Digital Culture/Revolution - Assignment Example

Digital Culture/Revolution In view of Gere’s examination of digital culture, how would you assess the Wikipedia entry on thedigital revolution? Wikipedia considers Digital Revolution as a “change from analog, mechanical, and electronic technology to digital technology” (Wikipedia, 2014, paragraph 1). In other words, Wikipedia considers digital revolution as a historical process that followed a chronological order from the time of extensive use of analogue computers to the current use of technology in fields such as cellular phone and internet. Additionally, the Wikipedia associates digital revolution with diverse changes that resulted from the use of digital computing as well as communication technology. To some extent this argument is in connection with Gere’s view. According to Gere, digital culture is defined by the extensive use of digital elements in every activity in the world (Gere, 2008, p. 19). Just as outlined in the Wikipedia, Gere believes that digital technology also played a role in the cropping of digital culture (Gere, 2008, p. 19). However, Gere believes that other factors in addition to technology led to the emergence of digital culture. For instance, he claims that complex interactions, as well as dialectical engagements between different facets along technology, led to the crop up of digital culture. Additionally, Gere thinks of digital culture as a particular way of life that is influenced by effects as well as possibilities of a particular technology (Gere, 2008, p. 17). He also associates digital culture with a way of thinking and doing expressed by the proposed technology. From Gere’s assertion, one can deduce that digital revolution cannot be associated only with changes in technology. It must have involved other factors such as change in the way of thinking, doing as well as a way of living (Gere, 2008, p. 17). According to Wikipedia, the digital revolution began in early 1950s and lasted to 1970s when digital computers and digital records were brought into use. It also recognizes a Bell Labs mathematician as the contributing factor for digitalization through his 1948 article A Mathematical Theory of Communication (Wikipedia, 2014, paragraph 1 "Brief History"). The linking of the introduction of the digitalization with mathematics expounds on how the author of Digital Revolution in Wikipedia had some information regarding the history of digitalization (Wikipedia, 2014, paragraph 1 "Brief History"). However, the author failed to give the real reason that made the mathematician come up with the idea of making a digital machine. According to Gere, development of digital technologies began in late nineteenth century when there was an increase in capitalism (Gere, 2008, p. 18). He asserts that the demand for processing complex business information called for the machines such as the Comptometer that could aid in the calculation, tabulation as well as sign production. Turing’s Entscheidungsproblem paper was also one of the keystones for the development of digital technology. Turing was the first person to design a universal machine that conceptualized and solved mathematical problems in early 1930s (Gere, 2008, p. 22). Gere further asserts that majority of the elements that enhanced digital technology as well as digital culture was picked from Turing’s invention. Gere also considers Hollerith’s invention (tabulating machine of 1920s and 1930s) as the ancestor of modern computer. Apart from mathematical problems, other circumstances also played a very significant role towards the introduction of digital computing. According to Gere, Manchester Mk 1, built by Professor Max Newman, was the first electronic digital computer that had the capacity to store data in 1948 (Gere, 2008, p. 46). It is the computer that laid the basis for the production of first commercial computers. The transistors that were invented by Bell Labs were introduced into computers in 1950s. Thus, it is evident that Labs contributed to the digitalization of computers. However, he is not the one that laid out the foundation for digitalization. According to Wikipedia, between 1950s and 1960s military as well as governments and other organizations were using computer systems (Wikipedia, 2014, paragraph 1, "Timeline"). This is also evidenced by Gere, who claims that American military started using SAGE extensively in 1961. However, Wikipedia fails to associate the use of computer systems by governments and military with anything. For instance, it is evident that a high demand for security was the main reason for use of computer systems between 1950s and 1960s. Wikipedia asserts that the public were introduced to something that could result to Internet in 1969 when a message was conveyed via ARPANET. It further asserts that other networks such as “ARPANET, Mark I, CYCLADES, Merit Network, Tymnet, and Telenet were developed in late 1960s and early 1970s” (Wikipedia, 2014, paragraph 2 "Timeline"). However, this is not the case. According to Gere, the idea of ‘Packet Switching’ in conveying messages was mainly as a result of fear; the enemies had the potential to destroy the flow of information in case of a nuclear war. The use of ‘Packet Switching’ became extensive in 1967 and by 1969; four computers referred to as Interface Message were linked by a small network, ARPANET. As asserted by Wikipedia, it is ARPANET that laid the basis of the forthcoming internet; ARPANET was fully implemented in 1970 (Gere, 2008, p. 72). As asserted by Wikipedia, it is through ARPANET that the Internet, which became the foundation of the World Wide Web, came into formation in the late 1970s. According to Gere’s argument, the assertion by Wikipedia that 1970s was associated with the introduction of the home computer as well as time-sharing computer is right (Gere, 2008, p. 78). However, Gere adds more information on the size and types of computers produced during that time. According to him, it is in the mid ‘70s that minicomputers, networked computing, and personal computers started to emerge (Gere, 2008, p. 78). Gere believes that 1970s were an era in which technology and culture were brought together in order to meet the demands of the end user. Among the things that were invented as a result of extensive use of computers were video games and extraordinary visual objects. It was also in 1972 that the computers were proclaimed to come to the people. Additionally, the period was also characterized by free exchange of ideas via networks (Gere, 2008, p. 81). According to Wikipedia, the 1980s is associated with extensive usage of computers in schools, business, organizations, and homes (Wikipedia, 2014, paragraph 1 "The 1980s"). It asserts that the most people purchased computers for their use during that time. This is in connection with Gere’s assertion. According to Gere, the ideas on the possibilities of information as well as communication cropped in 1980; it is during this time that multimedia cultures were applied to the computers (Gere, 2008, p. 79). According to Gere, this period is also associated with the release of Macintosh and Microsoft operating systems that were used in running computers including personal computers. The use of the World Wide Web became effective in early 1990s, and as a result of this, it enhanced the advancement of the digital culture (Gere, 2008, p. 90). According to Wikipedia, 2000 was manifested by extensive use of mobile phones in communication through calls and simple texts. This assertion is also in connection with Gere’s claim that good networking system resulted to emergence and uses of other facilities such as phones. According to Wikipedia, the 2010s is defined by extensive use and interconnectedness of mobile devices that and mobile telephony. According to it, social networking has become the main channel of digital communication. This assertion is also in tandem with Gere’s view concerning the widespread use of phones. Unlike Wikipedia, Gere expounds further on how phone usage in the current era has affected many activities in the society (Gere, 2008, p. 136). For instance, he claims that many radio channels rely on the messages sent to them via phone by their listeners in selecting music and programs. Thus, the information provided by the Wikipedia about digital revolution is minimized or lacks the main gist that aid in defining digital revolution. As a result of this, Wikipedia is a poor resource for information regarding digital revolution. In what ways, does this entry imply a technological determinist view of technological change and society? According to the Wikipedia entry, technological change involves the introduction of new devices to the society. It involves upgrading of the previous devices to suit a particular function in the society. From the entry, one can associate technological change with chronological order of events in regard to advancement in devices. This is evidenced by the assertion that technological change involved moving from analog to mechanical then to electronic and finally to digital technology. From this entry, one can also deduce that the societies were also named or referred as per the technology position of the day. For instance, it is evident that there existed an analog society in the past because of the use of analog devices, and the current society is referred to as a digital society because widely use of digital devices. It is also evident that the agricultural revolution that was as a result of technological changes led to the formation of agricultural cities. The same applies to the industrial revolution that resulted to the emergence of industrial cities. According to the entry, it is the technological change that dictates the status of the society. In other words, it is the technological change that the influences the format of the society. This is evidenced by the assertion that a change in technology resulted in sweeping changes in the 20th century. From the entry, one can also claim that technological change enhances communication in the society as well as advocates openness and freedom to information. This is evidenced by the fact that technological changes involved introduction of phones that enhanced communication between people. It is also evident that social media enabled people to access information that used to be suppressed by totalitarian regimes. In other words, technological changes contribute significantly towards enhancing social cohesion in the society. Given the promises and perils of digital technology we have studied, how might the section on Concerns be edited, revised, and expanded? The concerns of digital technology are not limited only to exploitation of information as depicted by Wikipedia. Additionally, they do not involve only deletion or alteration of the stored information. Addition of information regarding the safety of the stored information would have contributed significantly in the passage of information regarding the concerns of digital technology. Information stored in digital devices can easily be stolen or transferred to other unauthorized people. The author of the Wikipedia would have expounded on human rights. For instance, it would have been essential if he wrote about jeopardize of human privacy as a result of digital revolution (Gere, 2008, p. 210). The part in which the author of the Wikipedia speaks about the relationship of human history with physical objects is not influenced by digital revolution in any way. Digital revolution does not call for the extinction of physical features. Thus, it is inappropriate for the author to associate digital revolution with loss of information regarding physical features that can be observed and analyzed. This part will make sense if it is revised in a way so that the digital revolution will be held responsible for loss of taxonomic information, as well as historical information about the origin of the physical factors. As mentioned above, concerns of the digital revolution are diverse. For instance, it would have been appropriate if information regarding security, commerce, as well as politics, were included in the concerns (Gere, 2008, p. 209). It is as a result of the digital revolution that the current world is experiencing many challenges from terrorists. Online wars that result to the cold war are also as a result of digital revolution (Gere, 2008, p. 209). Some politicians also misuse digital revolution; they use it in spreading propaganda (Gere, 2008, p. 209). Industrial revolution has led to the crippling of commerce; very few people watch television sets and listen to radios (Gere, 2008, p.209). References Gere, C. (2008). Digital Culture. New York: Reaktion Books Ltd. Retrieved from http://mediacultures.net/jspui/bitstream/10002/597/1/digital-culture.pdf Wikipedia. (2014). Digital Revolution. Retrieved from file:///H:/Digital%20Revolution%20- %20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia.htm Read More