting a cloud
service model, such as cost effectiveness, security, and confidentiality.
Today’s ever-moving technology world has changed the way we understand information technology. The goal
is to have the fastest and best equipment out there today. Having the most efficient equipment is also an
important goal not to be overlooked. As discussed above, cloud computing is a popular trend today that now
is moving forward rapidly. The technology has been there for a while, but in slow motion. Desktop computing
is being left behind by mobile devices. These devices have become smarter and more sophisticated with
every release.
CS 1010, Computer Essentials
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It is easy to see where computing and information technology are headed. Recent trends are outmaneuvering
the traditional computing environment. What the future may hold is an interesting question that has not been
answered yet.
References
Bitcoin thrives under weak governance. (2014, September 23). The Financial Express. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.proquest.com.library
resources.columbiasouthern.edu/docview/1564151922?accountid=33337
BitPay and PayPal detail Bitcoin integration. (2014). Entertainment Close–Up. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.proquest.com.library
resources.columbiasouthern.edu/docview/1564815275?accountid=33337
Gilbert, J. (2014). Bit on the side? Computer Reseller News, 6-7. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.proquest.com.library
resources.columbiasouthern.edu/docview/1564396959?accountid=33337
Greenpeace USA accepts Bitcoin donations through BitPay. (2014, Sep 22). Business Wire. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.proquest.com.library
resources.columbiasouthern.edu/docview/1563996273?accountid=33337
Kim, K. J., & Shin, D. (2015). An acceptance model for smart watches. Internet Research, 25(4), 527-541.
Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.proquest.com.library
resources.columbiasouthern.edu/docview/1696687790?accountid=33337
McCormick, T. (2013). The darknet. Foreign Policy, (203), 22-23. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.proquest.com.library
resources.columbiasouthern.edu/docview/1468594161?accountid=33337
Ninjarobot. (2013, June). Bitcoin & Namecoin accepted here sign [Logo]. Retrieved from
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABitcoin_%26_Namecoin_Accepted_Here_Sign.png
Soukup, P. A., S.J. (2015). Smartphones. Communication Research Trends, 34(4), 3-39. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.proquest.com.library
resources.columbiasouthern.edu/docview/1756929233?accountid=33337
Valleskey, B. (2014, Sep 26). Reggie Middleton on why Bitcoin is valuable. Benzinga Newswires. Retrieved
from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.proquest.com.library
resources.columbiasouthern.edu/docview/1565539906?accountid=33337
Suggested Reading
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