2024 COMS1001 - Computers, Digital Networks, and Media Theory PDF

Computers and Digital Networks  COMS 1001 Computers and Digital Networks Computers Before Electricity Charles Babbage December 1791 - 1871. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer. Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer....

Computers and Digital Networks  COMS 1001 Computers and Digital Networks Computers Before Electricity Charles Babbage December 1791 - 1871. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer. Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered by some to be "father of the computer” and created the rst mechanical computer. fi  mechanical computer A mechanical computer is built from mechanical components such as levers and gears, rather than electronic components. The most common examples are adding machines and mechanical counters, which use the turning of gears to increment output displays.  tube computers A vacuum-tube computer, now termed a rst- generation computer, is a computer that uses vacuum tubes for logic circuitry. ENIAC Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer was the rst programmable, electronic, general- purpose digital computer made in 1945. fi fi  transistor computers The bipolar transistor was invented in 1947. From 1955 onward transistors replaced vacuum tubes in computer designs. These are considered 2nd generation computers. they are smaller, and require less power than vacuum tubes  integrated circuit The "third-generation" of digital electronic computers used integrated circuit (IC) chips as the basis of their logic. And IC is a set of electronic circuits on one small at piece (or "chip") of semiconductor material, usually silicon. fl  Moores Law Moore's law is the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years. Moore's law is an observation and projection of a historical trend. Rather than a law of physics, it is an empirical relationship linked to gains from experience in production.  Do you see similarities with previous technological revolutions? What are some similarities/ differences with the early PC revolution and the computer industry today? Consider gender, social class, types of usage, stereotypes. How has digital technology in uenced production, distribution, mediation and audience? fl Home Brew Computer Club The Homebrew Computer Club was an early computer hobbyist group in Menlo Park, California, which met from March 1975 to December 1986. The club played an in uential role in the development of the microcomputer revolution and the rise of that aspect of the Silicon Valley information technology industrial complex. Several high-pro le hackers and computer entrepreneurs emerged from its ranks, including Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the founders of Apple Computer. With its newsletter and monthly meetings promoting an open exchange of ideas, the club has been described as "the crucible for an entire industry" as it pertains to personal computing Ethos? fi fl  Peter Mansbridge CBC and Internet  Internet, The World Wide Web, Cyberspace Are They the Same Thing?  Cyberspace Cyberspace is "the notional environment in which communication over computer networks occurs.” - William Gibson “There are no borders on the Internet.” – CBC Video  A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of esh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather. (1996) John Perry Barlow fl Independence of Cyberspace How is this related to the Triumph of the Nerds video? Is that ethos naive? What happened? Can we draw any comparisons to other media? WWW  Tim Berners- Lee The World Wide Web (abbreviated as WWW or W3, commonly known as the Web) is a system of interlinked hypertext documents that are accessed via the Internet. With a web browser, one can view web pages that may contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia and navigate between web, invented 1993 them via hyperlinks. Internet  What is the Internet The Internet is a massive network of networks, a networking infrastructure. It connects millions of computers together globally, forming a network in which any computer can communicate with any other computer as long as they are both connected to the Internet. Information that travels over the Internet does so via a variety of languages known as protocols.  Where did this all start? ARPANET The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) was one of the world's rst operational packet switching networks, the rst network to implement TCP/IP, and one of the progenitors of what was to become the global Internet. fi fi  ARPANET 1969 (1) UCLA, Stanford Research Institute, UC Santa Barbara, Utah  Redundancy If a network loses a node the data can still follow another path.  Humble Beginnings ARPANET adopted TCP/IP on January 1, 1983, and from there researchers began to assemble the “network of networks” that became the modern Internet. The online world then took on a more recognizable form in 1993, when computer scientist Tim Berners- Lee invented the World Wide Web. Network of networks connected by ber optic cables. Many “hubs” like the NYC example we saw in the lm where networks connect. Transatlantic cables connect North America to Europe. fi fi  In digital technology, the analog source is sampled at some interval, and then turned into numbers that are stored in the digital device.  Digital media All the media we’ve looked at can now be digitized – print, mail, photos, movies, radio content (music). TV shows, mp3 etc. And they are also all delivered digitally – digital cable, on-line streaming, hypertext More easily distributed & by almost anyone More easily created & by almost anyone What are some signi cant advantages to digital media over analog? fi  Is anything lost, or changed, by converting analog media into digital?  Digital media All the media we’ve looked at can now be digitized – print, mail, photos, movies, radio content (music). TV shows, mp3 etc. Break with linear focus of print/literacy And they are also all delivered digitally – digital cable, on-line streaming, hypertext More easily distributed & by almost anyone More easily created & by almost anyone  Digital Convergence Analog Systems Photos TV Radio Cinema Digital Systems Internet Comparing the Web With Broadcast Technologies Web: ”a collaborative medium, a place where we [could] all meet and read and write”. Broadcast: one to many, unidirectional transmission  Conclusion Digital media have had signi cant in uence on production, distribution, mediation and audience. Most signi cant: interaction & ability of many to produce, exhibit and distribute content Also many social, political and economic impacts Facilitated changes in homes, workplaces, businesses, government, cultural, community and leisure activities Integrates us into larger social networks and enhances our sociability. May sometimes detract from in person interaction. fi fi fl  So… Digital media have had significant influence on production, distribution, mediation and audience Most significant: interaction & ability of many to produce, exhibit and distribute content Also many social, political and economic impacts Facilitated changes in homes, workplaces, businesses, government, cultural, community and leisure activities integrates us into larger social networks and enhances our sociability May sometimes detract from in-person interaction Theorizing Communications – Media Ecology and Political Economy Approaches  Theoretical Approaches to Studying Media Why do we need different theoretical approaches? The approach and the tool that you choose help shape your understanding of your subject.  If you were new to a city — how might you learn about it … Stand on a nearby hill and look down at it, or walk the streets? Buy a map, use google earth, or read a travel book? Once you have chosen an approach you may consider an appropriate tool: Telescope from the hill. A computer for Google earth. Eyes for travel book.  Does each approach have advantages/ disadvantages? So, why choose one over the other? Depends on what you are trying to learn. Taking more than one perspective gives us a multidisciplinary understanding.  Approaches to Communications The framework or theory that underlies and shapes the analysis of communications – Assumptions – Themes – Methods of study – Emphasis and focus We will look at the media ecology approach and the political economy approach  Media Ecology  What do they mean by “media ecology?” Looks into the matter of how media of communication affect human perception, understanding, feeling, and value; and how our interaction with media facilitates or impedes our chances of survival. –Neil Postman The word ecology implies the study of environments: their structure, content, and impact on people.  Innis and McLuhan Innis: – The bias of communications media – a communication medium has an important influence on the spatial and temporal dissemination of knowledge – Focus on economic aspects — social structures McLuhan: – “the medium is the message” – Hot vs. Cool media – Focus on psychological aspects - perceptions  Key Themes of Media Ecology Studying media as environments The structure of a medium defines the nature of information Each medium has a unique set of biases Focus on relationship between technology and culture An epochal historiography of media (orality, literacy, typography, electronic media)  So… The media ecology approach places emphasis on the ways the communications technologies impact culture It is the study of media as environments where the medium is often emphasized over the messages it carries Media ecology divides human history into stages that have come about because of new developments in media technology  Political Economy Follow the money.  Political Economy - background Foundation is the work of Karl Marx Focus on conflict and inequality between groups in society Critical of profit motive for communication and culture Notion that ownership and control is highly significant to development of technology and content produced Consider our discussions of production, distribution, exhibition and how often there is vertical integration in the communications industries we’ve looked at The bourgeoisie are the people who control the means of production in a capitalist society; the proletariat are the members of the working class. Both terms were very important in Karl Marx's writing.  There Are 3 Major Themes 1) The Business of Communication Historical Developments Ownership Concentration Global Expansion  Historical Developments TV Show Sponsors Concentration of Ownership Concentrated Ownership Canada Ownership Concentration  Bell Media operates the country’s top media brands, such as CTV, V, TSN, RDS, Crave, Noovo and iHeartRadio, and is a leading investor in Canadian content creation, including local television and radio news, sports and entertainment programming, and other original TV and lm productions. With our extensive network of Bell, Virgin Mobile, Lucky Mobile and The Source locations, BCE is also one of Canada’s biggest retailers. fi  Global Expansion Global Expansion  2) Communication and the State How corporations and government use media and communications technologies for profit and control Focus on: – Analysis of regulation and agencies – Interlocking interests of state and corporations – Use of technologies of surveillance & control 3) Communication, power and inequality Role of opposition groups Use of communications to advocate for public access and democratic change Research to back up claims of interest groups  So… The political economy approach to communications and its history highlights ownership and control The focus is on the commercialization of culture and other developments in communications that came with industrial capitalism Often highlights the missing voices and views that result from concentrated control of distribution, production, and exhibition