Week 5 -- 1 November - Personal Technologies

Reading:
"Ecologizing Mobile Media," by Howard Rheingold. 2004.
Chapter 1 & 3 from The World is Flat, 2nd edition, 2006.
Group 4 Chapter 2, Flattener 7 & 8

Assignment:
General reaction to Friedman's thesis, anything new for you? What do you disagree with? What are the implications for the US economy and position in the world?

Chapters 1 & 3: While I Was Sleeping & The Triple Convergence
Friedman expands on globalization by adding new ideas based on technology and people as driving forces. He states “Globalization 3.0 is shrinking the world from a small size to a size tiny and flattening the playing field at the same time…the thing that gives it its unique character – is the newfound power for individuals to collaborate and compete globally…in globalization 3.0 you are your own ticket agent” (10 & 174). His thesis takes globalization to a personal level where technological communication allows the individual to become the revolutionary. Through stories and experiences, Friedman provides examples for his theories from his travels in India, discussions with business owners, CEOs and others. He explains what he views as “the truth that no one wanted to tell you: The world has been flattened. As a result of the triple convergence, global collaboration and competition – between individuals, companies and individuals, companies and companies, and companies and customers – have been made cheaper, easier, more friction-free, and more productive for more people from more corners of the earth than at any time in the history of the world” (200).

I would agree with the “flattening” idea that technology allows people to be more connected than ever. Rheingold’s commentary on the mobile phone shows people can be “always in touch and always reachable,” evidence for a flattened world. However, I would disagree that the world is flat due to the disparities that still exist. Rheingold comments there is a “divide between the "know- how" and "don't-know-how" populations.” India, China, Africa and other places in the world are still not up to speed with flattening technology, even with bustling big cities that appear as proof of globalization. On a grand scale they are mirages in the desert. The rural world, even in America is not yet living in a flat universe because there is not a level playing field for the “haves” and “have not’s.”

For the US economy, a flattened world implies a more competitive world where the US may no longer have a top position. However a flattened world also ironically suggests an even playing field, so will the US economy and other nations’ be equal?

Group 4 - Freidman’s Flatteners:

Flattener 7 – Supply-Chaining, Eating Sushi in Arkansas
Sam Walton’s goal of “saving a few pennies here and there” resulted in Wal-Mart mastering the supply chain in a flattened world. Despite the critics, the company’s innovation in applying technology to increase the efficiency of buying and selling goods through manufacturing and delivery methods have made them number one and attracted Japanese partnership with Wal-Mart teaching Seiyu “its unique form of collaboration: global supply-chaining to bring consumers the best goods at the lowest prices” (140). In a “flatten world” this is the sharing of commerce where Arkansas business methods are in Japan and Japanese sushi is in demand in Arkansas.

Flattener 8 – Insourcing, What the Guys in Funny Brown Shorts Are Really Doing
UPS (i.e. the guys in the funny brown shorts) take the Wal-Mart model to the masses allowing small companies to have the same advantage by offering insourcing. “Insourcing – a whole new form of collaboration and creating value horizontally, made possible by the flat world and flattening it even more…Insourcing came about because once the world went flat, the small could act big – small companies could suddenly see around the world (143).” The brown shorts guys are “creating enabling platforms for anyone to take his or her business global or to vastly improve the efficiency of his or her global supply chain” (150). *Could this be the model for online grocery delivery and all other Internet buying?

Week 4 -- 25 October - Diffusion of Innovation

 
Reading:
"Technologies of the Third Mediamorphosis," by Roger Fidler (eReserve)
"As We May Think," by Vannevar Bush from The Atlantic Monthly, July 1945.

Assignment:
Discuss the effects of applying computing power to communication. What might Bush forecast today, if he were looking to 2050?

Computing power to communication ~ Fidler relays the history of a variety of communication technology over time. Once a world before computers, communication is now connected to computing power. Communication is instantaneous and no longer blocked by geographic barrier. The effects he sees are “powerful agents of technological change…a profound influence upon nearly every individual, society and culture…Human notions of distance, time, and reality itself have been radically altered by the new forms of media that have only recently emerged and diffused throughout the world” (107). Is McLuhan’s global village coming to life, getting rid of our isolation-independent past and bringing us more together? Maybe not a communal village but instead exists a concept of world-wide mass media and connection on demand. In an online world computing power connects us everywhere - in work, school, home and all the domains of human life.

Bush forecasts 2050 ~ Using both imagination and scientific knowledge, Bush was a visionary psychic. He talked about versions of digital cameras and computers before their time. If looking toward the next 50 years he would likely forecast more uses of scientific capabilities that help keep records faster, smaller, and more accessible to the human...something the size of a peanut that has all the capabilities of a man’s brain? He might advocate or attempt to inspire more valued everyday uses for war technologies. By speculating new supervening necessities and predicting unintended consequences Bush would inadvertently name the next “Information Revolution.”

As long as someone can imagine it, the future of communication and computing power is unlimited…to be continued…2050. 

Week 3 -- 17 October - Diffusion of Innovation

Reading:
Chapters 2 & 3 from Media, Technology and Society, 1998.
Informing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman, 1990.
"Determining Uses and Gratifications for the Internet," from Decision Sciences, Vol 35 No 2, March 2004.
Optional: "Around the World Wide Web in 80 Ways: how motives for going online are linked to internet activities among politically interested internet users," from Social Science Computer Review, Vol 21 Issue 3, 2003.

Assignment: Discuss the importance of "supervening necessity" - can you think of other examples? What about the law of unintended consequences? How might U&G theory apply to your research this quarter?

“Supervening necessity” is a critical component of the model for change presented in Media, Technology and Society. Described as a social driving force, it pushes an idea to become an invention recognized and desired in the social sphere. It is significant because without the need for a prototype, it disappears and never reaches the masses. In terms of a business model, supervening necessity would be the demand, without it a product has no success. For example, Bill Gates vision of a PC being desired in every home did not become a reality until supervening necessity made it so. The same can be seen with the cell phone replacing landline telephones, records changing to tapes and cd or radio’s popularity shift from AM to FM. Every technology lives or dies based on supervening necessity, it is the lifeblood for a new idea to become common phenomena.

The “law of unintended consequences” encompasses the unforeseen, unplanned outcomes or results of something. In the article “Informing ourselves to death,” Postman eludes that computer technology may not be that great because while accessing more information can be useful, an unintended consequence is too much that people “drown” in information overload. In other words, something great is most likely not that great because of negative unintended consequences and the human dilemma. Postman quotes “We have met the enemy and he is us.” With that view, every technology will have a downfall or undesired effect. For example the Internet is a great tool with a negative consequence being that it also allows people to use it for harmful, dishonest purposes such as sending viruses or engaging in criminal activity. However if supervening necessity is at work, a new idea will come about to address a destructive unintentional consequence of an invention by making a solution needed and thus the cycle of change continues.

User and Gratifications theory related to my research: For all proposed topics, political campaign use of digital media, online dating, and profitability from online advertising, knowing why and what individuals want from their online interaction is useful. People want to get what they want and suppliers want to give them what they want for both to be happy. For example, campaigners, dating services and advertisers want to know what you get out of their service in order to persuade your opinion or become a constant user or buyer. They want their product/service to become supervening necessity and thus they want to know your use and gratification.

Choosing a research topic - help!

Help me decide! I am debating several topics and seeking your input to choose the best topic for my research this quarter:

1. The use of digital media in political campaign advertising: How political campaign advertising methods have evolved since the Internet.

2. Online dating: In the U.S. online dating and personals are the largest source of paid content on the web according to a study by the Online Publishers Association and comScore Networks.  Questions – How do individuals find partners? Does the internet change how people meet their mate?

3. Online advertising: What is the most profitable and successful way to advertise on the web? A history of online advertising and how it impacts traditional advertising markets, i.e. newspaper/magazine, TV, radio.

4. A different topic/question related to the three above?? 

Week 2 -- 11 October ­- Communication Theories

Reading:
[Winston] "Introduction" and "Chapter 1: The Telegraph," from Media Technology and Society.
[SANMT] "Social Aspects of New Media Technologies," from Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, 1994. (eReserve)
[Economist] "How the Internet killed the phone business," from The Economist, 17 September 2005 (eReserve)

Blog Assignment: Two "ah-ha's" from these readings as well as how they might apply to your possible research interests.

Summary: Winston sets the stage for his book using a model for electronic communication change involving the past/future, competence/performance, science/technology and the social sphere. SANMT, the authors discuss new media as “extensions of older forms” with examples of cable TV, email and telephone. Economist, the author suggests “voice over internet protocol” (VOIP) as the future of the telephone, using Skype as the example.

1st Ah-ha: New technology is not as new as one may think? The opening statement in SNMT builds on the idea that new media is only an improvement on previous forms, which coincides with Winston’s model where he states “Information Revolution” is the wrong term to use for the current state of electronic communication systems. Both readings explore the reasoning behind new technology and why individuals choose to become users. Winston’s model where “ideation” transforms into “prototypes” or “inventions” of new technology makes sense – everything is an idea first in the mind and then reality. In order to become reality there is a process, the next step in his model are social forces and the need for something. With a social need, an invention or new technology can reach what SANMT refer to as “critical mass,” the point where something is universal. This would seem to be a clear and logical process but as Winston points out it is not a universal hypothesis where A and B lead to C. In both readings, new technology has many aspects to its creation from ideas and needs but neither is able to define into law the exact process of how new technology comes into being. Each can only look to back in time and the only constant in history is change which yes, includes looking to the past and improving on the present for the future, which is where the connection of something new not being that new can be made.

2nd Ah-ha: The future is free? The Economist could be an example of how SANMT is correct in stating that new media is not always as new as one thinks, if Skype is only an improved extension of the telephone offering free, accessible service. However, we have yet to see the effects of Winston’s “social sphere” and whether or not the necessity is there to bring it to reality and reach SANMT’s critical mass. There is a demand for telephone-type communication, free and easy-access communication, and profitable communication technology. Each demand has common and opposite interests. If one looks to the past for the future because technology is never that new, then the only thing certain is – nothing is free, but we can be optimistic.

Possible Research Interests: Solve the chicken and egg question – which came first, technology or the user?; What drives communication technology: imagination, need, profit or the four major gratifications as stated in SANMT (entertainment, personal relationships, personal identity, surveillance)?; Does the “Information Revolution” exist?; What is the future of the telephone? – How can free technology be profitable? – case studies Skype and email in the workplace.

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