Comparing the Printing Press and the Internet - Literature review Example

Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Introduction The introduction of the printing press and the internet had a great impact on communication of information. According to Bawden and Robinson (2010, p. 52), in the fifteenth century, the printing press was able to make dissemination of written information inexpensive and easy to obtain. It provided a new way through which individuals could communicate with the public. On the other hand, the internet provides a cheap and a faster way of transmitting information in the new millennium. In addition, it provides a two way communication through which individuals can communicate and share information among themselves. This makes the internet to be a revolutionary type of communication due to its ability to provide feedback. Therefore, the internet and the printing press can be used to provide and to communicate up to date information. This paper is going to compare the printing press and the internet. Dissemination of Information According to Cline (2005, p. 74), like the internet, the printing press is used to disseminate information. Both are used to increase the ease with which individuals access information. Bawden and Robinson (2010, p. 53), note that the printing press that was invented by Johan Gutenberg was aimed at distributing information. It provided a framework through which ideas and knowledge could be exchanged and distributed to a large number of individuals. Printing press utilizes newspapers, books, journals and pamphlets in order to provide information. The increased need to disseminate information has in turn led to the advancement and development of better printing presses with an aim of ensuring effective circulation of knowledge. On the other hand, the internet is used to disseminate information effectively and quickly. It offers the users with an efficient means through which they can freely spread information. Paganetto (2012, p. 53), states that the internet provides new methods of communication and this helps in disseminating information. It contains a number of connected packets which support communication and transmission thereby providing reliable connection based information delivery. The internet is composed of an interconnection of computers and it uses internet protocols and IP address so as to ensure end to end communication hence ensure efficient dissemination of information. Therefore, both the internet and the printing press are aimed at distributing information to a large number of individuals. They provide a platform through which knowledge can be disseminated. Revolution Both the printing press and the internet brought a revolution on the information culture. According to Bawden and Robinson (2010, p. 52), printing press provided a means through which information and knowledge could be provided in greater quantity. It presented an opportunity through which writers could make their works to become available to a large number of individuals. Guthrie (2011, p.2), notes that the printing press invention by Gutenberg was able to revolutionalise publishing. This is because it enabled individuals to print multiple copies hence leading to voluminous production of information. Printing press led to a reduction in the time taken to produce manuscripts and at the same time printing costs were significantly reduced. Cline (2005, p. 76), states that printers could print in numbers that writers believed they could sell rather than producing books based on the quantity ordered. This led to an expansion in the book trade hence the printing press was highly welcome because it overcame the demerits that were experienced using the handwritten tradition. On the other hand, the internet has significantly changed the way information is distributed and shared. It has presented a new means through which individuals can exchange information and share ideas. Zhou (2006, p. 127), notes that the internet has extensively reduced the cost incurred in generating and distributing information. Additionally, it offers a fast way of disseminating information through the use of social networking websites, email accounts and online news media. The internet has been able to revolutionalise the way people communicate by providing a medium through which they can talk. According to Singh (2010, p. 49), internet is an ocean of information whereby individuals can obtain and share any kind of information and at the same time it provides access to latest publications and news. Therefore, both the internet and the printing press have been able to revolutionalise the way people share and communicate information. Foundation of Printing Press and the Internet Printing press was build and consequently extended from what was already present. According to Hensley (2006, p. 458), many of the techniques and concepts of information design which were found historically in the scribes are widely expressed in the printing press. The alphabetical order used by the printing press is similar to the one that was used in early centuries. In addition, printing press utilized book catalogues and indexes which were used when copies were produced by the use of hand. Furthermore, aspects like tables of contents, title pages, page numbering and Arabic numerical can be linked to the scrolls used in the late Roman times (Bawden and Robinson 2010, p. 53). Thus, the printing press was based on the methods used in early centuries. On the other side, the internet was founded using ideas which were devised in earlier periods. It utilizes the ideas of hypertext which were developed by scholars in previous eras (Paganetto 2012, p. 53). The origins of hypertext can be found in early manuscripts which allowed footnoting and cross referencing. Footnotes used by printing press have been implemented by the internet in order to provide links to different sites. Thus, the internet was developed by implementing information provided by the printing press. Therefore, both the internet and the printing press came are based on the techniques utilized in the earlier times. They are founded using the ideas developed before they came into existence. Digital nomad and wandering scholar According to Bawden and Robinson (2010, p. 54), the similarity between printing press and the internet can be seen on how distance is overcome in providing access to information. Before the adoption of printing press, scholars used to wonder between different learning institutions where they could find manuscripts. Travelling was extremely necessary for the scholars because of the fact that the scribal system created a situation whereby copies relating to a specific discipline were unlikely to be found in one place. Printing enabled individuals and universities to posses’ information relating to their preferred subject. Consequently, the internet has been able to bring information to a central location thereby eliminating the need for scholars to travel in different places. The internet assists in facilitating transfer of information between different individuals who are situated in diverse locations. Singh (2010, p. 63), notes that the internet is able to provide knowledge to its users wherever they may be. The users are not required to travel to the information rather the information is brought to the users. This can in turn be seen as an extension of the printing press. The internet and the printing press have speeded up communication and at the same time they have minimized the need for the physical transfer and presence of writers and users of information. Therefore, both the printing press and the internet have played an important role in overcoming distance in relation to provision and access of information. Repeatability and Quality Bawden and Robinson (2010, p. 55), note that both the printing press and the internet have diminished the role of glossator and commentator. These were scholars who devoted their life in analyzing and re-analyzing single texts due to their want of accessing a number of texts. Cline (2005, p. 75), affirms that the early distribution of many copies necessitated the need for cross-checking and comparison of the texts. This was done with an aim of providing repeatable and standardized version of a map, diagram or text which could be corrected and consequently improved in succeeding copies. The scribal system was characterized by hand copying and this meant that it was impossible to engrave text into copies in order to ensure sustainability. However, the emergences of printing press made it easy for individuals to compare copies hence eliminate the need for commentator and glossator. The greater availability of printed copies from a variety of sources meant that errors could be easily identified and corrected and this lead to high quality copies. Similarly, the internet provides information from a variety of sources. This provides an opportunity through which information can be effortlessly compared hence reducing the chances of making errors. Holbert (2007, p. 4), notes that the introduction of the printing press and the internet has led to the conservation and preservation of materials. Books use small and few numbers of pages while the internet has completely eliminated the need for the use of papers. The scribal system believed that paper would not last therefore, multiple and identical copies were made. This was aimed at providing guard against loss of information which was contained in the few copies. On the other hand, information printed in books is considered permanent because it cannot be erased easily. Nonetheless, knowledge stored in the internet is considered to be well preserved in a centralized database. It offers a secure place through which information can be stored without the need to duplicate it. Therefore, both the internet and the printing press have eliminated the role played by glossator and commentator and at the same time they have assisted in preserving resources. Freedom According to Holbert (2007, p. 2), printing press encouraged and facilitated the quest of individual privacy. It provided a means through which people were able to interact freely and privately with the books. Printing led to the production of more portable and less expensive information materials hence this enabled people to own them. Reynolds and Barnett (2006, p. 278), asserts that the advert of printing press provided a means through which individuals could access their preferred information privately. The few copies that were available during the scribal system meant that individuals could only access information publicly. Printing press provided a capability for individuals to privately own information sources and to use them in their own will. Therefore, printing press has assisted in enhancing personal privacy and promoting the development of individual freedom and rights. Similarly, the internet has provided an opportunity through which individual privacy and freedom has been improved. It offers people with more autonomy in accessing information. According to Dixon and Gellman (2011, p. 268), the internet offers the right to privacy and at the same time it presents information users with a chance through which they can access information without control. People can interact and share information privately using the internet and this upholds their individual rights. Therefore, both the internet and the printing press provide information users with freedom and privacy in accessing publications. Implications The printing press and the internet have been continuously used to spread propagandas, abuses and misleading information (Hobert 2006, p.6). The internet provides a good and a cheap means thorough which individuals spread harmful information to the public. According to Liu and Lin (2011, p. 235), the internet can assist in fulfilling peoples quest for knowledge due to its ability to spread information quickly. However, due to its arbitrary and virtual nature it can be used to spread harmful information. In addition, lack of adequate controls in the internet offers individuals with a chance through which they can spread misleading and incorrect information. Likewise, printing press provides a platform for spreading destructive information. McRae(2011, p. 36), notes that printing opened the floodgates for spreading information wide and far hence it offered an opening for disseminating propagandas of war. The 18th century was characterized with a high demand for literature hence this provided an opportunity for spreading harmful information. Conclusion In conclusion, both the internet and the printing press are used to disseminate information to a large number of individuals. In addition, both of them have been founded using ideas which were devised in earlier periods. Furthermore, the need for scholars to travel in different locations in search of information has been eliminated by the printing press and the internet. Moreover, the emergence of the internet and the printing press diminished the role played by glossator and commentator leading to increased quality of copies. Finally, both have facilitated the spread of harmful and incorrect information. References Bawden, D & Robinson, L, ‘A Distant Mirror?; The Internet and The Printing Press’, Aslib Proceedings, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 51-57. Cline, M 2005, The Future of Virtual Reality, Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Dixon, P & Gellman, R 2011, Online Privacy: A Reference Handbook, London: ABC-CLIO. Guthrie, R 2011, Publishing, SAGE Publications: London. Hensley, J 2006, Design and Applications, Thomas Telford, London. Holbert, G 2006,‘Technologies, Libraries and the Internet’, Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 1-12. Lai, X & Lin, H 2011, Information and Multimedia, Springer, London. McRae, M 2011, Brains, Beliefs and Bad Ideas, University of Queensland Press, Queensland. Paganetto, L 2012, Knowledge Economy, Information, Technologies and Growth, Ashgate Publishing, London. Singh, P 2010, Computer Networks, V.K Publications, New Delhi. Zhou, Z 2006, Information Technology, Cengage Learning, Mason. Read More

Revolution Both the printing press and the internet brought a revolution on the information culture. According to Bawden and Robinson (2010, p. 52), printing press provided a means through which information and knowledge could be provided in greater quantity. It presented an opportunity through which writers could make their works to become available to a large number of individuals. Guthrie (2011, p.2), notes that the printing press invention by Gutenberg was able to revolutionalise publishing.

This is because it enabled individuals to print multiple copies hence leading to voluminous production of information. Printing press led to a reduction in the time taken to produce manuscripts and at the same time printing costs were significantly reduced. Cline (2005, p. 76), states that printers could print in numbers that writers believed they could sell rather than producing books based on the quantity ordered. This led to an expansion in the book trade hence the printing press was highly welcome because it overcame the demerits that were experienced using the handwritten tradition.

On the other hand, the internet has significantly changed the way information is distributed and shared. It has presented a new means through which individuals can exchange information and share ideas. Zhou (2006, p. 127), notes that the internet has extensively reduced the cost incurred in generating and distributing information. Additionally, it offers a fast way of disseminating information through the use of social networking websites, email accounts and online news media. The internet has been able to revolutionalise the way people communicate by providing a medium through which they can talk.

According to Singh (2010, p. 49), internet is an ocean of information whereby individuals can obtain and share any kind of information and at the same time it provides access to latest publications and news. Therefore, both the internet and the printing press have been able to revolutionalise the way people share and communicate information. Foundation of Printing Press and the Internet Printing press was build and consequently extended from what was already present. According to Hensley (2006, p. 458), many of the techniques and concepts of information design which were found historically in the scribes are widely expressed in the printing press.

The alphabetical order used by the printing press is similar to the one that was used in early centuries. In addition, printing press utilized book catalogues and indexes which were used when copies were produced by the use of hand. Furthermore, aspects like tables of contents, title pages, page numbering and Arabic numerical can be linked to the scrolls used in the late Roman times (Bawden and Robinson 2010, p. 53). Thus, the printing press was based on the methods used in early centuries. On the other side, the internet was founded using ideas which were devised in earlier periods.

It utilizes the ideas of hypertext which were developed by scholars in previous eras (Paganetto 2012, p. 53). The origins of hypertext can be found in early manuscripts which allowed footnoting and cross referencing. Footnotes used by printing press have been implemented by the internet in order to provide links to different sites. Thus, the internet was developed by implementing information provided by the printing press. Therefore, both the internet and the printing press came are based on the techniques utilized in the earlier times.

They are founded using the ideas developed before they came into existence. Digital nomad and wandering scholar According to Bawden and Robinson (2010, p. 54), the similarity between printing press and the internet can be seen on how distance is overcome in providing access to information. Before the adoption of printing press, scholars used to wonder between different learning institutions where they could find manuscripts. Travelling was extremely necessary for the scholars because of the fact that the scribal system created a situation whereby copies relating to a specific discipline were unlikely to be found in one place.

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