Basic concepts of New Media

MIS 311 - New Media 1

New media

(1/2)  Term has been used since the 1970s by researchers conducting social, psychological, economic, political and cultural studies of information and communication technologies.

2

New media

(2/2)   Some definitions focus on computer technology, others focus on interactivity Differences:  Audiences not heterogeneous  Control shifts from communicator to audience 3

Facilitates Conversation

   The “audience” becomes the “creator” Disruptive -> breaks mass media mold  Is this new?

Multimedia: Watch YouTube Clip 4

Communication

 A process in which participants create and share information with one another in order to reach mutual understanding (Rogers, 1995).

5

Mediated communication

  What is it?

 (adj) acting or brought about through an intervening agent; (verb) to be in the middle Why would we study it?

 We live in an ever-increasingly mediated world 6

Part one : medium

 A go-between/intermediary in the communication binding the sender and receive  Considers symbolic and cognitive theories of the psychology of representation  Considers theories of meaning in signs and symbols (semiotics) 7

Part two : mass media

(1/2)  Mass communication characteristics:  Directed towards a large, heterogeneous audience   Messages are transmitted publicly, are transient in nature, and are timed to reach all simultaneously Communicator works for an organization Charles Wright, 1959, from Communication Theories: Origins, Methods and Uses in the Mass Media, 1988, p7 8

Part two : mass media

(2/2)   Mass media communication traditionally encompasses these channels  Newspapers, magazines (print technologies)  TV, radio (electronic technologies) Note: “news” v “ads” 9

Channel

   The physical/technical transmission as well as any device needed for encoding/decoding May encompass advertising channels (direct mail) or news (TV) One-to-many, one-way channel is typical 10

So, what is new?

  Technologically?

Socially?

Your thoughts, based on readings?

 Three BIG things: 11

Constraint of time

  Gone!

Time-shifting (Tivo, podcasting, 24x7 tech support via the web … what else?)  How do you think that the speed in which we now communicate (e-mail, mobile phones, etc.) has affected our communication? 12

Constraint of space

  Geographical barriers: Gone!

Internet technology lets us “space shift” like we “time shift” – (almost) seamlessly  There are environmental benefits from the advancement of technology, specifically from computers. If in the future, all of academia (from grade school & beyond) required only computer-based work, what would your response be to the change? Why? 13

New channels

      WWW E-mail Videoconferencing MP3 Electronic publishing Mobile telephony What do they have in common?

14

Computer Mediated Communication (1/2) 1.

2.

Desktop computers used as tools to influence human cognition and convey messages among people (focuses on the technology, older definition) Any form of communication between two or more individuals who interact and/or influence each other using social software on separate computers linked by a network (focuses on the people) 15

CMC

(2/2)  Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) software has two categories: asynchronous and synchronous (Smith, 1994). http://www.edb.utexas.edu/csclstudent/kim/text/ASCmC.html

16

Synchronous

   Two or more group members have real-time (simultaneous) communication Instant Messaging can be synchronous Face-to-face meetings; video conference; other?

17

Asynchronous

    Allows group members to work individually and “alone” Provides time/space flexibility E-mail, BBS Example: virtual teams 18

Virtual Teams

   Types   Temporary (no common history or future) Permanent (common history and future) Forms of Interaction   Face-to-face (meetings, formal or informal) Electronically-mediated (phone, CMC, videoconference) Context  Culture and geography may be similar or different 19

CMC/Web Characteristics

(1/2)      Hardware independent Software independent  IM Not Here Yet, But Close (Google) Open standards Information sharing “Give back” (contribute) to the community 20

CMC/Web Characteristics

(2/2)  A blend of characteristics from “old” media  Print  Radio   Film TV 21

Print Characteristics

      Abstract Captive audience Fixed Linear Primarily verbal Reader controls pace 22

Radio Characteristics

      Auditory Creator controls pace Dynamic Linear “Live” — happening in real time Transient audience 23

TV Characteristics

       Animated Creator controls pace Dynamic Linear “Live” — may be happening now Primarily visual Transient audience 24

Film Characteristics

      Animated Captive audience Creator controls pace Fixed Linear Primarily visual 25

Web Characteristics

      Dynamic “Live” (maybe) Multi-media (visual, auditory) Transient audience Typically nonlinear User controls pace and direction 26

Mass audience no longer

   From broadcast to narrowcast Time-shifting Accelerates a move foreshadowed by niche publishing 27

Hypertext

  Presents information as linked nodes Breaks the linear narrative 28

Networks of Remediation

(1/3)   “A medium is that which remediate’s” … and it is measured “against” other media New media in turn change the “older” media  TV … tickertape  Print … adopting web design conventions 29

Networks of Remediation

(2/3)   Economic success depends on supplanting a pre-existing medium  Conflict: newspaper websites vs paper  Conflict: CDs vs downloadable (sharable) songs Hypermediacy  Survivor… The Apprentice… mediated or authentic?

30

Networks of Remediation

(3/3)  How do we separate technology from its social use? Can we?

 Technological determinism : says technology causes social change … Social determinism is the converse  Corollary: “nature versus nurture” … “'technology-push” vs “demand-pull”  Can new media technology offer us transparent democracy?

31

Why Use a Technology?

     Cognitive Needs – Desire (demand) for information, knowledge, understanding Affective Needs – Aesthetic, pleasurable, and emotional experiences Personal Integrative Needs – Inner-directed, deal with credibility, confidence, stability, and status Social Integrative Needs – Outer-directed, strengthening relationships with family, friends, the world Escapist Needs – Desire for tension release or diversion - Katz, Gurevitch, and Haas 32

Technology and Communication Media      Caves in France Paper and charcoal/ink Printing Press Telegraph et al (radio, television) Computer mediated communications  Internet: e-mail, IM, web sites, BBs, usenet, Skype (VoIP) 33

Quotable 1

“ This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.

” - Western Union internal memo, 1876 34

Quotable 2

“ Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?

” - H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927 35

Quotable 3

“ I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.

” - Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 36

Quotable 4

“ Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.

” - Popular Mechanics, 1949 37

HCI

(1/3)  Norman: “The real problem with being digital is that it implies a kind of slavery to accuracy, a requirement that is most unlike the natural workings of the person. People are analog, insensitive to noise, insensitive to error. People extract meanings, and as long as the meanings are unchanged, the details of the signals do not matter.” 38

HCI

(2/3)  The world is complex: computer systems seek to render that complexity into something “simple”  Yes/No (zero/one)   Linear v Pattern Seeking Human Error – preventable? Whose fault?

 CHI or HCI – false dichotomy?

 “People excel at qualitative considerations, machines at quantitative ones.” 39

Internet Technologies

  Efficiency  IP v Telephony Medium Independence  Medium in this case is the communication medium : telephone wire, cable wire, wireless, cell telephony, satellite, ??

40

Zuckerman and McLaughlin, link 41

Domain Name System (DNS)

   Analogous to the address used by a postal worker to deliver mail Domain Names  Original: .com, .gov, .mil, .net, .edu, .org

  Countries: .us to .za

New: .biz, .info… Works because of standardization 42

1.

2.

3.

HCI

(3/3) 4.

5.

How does the internet play a vital role in how man and machine interact? What are some misconceptions about our relationship to machines? How much must we understand computers in order to function in our society? In the future, will we be more or less dependent on computers? Is this good?

The machine-centered view is precise, orderly and logical, while people are distractible, creative and illogical. The public education system seems to be modeled more on the machine-centered view. How might this model affect students’ view of themselves?

Do we as a human race really think that machines, that one day could be more intelligent than us, could successfully join us in our society? How would this happen?

43

Summary

   There is an intrinsic relationship between content and technology: both contribute to meaning Tension between humans and machines Internet Technology is application independent, agnostic 44

What leads to adoption?

  Winston: supervening social necessity  More than “build a better mousetrap” Advertising  One goal is to build “need”  FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) 45

Rogers (1995) - Diffusion Theory  Identified four main elements of an innovation-diffusion process  Innovation  Social system   Time Communications channels 46

Linear innovation-diffusion

  The process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system. (Rogers, 1995, p.5).

Innovation: An idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption 47

Communication

 A process in which participants create and share information with one another in order to reach mutual understanding (Rogers, 1995) 48

Time

  The adoption model follows an “s” shape curve over time For example … 49

Forecast: US Household Technology Adoption, 2005-2010

Forrester Reports. July 2005, Data Overview “The State Of Consumers And Technology:

Benchmark 2005”

50

Innovation-Decision Process

 The mental process through which an individual passes : from knowledge to forming an attitude toward the innovation (adopt, reject) 51

Five steps

     Knowledge Persuasion Decision (adopt or reject) Implementation Confirmation 52

Social System

  A set of interrelated units that are engaged in joint problem-solving to accomplish a common goal. Members or units of a social system may be individuals, informal groups, organizations, and/or subsystems.

53

Critical mass (1/2)

 Rogers (1995) : "the critical mass occurs at the point at which enough individuals have adopted an innovation so that the innovation's further rate of adoption becomes self sustaining.” (network effects) 54

Critical mass (2/2)

  The critical mass theory is a social system perspective, not a technology perspective. The irreversible phase may take place when not only the critical mass point is overcome but also the dominant design is brought about at least in terms of the technological innovation.  Examples?

55

Adopter categories

     Innovators Early adopters Early majority Late majority Laggards 56

Technological Innovations

  Hardware - the tool that embodies the technology as a material or physical object.

Software - the knowledge base for the tool 57

Summary Adoption

   What are some of the reasons we adopt a new product?

What are the five stages of adoption?

What is Critical Mass?

58

More New Media Theory

  Marshall McLuhan: Canadian, author of Understanding Media (1964) and

The Medium is the Massage (1967)

Lev Manovich: professor, UCSD, author of The Language of New Media (2001) and Soft Cinema: Navigating

the Database (2005)

59

McLuhan

(1/3)  Believes media (technologies) affect cultural (social) change    Differentiates between a medium and its content Same content (words) is a different message when delivered in print, face to-face, or on television – what is less important than how “We shape our tools, and they in turn shape us." 60

McLuhan

(2/3)  Historical Construct  Tribal Age (oral culture – intuitive)    Age of Literacy (invention of phonetic alphabet – emergence of logic) Print Age (invention of printing press – linear thinking – science – individualism) Electronic Age (ushered in with telegraph, poster child: TV – global village – decline of logic and linearity) 61

McLuhan

(3/3)   Compare our immediate knowledge of the 2004 December Tsunami with the 1556 Chinese earthquake that killed 830,000 If, as he suggests, print created individualism and nationalism … what might networked communication create? Will familiarity breed contempt or collaboration?

62

Manovich’s Five

(1/6)      Numerical Representation Modularity Automation Variability Transcoding 63

Manovich’s Five

(2/6)  Numerical representation  “zero’s and one’s”  Vector graphics v Bitmaps  Analog v Digital  Early complaints about CD v LP 64

Manovich’s Five

(3/6)  Modularity  The “whole” consists of many “objects”     Example from blog: Google Images PPT and Excel HTML page (javascript, JPGs, etc) Individual blog posts 65

Manovich’s Five

(4/6)  Automation  What computers do best!

   From blog post: “Apple’s new OS X Tiger… and Automator” Photoshop automation; running “Cron” jobs; database driven websites RSS readers  Object management and search (Google) 66

Manovich’s Five

(5/6)  Variability  Website customization possible by automation   Presenting data (shaping appearance) based on output device: monitor, PDA, cellphone Scaling (zoom – Google Maps ) 67

Manovich’s Five

(6/6)  Transcoding  Two distinct layers: cultural layer and technology layer … the intersection is a field called Human-Computer Interaction 68

Diffusion Theory

  Rogers (1995) outlined four parts:     Innovation Social system Time Communications channels And five steps:      Knowledge Persuasion Decision (adopt or reject) Implementation Confirmation 69

Summary

    We define (or frame) new media in comparison to old media There is an intrinsic relationship between content and technology: both contribute to meaning Churchill : “we shape our buildings and then our buildings shape us” Empowerment means responsibility 70

Resources

      Effects of Four CMC Channels on Trust Glossary of Internet Terms Hypertext Terms (W3C) JCMC Patterns of Hypertext Semantic Web: Intro 71