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1. Some of the ways that the Internet has affected the decision-making process in media and entertainment organizations are the following:

-Blogs have become a major journalistic outlet, which has allowed the public to experience more points of view and also has impacted the speed with which stories can be made public. This means that media outlets have had to diversify their own approaches, for example by setting up their own blogs and websites with up to the minute news coverage.

-In terms of entertainment organizations such as MTV networks, the internet has had a major impact on where viewers can go to see music videos, listen to music, and read about their favorite artists. This has influenced decisions by such networks to make videos and music clips accessible online as well. Viewers no longer need to rely on MTV, for example, to see their favorite music videos, but can often access them much more conveniently online. Another impact this might have is to influence decisions by networks to diversify their programming, for example offering more reality shows and documentaries rather than only music videos. Networks have needed to change their programming choices in order to remain appealing to viewers, by offering them media that is not available online.
-These impacts are likely greatest for organizations which appeal to the younger audience, which is familiar with the internet and uses it frequently.

2. I believe that the Internet has become so integrated into modern society that it would be difficult to go back to a pre-Internet world. If society were to revert back to a time before the Internet and e-commerce, this would have a number of effects, including:

-People have become used to the convenience of shopping online and being able to do so any time and anywhere. Even groceries can be ordered online in many areas. Without the Internet, people would have to plan their schedules once again around opening and closing times of stores. In addition, it would also make it more difficult to "shop around" for bargains. Many goods would become more expensive, since it is easier to offer discounts if you do not need to have a retail store and pay employees to assist customers face to face. On the other hand, small business owners would no longer have to compete against online merchants and may benefit if the Internet disappeared.

-Banks and other financial institutions, schools, libraries, etc. all use the Internet to maintain records. Often these can be accessed by customers at home. Being able to access this information quickly allows for better customer service and a more up-to-date view of accounts/student information etc. Going back to a pre-Internet world would restrict records to a single or a few locations, and would make it more logistically difficult to access information quickly. However, it would make information more secure in that it would be more difficult to obtain if it were not kept on a network.

-Research has shown that e-mail is a big "time-waster" for employees, since they often interrupt their work flow to check messages. Perhaps not having the Internet would make workers more efficient. It would also require people to make more of an effort to keep in touch with others, by mail/phone/fax etc. Perhaps greeting card sales would increase. People may maintain fewer friendships without access to e-mail, but they might be stronger because of the increased effort required to stay in touch.