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Title: THE COST OF CONVENIENCE: THE EXTENT OF THE REASONABLE EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY IN THE INTERNET AGE.
Creator: Karpf, Justin, Wood, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Though the Internet and social media are fairly recent developments, the legal principles and issues embodied in them are well-represented in the Constitution. Take, for example, the freedom of expression enumerated in the First Amendment. Though traditionally in print, pamphlets, and film, recent developments in technology such as Facebook and blogs have become the new standard forms of communication. Like the physical mediums that arose before them, issues arise of what limits, if any,...
Show moreThough the Internet and social media are fairly recent developments, the legal principles and issues embodied in them are well-represented in the Constitution. Take, for example, the freedom of expression enumerated in the First Amendment. Though traditionally in print, pamphlets, and film, recent developments in technology such as Facebook and blogs have become the new standard forms of communication. Like the physical mediums that arose before them, issues arise of what limits, if any, should be placed on the speech. Given the guise of anonymity, people on the Internet have less accountability in the comments they make, which has led to things ranging from passionate political speech to what is known as cyber-bullying, which is online harassment that has led people to suicide. This thesis, however, will primarily focus on the Fourth Amendment's reasonable expectation of privacy. Because the information involved with the Internet and social media is digital, it is more difficult to identify when privacy has been breached. With a paper envelope, for example, one can tell if the seal was broken and the contents were potentially disclosed to an unwanted party. Electronically, however, no such seal exists to notify the sender or recipient of a communication. Furthermore, the Government has found itself under stricter scrutiny for searches with these new developments in technology; the lack of physical intrusion poses difficult questions for courts that must decide how far a reasonable expectation of privacy goes in the social media age. The thesis will also address how private companies obtain and use individuals' information through the services they provide and the issues that arise from them. Private companies have fewer restrictions than the Government, and both perspectives are important to keep in mind when trying to understand the policy implications rapid technological growth has brought about. The thesis will conclude by identifying issues that courts and legislatures will have to address in the coming years to adequately deliver justice in a dynamic society that is prone to powerful technological change.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFH0004399, ucf:44992
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004399

Title: INTERNET ADVERTISING: ARE WE BREAKING GROUND OR MOVING DIRT?.
Creator: Marshall, Jaime, Collins, Steven, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Seeking to validate the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of Persuasion for the online advertising context, a laboratory experiment utilizing 240 undergraduates was conducted at a southeastern university. The quality of banner advertisement contents--product endorser (spokesperson) and arguments (headlines)--were manipulated testing the variables' effect on click-through and attitude toward the advertisement for groups with high and low levels of product category involvement. Exploring a...
Show moreSeeking to validate the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of Persuasion for the online advertising context, a laboratory experiment utilizing 240 undergraduates was conducted at a southeastern university. The quality of banner advertisement contents--product endorser (spokesperson) and arguments (headlines)--were manipulated testing the variables' effect on click-through and attitude toward the advertisement for groups with high and low levels of product category involvement. Exploring a replica of a popular music website, participants were exposed to the test banners on the site's homepage. Due to the limited number of click-throughs, the relationship between the independent variables and click-through could not be established. However, as hypothesized for the low involvement condition, source liking predicted participants' attitude toward the banner advertisements. In the high involvement condition, neither source liking nor argument strength was associated with attitude. Because the test product category--sport drinks--skewed low involvement, a follow-up study should select a high involvement product category to explore such condition more effectively.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000406, ucf:46348
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000406

Title: THE INTERNET AND THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM.
Creator: Gaar, Noah David, 7., , Pollock, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The past eight years have seen a great increase in Internet usage in American culture and politics. It would seem that, in our digital age, the Internet has exercised strong effects on political behavior and even on legislators. This thesis explores the variety and intensity of these effects, finding them to be substantial and growing, although not yet robust.The main influences the net has exerted on American politics take place predominantly within two areas: political campaigns and online...
Show moreThe past eight years have seen a great increase in Internet usage in American culture and politics. It would seem that, in our digital age, the Internet has exercised strong effects on political behavior and even on legislators. This thesis explores the variety and intensity of these effects, finding them to be substantial and growing, although not yet robust.The main influences the net has exerted on American politics take place predominantly within two areas: political campaigns and online political interest groups. Activists are certainly using the Internet for political causes, but this sort of Internet usage is really just an extension of previous activism. The Internet does not create new habits; it simply offers a more convenient method of reading the news, communicating to others, or performing other activities we have already been inclined to perform. Even those Internet users who access political web sites are shown preeminently to be those who have otherwise accessed political information in other ways such as newspapers or televised news.So far the Internet has made campaign donations easier for people who are comfortable surfing the World Wide Web. But there is little evidence to show that these people would not have otherwise donated to the campaign by more traditional methods. The Internet has made political activism easier, but people who are not politically active will not suddenly change simply because the Internet offers itself as an expedient, inexpensive tool. We have seen, however, with groups like MoveOn.org, that activists are rallying, communicating, and demonstrating more efficiently than ever before. The political parties or groups that can most effectively use the Internet to mobilize voters and affect public opinion will greatly benefit themselves.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000140, ucf:46156
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000140

Title: THE ROLE OF THE INTERNET AS A TOOL TO AID IN U.S. ADULT CONSUMERS' WEIGHT LOSS.
Creator: Kirby, Jaclyn, Matusitz, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis focuses on ways the Internet can positively influence and educate U.S. Americans to become healthier and eventually lose weight. Throughout the past 30 years, the percentage of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased immensely, resulting in a nationwide epidemic (American Association for Public Opinion Research, 2006; Center for Disease Control, 2006; Goodman, 2005; The Obesity Society, 2008). The research question for this thesis is the following: What are the...
Show moreThis thesis focuses on ways the Internet can positively influence and educate U.S. Americans to become healthier and eventually lose weight. Throughout the past 30 years, the percentage of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased immensely, resulting in a nationwide epidemic (American Association for Public Opinion Research, 2006; Center for Disease Control, 2006; Goodman, 2005; The Obesity Society, 2008). The research question for this thesis is the following: What are the perceptions of U.S. adult consumers regarding the positive influence the Internet has on weight loss? In order to determine the influence of the Internet on U.S. adults, a qualitative method of interviewing was conducted with fifteen U.S. adults. Upon completion of listening to the audiotapes and transcribing the health narratives, six key themes emerged as the most relevant to the author's research question: (1) Weight Loss Support Rooted in Social Networking, (2) Internet as an Exercise Motivator, (3) Lack of Trust in Internet Sources for Health Information, (4) Meaningfulness of Health Seeking, (5) Internet as a Teaching Tool, and (6) Uses and Gratifications of Online Health Seeking. Overall, based on this small sample, the researcher concluded that U.S. adults have often turned to the Internet as an aid in their weight loss journey. U.S. adults have a positive perception of the Internet and feel that most adults would benefit from using it to find health information.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002567, ucf:48262
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002567

Title: SNAGGING THE ONLINE SEXUAL PREDATOR: DESCRIPTIONS OF WHO AND HOW.
Creator: Tetzlaff, Melissa, Mustaine, Elizabeth E., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study examines law enforcement personnel who work undercover chatting investigations in order to catch online sexual predators. This topic is quite timely, and law enforcement efforts in this area are new. As such, there is a dearth of research concerning the use of the internet as a location for law enforcement investigations, particularly as a setting for undercover work. This research addresses such questions as who are these law enforcement personnel who try to snag online sexual...
Show moreThis study examines law enforcement personnel who work undercover chatting investigations in order to catch online sexual predators. This topic is quite timely, and law enforcement efforts in this area are new. As such, there is a dearth of research concerning the use of the internet as a location for law enforcement investigations, particularly as a setting for undercover work. This research addresses such questions as who are these law enforcement personnel who try to snag online sexual predators, how do they feel about working in the virtual world, what do they think about doing this type of work, how did they get selected for this particular position, how their jobs affect their personal lives outside of work, and what specifically their jobs entail. Twenty law enforcement personnel were interviewed from different parts of the United States. The interview schedule covered six areas: respondentsÃ‚Â' careers, their home lives, any training they have received that is relevant for their current positions, details about their jobs, the undercover aspects of their jobs, and their demographics. Findings are discussed. This study is important because it offers a closer look at the individuals who put their time and efforts into neutralizing online sexual predators before they can harm additional children. This knowledge will add to the current literature in this area as well as aid policy developers on issues concerning law enforcement organization and personnel.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003356, ucf:48462
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003356

Title: THE EFFECT OF INTERNET BOOKING ON THE CENTRAL FLORIDA LODGING MARKET OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
Creator: Smith, Scott, Rompf, Paul, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study reviews the effect of Internet bookings on the Central Florida lodging market over the past five years. As the number of lodging accommodations booked directly by the consumer over the Internet continues to increase, the ramifications brought about by this emerging distribution channel have not been fully investigated or interpreted. This study observes how Internet-enabled distribution channel bookings have trended in occupancy and average daily rate in the Central Florida lodging...
Show moreThis study reviews the effect of Internet bookings on the Central Florida lodging market over the past five years. As the number of lodging accommodations booked directly by the consumer over the Internet continues to increase, the ramifications brought about by this emerging distribution channel have not been fully investigated or interpreted. This study observes how Internet-enabled distribution channel bookings have trended in occupancy and average daily rate in the Central Florida lodging market in the past five years. Specifically the author segmented the survey respondents into the lodging product service categories of budget, moderate, upscale and luxury to analyze if there were any observable trends between the categories over the past five years. The author also segmented the respondents into the lodging geographic sub-categories of airport, downtown, suburban and resort/attractions area to determine if there were any observable trends between the sub-classifications over the past five years. Utilizing a descriptive approach, the author determined that each product service category and lodging sub-classification displayed continuous growth in Internet-enabled distribution channel bookings over the five-year period of 1999-2003. The author also observed that each product service category continuously represented a discounted Internet distribution channel rate over the five-year period of 1999-2003. This analysis suggests that lodging properties in the Central Florida market are discounting their Internet-enabled distribution channel rates in comparison to the property's overall average rate. At the same time, these properties appear to be increasing their Internet-enabled distribution channel bookings as a percentage of overall bookings.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000322, ucf:46302
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000322

Title: ADAPTIVE TECHNOMYTHOGRAPHY: THE APOTHEOSIS OF MACHINE AND DEVELOPMENT OF LEGEND IN A SYSTEM OF DYNAMIC TECHNOLOGY.
Creator: wolf, roger, Robinson, Brady, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Human beings will effectively deify any suitably complex system that cannot be explained through basic haptic interaction. Our culture loves technology. These days it seems we need it to feel whole. In an effort to explore the development of mythology and modular aesthetic in a technological age I have designed and constructed a number of interactive robotic 'organisms' to engage in arbitrary movement in geometric enclosures. Through observation and dialog I seek to assess the extent...
Show moreHuman beings will effectively deify any suitably complex system that cannot be explained through basic haptic interaction. Our culture loves technology. These days it seems we need it to feel whole. In an effort to explore the development of mythology and modular aesthetic in a technological age I have designed and constructed a number of interactive robotic 'organisms' to engage in arbitrary movement in geometric enclosures. Through observation and dialog I seek to assess the extent to which people assign human characteristics to the random and oft times aberrant mechanical behavior. To supplement this endeavor, a fictional astrological system that proposes logical (albeit mythological) explanations for the peculiarities in these relationships has been created.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001677, ucf:47197
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001677

Title: OLDER ADULTS AND ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING: RELATING ISSUES OF ATTITUDES, EXPERTISE, AND USE.
Creator: Hernandez, Elise, Smither, Janan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The social transition to older adulthood can be challenging for elderly individuals and their families when isolation poses a threat to well-being. Technology is currently providing younger generations with an opportunity to stay in contact with social partners through the use of online social networking tools; it is unclear whether older adults are also taking advantage of this communication method. This study explored how older adults are experiencing online social networking. Specifically,...
Show moreThe social transition to older adulthood can be challenging for elderly individuals and their families when isolation poses a threat to well-being. Technology is currently providing younger generations with an opportunity to stay in contact with social partners through the use of online social networking tools; it is unclear whether older adults are also taking advantage of this communication method. This study explored how older adults are experiencing online social networking. Specifically, this research addressed how older adults' attitudes towards online social networking are related to their expertise in using computers and the internet for this purpose. A survey methodological approach was employed whereby older adults aged 65 and over were recruited from senior centers across the Central Florida area to fill out a series of questionnaires. The Computer Aversion, Attitudes, and Familiarity Index (CAAFI) was used to measure attitudes and expertise with computers. The Internet Technical Literacy and Social Awareness Scale was used to measure interest and expertise with the internet. The relationship between older adults' use of online social networking and their attitudes and expertise was also investigated. Finally, social connectedness, (measured using the Social Connectedness Scale) and subjective well-being (measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale) were measured to explore whether older adults receive a psychosocial benefit from using online social networking. Findings showed expertise and attitudes scores were strongly correlated, and these scores were also predictive of online social networking use. The results of this study may help social service providers for elderly individuals begin to understand the many factors associated with using new forms of technology.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFH0004078, ucf:44786
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004078

Title: SEXUALITY ONLINE: EXPLORATION AND SELF-IDENTIFICATION AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Creator: Nordham, Chelsea, Donley, Amy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The Internet is a space that offers the exploration of sexual experiences without social repercussions to one's identity. As a de-centralized environment, social conventions, cues, judgments and risks may be present, but are not fixed. Online sexual activities are accessible through both interactive and observational means, such as forums, blogs, chat rooms, e-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing and websites. The current study sought to uncover the motivation and significance of...
Show moreThe Internet is a space that offers the exploration of sexual experiences without social repercussions to one's identity. As a de-centralized environment, social conventions, cues, judgments and risks may be present, but are not fixed. Online sexual activities are accessible through both interactive and observational means, such as forums, blogs, chat rooms, e-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing and websites. The current study sought to uncover the motivation and significance of Internet use on how college students perceive, experience and define their sexuality. The intent of this thesis was to look into the complexity of human sexuality that can be embodied online and help to extend our knowledge on how Internet use provides support and satisfaction for sexual needs that are significant to individuals affected by social discomfort. The study showed that shyness and anxiousness as temperaments associated with social discomfort were tied to utilizing the Internet for sexual experiences, such as exploration and strengthening of sexual identity.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFH0004334, ucf:45031
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004334

Title: SOCIAL MEDIA AND TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS: OBSERVING SUCCESS OF RECRUITMENT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.
Creator: Cibra, Vincenzo, Powell, Jonathan, Farcau, Bruce, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The Internet is an instrument that has revolutionized the world and the society since its introduction. Today, over 4 billion people around the world have access to it. While this technology comes with several positive innovations, it can also be used negatively by terrorist organizations to more efficiently spread propaganda messages. More so, the development of social media has fostered new methods of recruitment that allows to reach a broader audience anonymously and outside of the...
Show moreThe Internet is an instrument that has revolutionized the world and the society since its introduction. Today, over 4 billion people around the world have access to it. While this technology comes with several positive innovations, it can also be used negatively by terrorist organizations to more efficiently spread propaganda messages. More so, the development of social media has fostered new methods of recruitment that allows to reach a broader audience anonymously and outside of the geographical area of operation of a terrorist organization. The purpose of this research is to analyze the relationship between social media development and changes in terrorist recruitment strategies, discuss the main social media used for terrorist recruitment, and identify major targeted demographics. Further, the research seeks to analyze through case study examination whether the use of social media by terrorist organizations result in more effective recruitment. This is accomplished by comparing recruiting success of ISIS, which heavily relies on social media, with Boko Haram, which does not. After comparing data available on recruits based on their geographical location, gender and age, and economic status, this study finds that there is not a significant diversity between individuals recruited through social media or those recruited through a different method. This study finds that a significant difference only exists when recruiting individuals with different economic opportunities. While fighters from ISIS are recruited from any class of the society, including those with higher income and are more educated, Boko Haram tends to be more successful among individuals who experience economic hurdles.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFH2000288, ucf:52904
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000288

Title: Measuring the evolving Internet ecosystem with exchange points.
Creator: Ahmad, Mohammad Zubair, Guha, Ratan, Bassiouni, Mostafa, Chatterjee, Mainak, Jha, Sumit, Goldiez, Brian, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The Internet ecosystem comprising of thousands of Autonomous Systems (ASes) now include Internet eXchange Points (IXPs) as another critical component in the infrastructure. Peering plays a significant part in driving the economic growth of ASes and is contributing to a variety of structural changes in the Internet. IXPs are a primary component of this peering ecosystem and are playing an increasing role not only in the topology evolution of the Internet but also inter-domain path routing. In...
Show moreThe Internet ecosystem comprising of thousands of Autonomous Systems (ASes) now include Internet eXchange Points (IXPs) as another critical component in the infrastructure. Peering plays a significant part in driving the economic growth of ASes and is contributing to a variety of structural changes in the Internet. IXPs are a primary component of this peering ecosystem and are playing an increasing role not only in the topology evolution of the Internet but also inter-domain path routing. In this dissertation we study and analyze the overall affects of peering and IXP infrastructure on the Internet. We observe IXP peering is enabling a quicker flattening of the Internet topology and leading to over-utilization of popular inter-AS links. Indiscriminate peering at these locations is leading to higher end-to-end path latencies for ASes peering at an exchange point, an effect magnified at the most popular worldwide IXPs. We first study the effects of recently discovered IXP links on the inter-AS routes using graph based approaches and find that it points towards the changing and flattening landscape in the evolution of the Internet's topology. We then study more IXP effects by using measurements to investigate the networks benefits of peering. We propose and implement a measurement framework which identifies default paths through IXPs and compares them with alternate paths isolating the IXP hop. Our system is running and recording default and alternate path latencies and made publicly available. We model the probability of an alternate path performing better than a default path through an IXP by identifying the underlying factors influencing the end-to end path latency. Our first-of-its-kind modeling study, which uses a combination of statistical and machine learning approaches, shows that path latencies depend on the popularity of the particular IXP, the size of the provider ASes of the networks peering at common locations and the relative position of the IXP hop along the path. An in-depth comparison of end-to-end path latencies reveal a significant percentage of alternate paths outperforming the default route through an IXP. This characteristic of higher path latencies is magnified in the popular continental exchanges as measured by us in a case study looking at the largest regional IXPs. We continue by studying another effect of peering which has numerous applications in overlay routing, Triangle Inequality Violations (TIVs). These TIVs in the Internet delay space are created due to peering and we compare their essential characteristics with overlay paths such as detour routes. They are identified and analyzed from existing measurement datasets but on a scale not carried out earlier. This implementation exhibits the effectiveness of GPUs in analyzing big data sets while the TIVs studied show that the a set of common inter-AS links create these TIVs. This result provides a new insight about the development of TIVs by analyzing a very large data set using GPGPUs.Overall our work presents numerous insights into the inner workings of the Internet's peering ecosystem. Our measurements show the effects of exchange points on the evolving Internet and exhibits their importance to Internet routing.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004802, ucf:49744
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004802

Title: GENERATION AND THE GOOGLE EFFECT: TRANSACTIVE MEMORY SYSTEM PREFERENCE ACROSS AGE.
Creator: Siler, Jessica, Hancock, Peter, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A transactive memory system (TMS) is a means by which people may store information externally; in such a system the task of remembering is offloaded by remembering where information is located, rather than remembering the information itself. As Sparrow et al. (2011) suggest in the article Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips, people are beginning to use the internet and computers as a TMS, and this use is changing the way people encounter...
Show moreA transactive memory system (TMS) is a means by which people may store information externally; in such a system the task of remembering is offloaded by remembering where information is located, rather than remembering the information itself. As Sparrow et al. (2011) suggest in the article Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips, people are beginning to use the internet and computers as a TMS, and this use is changing the way people encounter and treat information. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether preference for TMS type (either with books or with computers) varies across age groups. An interaction between TMS preference and age was hypothesized. Before the onset of the internet age, information was primarily found in books and other print materials whereas now the internet is more frequently used, thus this shift in thinking and habit across generations was expected to emerge in the data. The study yielded a total of 51 participants, 32 from the young age group (ages 18-24) and 19 from the old (ages 61-81). A modified Stroop task and question blocks (for priming purposes) were employed to examine whether people are prone to think of book- or computer-related sources when in search of information. Also, a "Look up or Learn" tendencies survey was used to better understand how people decide whether certain information should be learned or left to be "looked up" later (Yacci & Rosanski, 2012). The mixed ANOVA did not reveal main effects for question difficulty or TMS type, nor was an interaction with age found. The results were not consistent with those of Sparrow et al. (2011) and did not show significance for TMS preference. Future studies should continue to examine the Google effect and TMS preference, as it bears important applications for a number of fields.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFH0004473, ucf:45118
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004473

Title: MEASURING AND IMPROVING INTERNET VIDEO QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE.
Creator: Iyengar, Mukundan, Chatterjee, Mainak, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Streaming multimedia content over the IP-network is poised to be the dominant Internet traffic for the coming decade, predicted to account for more than 91% of all consumer traffic in the coming years. Streaming multimedia content ranges from Internet television (IPTV), video on demand (VoD), peer-to-peer streaming, and 3D television over IP to name a few. Widespread acceptance, growth, and subscriber retention are contingent upon network providers assuring superior Quality of Experience (QoE...
Show moreStreaming multimedia content over the IP-network is poised to be the dominant Internet traffic for the coming decade, predicted to account for more than 91% of all consumer traffic in the coming years. Streaming multimedia content ranges from Internet television (IPTV), video on demand (VoD), peer-to-peer streaming, and 3D television over IP to name a few. Widespread acceptance, growth, and subscriber retention are contingent upon network providers assuring superior Quality of Experience (QoE) on top of todays Internet. This work presents the first empirical understanding of Internet's video-QoE capabilities, and tools and protocols to efficiently infer and improve them. To infer video-QoE at arbitrary nodes in the Internet, we design and implement MintMOS: a lightweight, real-time, no-reference framework for capturing perceptual quality. We demonstrate that MintMOS's projections closely match with subjective surveys in accessing perceptual quality. We use MintMOS to characterize Internet video-QoE both at the link level and end-to-end path level. As an input to our study, we use extensive measurements from a large number of Internet paths obtained from various measurement overlays deployed using PlanetLab. Link level degradations of intra-- and inter--ISP Internet links are studied to create an empirical understanding of their shortcomings and ways to overcome them. Our studies show that intra--ISP links are often poorly engineered compared to peering links, and that degradations are induced due to transient network load imbalance within an ISP. Initial results also indicate that overlay networks could be a promising way to avoid such ISPs in times of degradations. A large number of end-to-end Internet paths are probed and we measure delay, jitter, and loss rates. The measurement data is analyzed offline to identify ways to enable a source to select alternate paths in an overlay network to improve video-QoE, without the need for background monitoring or apriori knowledge of path characteristics. We establish that for any unstructured overlay of N nodes, it is sufficient to reroute key frames using a random subset of k nodes in the overlay, where k is bounded by O(lnN). We analyze various properties of such random subsets to derive simple, scalable, and an efficient path selection strategy that results in a k-fold increase in path options for any source-destination pair; options that consistently outperform Internet path selection. Finally, we design a prototype called source initiated frame restoration (SIFR) that employs random subsets to derive alternate paths and demonstrate its effectiveness in improving Internet video-QoE.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004012, ucf:49168
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004012

Title: SEXUALLY-RELATED INTERNET ACTIVITIES: CROSS-NATIONAL COMPARISON BETWEEN UNITED STATES AND PERUVIAN YOUNG ADULTS.
Creator: Velezmoro, Rodrigo, Negy, Charles, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The current generation of college students commonly use the Internet for sexual purposes (Boies, 2002; Boies, Cooper, & Osborne, 2004), including finding sexual partners, searching for sex-related information, and viewing sexually explicit materials (SEM) (Boies, 2002). Yet, some authors have suggested that the use of the Internet for sexual purposes might lead to psychological problems (Cooper et al., 2001). However, it is unclear if the problems that are commonly reported (i.e., Internet...
Show moreThe current generation of college students commonly use the Internet for sexual purposes (Boies, 2002; Boies, Cooper, & Osborne, 2004), including finding sexual partners, searching for sex-related information, and viewing sexually explicit materials (SEM) (Boies, 2002). Yet, some authors have suggested that the use of the Internet for sexual purposes might lead to psychological problems (Cooper et al., 2001). However, it is unclear if the problems that are commonly reported (i.e., Internet dependency, isolation, and psychological distress) are caused by using the Internet for sexual purposes. Hence, it is important to examine how college students use the Internet for sexual purposes cross-culturally to determine how common the practice is, how it relates to maladjustment, and to examine if any culture variables are associated with use. Undergraduate students (n = 320) from a public university in the United States and Peruvian undergraduate students (n = 135) from a public university in Lima, Peru filled out questionnaires addressing their online sexual activities, psychological adjustment, and family communication. Peruvian young adults used the Internet significantly more than U.S. young adults to view SEM, find sexual partners, and search for sex-related information. Men, regardless of nationality, used the Internet to view SEM significantly more than women. Peruvian women used the Internet significantly more to view SEM and find sexual partners than U.S. women. Social support, religiosity, and erotophilia were found to moderate the relations between nationality and OSA. Further, for Peruvians and U.S. young adults, using the Internet for OSA was associated with mild distress, but no serious psychological maladjustment. Implications for college students are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003156, ucf:48591
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003156

Title: LISTENING TO THE APPLAUSE AND BOOS: TELEVISION, ONLINE MESSAGE BOARDS, AND A CALL TO ACTION.
Creator: DiNobile, Shanna, Brown, Timothy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study examines the relationship between television shows and their corresponding websites featuring interactive message boards looking at the motivations and gratifications that users cited as reasons for being connected to a program. Information found provides knowledge on why viewers are drawn to TV, and what rewards they gain from the actions they perform beyond viewing the show. Specifically, this study examines if viewing a television show and discussing it on an online message...
Show moreThis study examines the relationship between television shows and their corresponding websites featuring interactive message boards looking at the motivations and gratifications that users cited as reasons for being connected to a program. Information found provides knowledge on why viewers are drawn to TV, and what rewards they gain from the actions they perform beyond viewing the show. Specifically, this study examines if viewing a television show and discussing it on an online message board created the gratification of a greater sense of emotional attachment with the show, and if this sense of heightened emotional connection encouraged the board user to take action or become involved in some other manner other than just viewing TV. A survey featuring Likert Scale and free response options in reference to the participants' television viewing and Internet usage habits was distributed to undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida, and also to the general population with an Internet survey. Information gained from this study will aid television producers and creators to better understand the habits of their message board audiences, and what actions could be taken to entice more viewers to view extra content in relation to the TV show, and how to get users to be more interactive with their product. By providing information about message boards' abilities to encourage emotion and action, more satisfying content can be created by the producers, and the users can gain a greater understanding of their media consumption.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002671, ucf:48193
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002671

Title: FLORIDA TEACHER PERCEPTIONS CONCERNING INTERNET DANGERS FOR STUDENTS.
Creator: Baker, Kathleen, McGee, Janet, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This research study was conducted to determine if there were significant differences or relationships between teachersÃ‚Â' perceptions of knowledge of Internet dangers to students and factors such as demographics, self-reported comfort levels with Internet use, and with knowledge of policies and laws regarding Internet safety. Three hundred seventy-two teachers from three central Florida school districts were surveyed using an adapted survey developed by authors Patchin...
Show moreThis research study was conducted to determine if there were significant differences or relationships between teachersÃ‚Â' perceptions of knowledge of Internet dangers to students and factors such as demographics, self-reported comfort levels with Internet use, and with knowledge of policies and laws regarding Internet safety. Three hundred seventy-two teachers from three central Florida school districts were surveyed using an adapted survey developed by authors Patchin and Hinduja (2006) and Willard (2006, 2009). The world of the Internet is constantly changing, and students will encounter harassment and dangers while pursuing their interests on line. Recent research on the types of Internet dangers involving youth (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009; Juvonen & Gross, 2008, Leichtling, 2008; Lenhart, Madden & Hitlin, 2005; Li, 2007; Willard, 2009), and evidence supporting limited adult knowledge of Internet dangers to youth (Finkelhor, Mitchell & Wolak, 2000; Hinduja & Patchin, 2009; Patchin & Hinduja, 2006; Willard, 2006,2009) provided the conceptual framework for this study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to investigate each research question. These statistics included one-way ANOVA, Scheffe post-hoc analysis, chi-square tests of independence, independent T-tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. These findings demonstrated that the null hypotheses were rejected for each research question. Significant differences were found between teachersÃ‚Â' knowledge of Internet dangers and age, years of experience, level of school taught, and personal comfort with the Internet. Other significant relationships were found between personal Internet comfort and knowledge of laws and policies, specifically the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act, and between male teachers and knowledge of victim behaviors. Gender was the only demographic variable found to be not significantly related to a teachersÃ‚Â' knowledge of Internet dangers to students. The implications of these results validate the importance of more teacher training to increase knowledge of Internet dangers, policies and programs, as well as increase teachersÃ‚Â' ability to identify victims and provide them with assistance. As technology expands, Internet dangers for children online expand and are a growing concern for parents, teachers, and administrators. Since technology will continue to grow, adults play a major role in educating children concerning the dangers of being online. However, adults struggle to play catch-up to the young digital natives, and are not really present to intervene when needed. We cannot cross the digital divide and help our students if we are not seeking out the information ourselves (Willard, 2009).
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003307, ucf:48500
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003307

Title: A framework to generate a smart manufacturing system configurations using agents and optimization.
Creator: Nagadi, Khalid, Rabelo, Luis, Lee, Gene, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Ahmad, Ali, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Manufacturing is a crucial element in the global economy. During the last decade, the national manufacturing sector loses nearly 30% of its workforce and investments. Consequently, the quality of the domestic goods, global share, and manufacturing capabilities has been declined. Therefore, innovative ways to optimize the usage of the Smart Manufacturing Systems (SMS) are required to form a new manufacturing era. This research is presenting a framework to optimize the design of SMS. This...
Show moreManufacturing is a crucial element in the global economy. During the last decade, the national manufacturing sector loses nearly 30% of its workforce and investments. Consequently, the quality of the domestic goods, global share, and manufacturing capabilities has been declined. Therefore, innovative ways to optimize the usage of the Smart Manufacturing Systems (SMS) are required to form a new manufacturing era. This research is presenting a framework to optimize the design of SMS. This includes the determination of the suitable machines that can perform the job efficiently, the quantity of those machines, and the potential messaging system required for sharing information.Multiple reviews are used to form the framework. Expert machine selection matrix identifies the required machines and machine parameter matrix defines the specifications of those machines. While business process modeling and notation (BPMN) captures the process plan in object-oriented fashion. In addition, to agent unified modeling language (AUML) that guides the application of message sequence diagram and statecharts. Finally, the configuration is obtained from a hybrid simulation model. Agent based-modeling is used to capture the behavior of the machines where discrete event simulation mimics the process flow. A case study of a manufacturing system is used to verify the study. As a result, the framework shows positive outcomes in supporting upper management in the planning phase of establishing a SMS or evaluating an existing one.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006540, ucf:51311
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006540

Title: UTILIZING EDGE IN IOT AND VIDEO STREAMING APPLICATIONS TO REDUCE BOTTLENECKS IN INTERNET TRAFFIC.
Creator: Akpinar, Kutalmis, Hua, Kien, Zou, Changchun, Turgut, Damla, Wang, Jun, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: There is a large increase in the surge of data over Internet due to the increasing demand on multimedia content. It is estimated that 80% of Internet traffic will be video by 2022, according to a recent study. At the same time, IoT devices on Internet will double the human population. While infrastructure standards on IoT are still nonexistent, enterprise solutions tend to encourage cloud-based solutions, causing an additional surge of data over the Internet. This study proposes solutions to...
Show moreThere is a large increase in the surge of data over Internet due to the increasing demand on multimedia content. It is estimated that 80% of Internet traffic will be video by 2022, according to a recent study. At the same time, IoT devices on Internet will double the human population. While infrastructure standards on IoT are still nonexistent, enterprise solutions tend to encourage cloud-based solutions, causing an additional surge of data over the Internet. This study proposes solutions to bring video traffic and IoT computation back to the edges of the network, so that costly Internet infrastructure upgrades are not necessary. An efficient way to prevent the Internet surge over the network for IoT is to push the application specific computation to the edge of the network, close to where the data is generated, so that large data can be eliminated before being delivered to the cloud. In this study, an event query language and processing environment is provided to process events from various devices. The query processing environment brings the application developers, sensor infrastructure providers and end users together. It uses boolean events as the streaming and processing units. This addresses the device heterogeneity and pushes the data-intense tasks to the edge of network.The second focus of the study is Video-on-Demand applications. A characteristic of VoD traffic is its high redundancy. Due to the demand on popular content, the same video traffic flows through Internet Service Provider's network as overlapping but separate streams. In previous studies on redundancy elimination, overlapping streams are merged into each other in link-level by receiving the packet only for the first stream, and re-using it for the subsequent duplicated streams. In this study, we significantly improve these techniques by introducing a merger-aware routing method.Our final focus is increasing utilization of Content Delivery Network (CDN) servers on the edge of network to reduce the long-distance traffic. The proposed system uses Software Defined Networks (SDN) to route adaptive video streaming clients to the best available CDN servers in terms of network availability. While performing the network assistance, the system does not reveal the video request information to the network provider, thus enabling privacy protection for encrypted streams. The request routing is performed in segment level for adaptive streaming. This enables to re-route the client to the best available CDN without an interruption if network conditions change during the stream.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007882, ucf:52774
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007882

Title: A Study of Internet Spending and Graduation Rates: A Correlational Study.
Creator: Violette, Diana, Murray, Kenneth, Baldwin, Lee, Doherty, Walter, Jaffe, Larry, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school district spending on Internet access and student achievement, defined by graduation rates, in the state of Florida. Internet funding received for Internet access from E-rate funding administered by the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) and graduation rates of the 67 school districts in the state of Florida were compared. Further, the data were adjusted for socio-economic status (SES) to determine the...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school district spending on Internet access and student achievement, defined by graduation rates, in the state of Florida. Internet funding received for Internet access from E-rate funding administered by the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) and graduation rates of the 67 school districts in the state of Florida were compared. Further, the data were adjusted for socio-economic status (SES) to determine the relationship between school districts' SES and spending on Internet access. Lastly, school district connectivity and bandwidth were examined to determine whether the ConnectED initiative requirements were related to student achievement and the implementation of school district digital learning programs. E-rate funding and graduation rates were not correlated. Regression and multiple regression analyses demonstrated that Internet spending, bandwidth, and ratio of computers to students did not statistically predict graduation rates during the years of the study.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006816, ucf:51771
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006816

Title: PEDAGOGY FOR INTERNET-BASED TEACHING AND LEARNINGAND THE IMPACT OF THAT PEDAGOGY ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND SATISFACTION.
Creator: Kemerait, Janet Perkins, Holt, Larry, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this research was to identify appropriate pedagogical practices for Internet-based teaching and learning, determine the status of their use in the community college adjunct instructor's Internet-based classroom, and examine the impact of these practices on student academic achievement and satisfaction. Frequencies, measures of central tendency, percentages, and SPSS Cross Tabulation procedures described and analyzed data from student and instructor surveys to answer these...
Show moreThe purpose of this research was to identify appropriate pedagogical practices for Internet-based teaching and learning, determine the status of their use in the community college adjunct instructor's Internet-based classroom, and examine the impact of these practices on student academic achievement and satisfaction. Frequencies, measures of central tendency, percentages, and SPSS Cross Tabulation procedures described and analyzed data from student and instructor surveys to answer these questions.Internet-based best practice and recommended practice pedagogical methods and strategies were identified through extensive content analysis of the professional literature. Internet-based adjunct instructors at a Central Florida community college rated 43 selected recommended practices. Ratings were based on instructor perceptions of each practice's importance to student academic achievement in and satisfaction with their Internet-based learning experience. Students of community college adjunct instructors also rated these practices for their perceived impact on student academic achievement and satisfaction. Students identified from selected recommended practices the pedagogies that had been designed into the described Internet-based course in which they had been enrolled, providing better understanding of the current use of appropriate Internet-based practice in the instruction of adjunct community college instructors. To examine the impact of the use of those practices, average course scores were related to student-reported presence of practices in described courses and student-reported academic success and satisfaction in described courses was related to the presence of best and recommended practices designed into the course.Results from this study can provide guidance for community college Internet-based programs and for adjunct instructors in those programs as they strive to design and instruct quality courses with appropriate pedagogical focus. Results can also provide local data to the larger discussion of appropriate pedagogy throughout the Internet-based educational community.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000110, ucf:46205
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000110

Internet (10)	+ -
internet (8)	+ -
technology (4)	+ -
Internet of Things (3)	+ -
Privacy (2)	+ -

Quality of Experience (2)	+ -
communications (2)	+ -
cyberbullying (2)	+ -
online (2)	+ -
sexuality (2)	+ -
social networking (2)	+ -
Adaptive Video Streaming (1)	+ -
Addiction (1)	+ -
Addiction Syndrome Theory (1)	+ -
Advertising (1)	+ -
Agent Based Modeling (1)	+ -
Agent-Based Simulation (1)	+ -
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (1)	+ -
Authentication (1)	+ -
Awareness (1)	+ -
Boko Haram. (1)	+ -
CMC (1)	+ -
Caching (1)	+ -
Complex Event Processing (1)	+ -
ConnectED Initiative (1)	+ -
Content Delivery Networks (1)	+ -
Cyberbullying (1)	+ -
Cybercrime (1)	+ -
Distress (1)	+ -
Distributed Systems (1)	+ -

ETD Collection (26)	+ -
Honors Collection (8)	+ -

University of Central Florida (34)	+ -
Bassiouni, Mostafa (2)	+ -
Brown, Timothy (2)	+ -
Chatterjee, Mainak (2)	+ -
Donley, Amy (2)	+ -

Elshennawy, Ahmad (2)	+ -
Hua, Kien (2)	+ -
Lee, Gene (2)	+ -
Rabelo, Luis (2)	+ -
Zou, Changchun (2)	+ -
, Pollock (1)	+ -
Ahmad, Ali (1)	+ -
Ahmad, Mohammad Zubair (1)	+ -
Akpinar, Kutalmis (1)	+ -
Alabrah, Amerah (1)	+ -
Anderson Jr., Patrick (1)	+ -
Bai, Yuanli (1)	+ -
Baker, Kathleen (1)	+ -
Baldwin, Lee (1)	+ -
Basingab, Mohammed (1)	+ -
Butler, John (1)	+ -
Cibra, Vincenzo (1)	+ -
Cintron Delgado, Rosa (1)	+ -
Collins, Steven (1)	+ -
Cook, Kathy (1)	+ -
Cox, Dr. Thomas (1)	+ -
DiNobile, Shanna (1)	+ -
Do, Tai (1)	+ -
Doherty, Walter (1)	+ -
Eskamani, Anna (1)	+ -

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