Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology (part I)

Technology has clearly made life simpler and more efficient, and because of this, Neil Postman believes that the consequences of technology have been hard to see.  Postman agrees with Swedin and Ferro in that change, from a technological stance, is growing very rapidly.  But unlike the two, Postman examines the effects technology is having on society and culture, in particular, the disadvantages of our technology dependence and how our learning abilities are being affected.

Postman does not necessarily dislike technology.  He does manage to acknowledge technology’s helpfulness in society, but because of his very radical stance and lack of insight to the positive uses of technology make it hard to agree with him.  Postman argues that society must look at the harmful side of technology.  We must examine in the burdens and not be so consumed with its benefits, which make it hard to realize the negative impact technology can have on a society.

Postman also explains how technology is altering conception of leaning.  He believes that televisions will be the cause of not needing school teachers anymore.  This book was written over ten years ago and society has yet to see such drastic and negative changes taking place.  One can argue that Postman is being a bit dramatic as well as pessimistic in his predictions for the future.  Some things cannot be replaced.  He also discusses how the meaning of words and our conception of reality is being changed due to technology.  Meanings change as we continuously gain new knowledge.  Society is constantly undergoing constant change, and although technology is one of the greatest advances in science, it is certainly not to blame for our changing perceptions and behaviors.

Postman breaks cultures into three types: the tool using culture, technocracies, and technopolies.  The tool using culture, defined as those who use tools to solve specific and urgent problems of physical life, or to serve the symbolic world of art, do not let tools change their beliefs, attitudes, traditions, or methods of education (p23).  In essence, tools have a very limited effect on a culture.  In a technocratic culture, tools play an essential role in the thought-world of culture, though they are not integrated into the culture.  Instead, tools attack the culture (p28).  Therefore beliefs, traditions, politics and so on must struggle to exist on their own.  Technopoly, or totalitarian technocracy, is when the entire society surrenders to technology in return, humans become worth less than their machinery (p52).

Postman basically thinks that there is technology has given us too much information and that there is no way for one person to understand everything there is to know and/or cope with that information.  He believes that with the appearance of technology, people will no longer be able to control memory or create meaning from their experiences.  Postman assumes that information must be controlled otherwise it is pointless.  Postman does not take into consideration that humans can choose what information they seek out and receive.  While some information may lack value to some people, it may serve as great importance to others.  Individuals may not be able to know everything, but with a communal effort, technology allows us to share what we do know. 

                Although Postman fails to mention technological advantages, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology does raise some thought provoking theories about society putting too much trust and dependence in technology.  It is interesting to see how these advances are changing culture for the better or the worse.

(732): I want Paula Dean to narrate shark week next year

Texts From Last Night creators, Lauren Leto and Ben Bator came to Rutgers this past weekend.  Although Leto and Bator spent a majority of their time reading a few of the thousands of texts from their new hit website, they did discuss how their fame and fortune came to be. 

TFLN, a website dedicated to posting your raunchy and disturbing texts from the night before, started as a joke between the two friends.  While Leto and Bator had spent much time hypothesizing and proposing ideas that could allow them to drop out of law school, they said that they never really 'kicked around' this idea around before.  This was one that they stumbled upon.  They claimed they began to forward the funny texts that they received from their friends to their other their friends, mostly to embarrass those who sent the said texts.  It quickly became a well-known and ongoing joke, so they decided to create a blog (on blogspot) to post the best texts that they came across.

Eventually, after getting much recognition on their blog, Leto and Bator  Once it was designed, they posted the absurd, immoral and funny texts and opened it up to the public.  Leto said she did not realize the extent of their success until around finals time when the site blew up due to procrastination at its finest.

Now, not only is there the ever popular TFLN iPhone application, but Leto and Bator have published a book filled with your favorite and never before heard/read texts.  They also managed to score a deal with MTV to create a television show. 

The launch of the internet has proved to be ground breaking advancement.  Now, people with internet access can not only share their ideas with others around the world, but use the internet to make money and create careers.  Texts From Last Night is not only a great example of how an easy and lucky thought (or just having inebriated and uncensored friends) can become a money making success.

Computers: The Life Story of a Technology (part II)

The latter half of Computers, discusses the modern and business savvy world of computers.  As computers continue to gain uses, their pervasiveness and integration into society begins to increase.  With more programming codes, more functions are put into action and therefore companies are continuously building and adding to computers.  It is very clear that this technology is growing at an exponential rate (p109).  We are able to see how computers begin as a luxury, aiding in business and some entertainment to now a necessity.

The materialization of personal computers allowed for computers to enter the household.  Because society always wants what is new, people were willing to deal with “long delivery times and other problems” just to be able to get their hands on a computer, even though its purposes were still limited (p87).

Apple broke boundaries discovering the many possibilities of a microcomputer in an office environment.  The commercial aspect of technology was beginning to advance.  Soon after, IBM recognized the potential and jumped on the opportunity to quickly create a microcomputer of their own.  “Their intention was to dominate the microcomputer market the same way they dominated the mainframe marketplace” (p93).  Companies were beginning to see how profitable and marketable this business would become.

Mac’s 1984 commercial (p99) changed the media market of computers.  The dramatic unveiling of the new computer not only furthered an intense competition with IBM, but it sparked much interest in consumers.  Airing only once during the super bowl, the commercial gained a great deal of attention and created buzz for personal computers.  Despite the unforgettable broadcast, Windows decided to create television commercials after finally gaining “astounding commercial success” with the addition of more memory and better writing software (p107).  Computer advertising begins to expand to mass media.

The emergence of new software for computers created a huge buzz among technology hobbyists.  Software has become an essential for computers, aiding students, business professionals, researchers and just about anyone who writes a letter or play a game.  Although many of these applications were created fairly recently, it is astonishing that we are already using new and improved programs.  Each generation is born with new tools.  One of the greatest tools that society has been given is the internet.

ARPANET was the world’s first operating “packet switching” network created by ARPA during the Cold War.  Predecessor to the internet, packet-switching is a communications method that groups data and sends it to its destination.  The information is then reconfigured on the other side.  With the Internet and the World Wide Web, surfacing some years later, available, linking and sharing information with people became around the world became easier than ever.

Although it is very easy to see the prevalence of computers, connecting everyone together is still a challenge.  The digital divide is the separation between countries that have internet access digital technology access and those who do not.  Most often, it includes countries that not only have physical access to resources, but also those who do not acquire the skills to take part in.  The digital divide proves to be a great example of how important computers really are.  Through the internet, we are able to share information and ideas with those who need it.  We can see the significance of this in the episode of TED Talks.  Christopher Makau, from Africa, has taught us that internet has an effect on the whole world.  Through the internet and its various innovative uses, he was able to learn ways restore his town.  He learned to grow plants and vegetables and is now able to feed over thirty families.  In ways, the digital divide prevents people from helping others around the world.  If internet access was granted to everyone, different groups and communities would be able to share information and we would be able to continue to gain knowledge through each other.

Computers: The Life Story of a Technology (part I)

Like most inventions, the creation of computers made things easier.  People are always looking for a less complicated way to do things.  Why would someone do something manually when one can create it mechanically and then have that machine do the work for them? 

In Computers: The Life Story of a Technology, Eric Swedin and David Ferro give readers an in depth review of the history of computers.  Computers tells the stories of the key inventors in which society can hold responsible for, for the great advances in the technology that we have today.  By focusing on these many pioneers, readers gain insight to not only how these inventions came to be, but why and how they actually work.  It allows the reader to recognize and appreciate the significance of the computer and the impact it has today.

Society has come a long way.  Before there were computers, or any form of technology for that matter, people relied on sticks and knots to help them with mathematics.  Around the world, different cultures created different methods for assisting them in completing calculations.  Because no one likes to do complicated computations without assistance, computers were invented.

A common factor between all of inventors and their creations was that much of the process required trial and error.  Some inventor’s plans were never even implemented, but their designs still had an effect on what society has today.  Another frequent pattern seen throughout the timeline of computers is that each inventor seemed to take something from its predecessor and build upon it.  For the most part, many of the people in the book started off toying around with ideas and expanding the work that others previously created before them.  Each invention was able to give something to society to help make a specific task easier.  One of the earliest forms of machinery, Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine, was able to complete basic math equations.  This machine made its contributions to the world of technology by giving researchers a basic structure for future computers.

In 1890, the census was looking for a way to collect and sort the data gathered about each citizen in a faster and more efficient way.  Herman Hollerith came to the rescue and created a machine that used punch cards to record information.  His Tabulating Machine Company which began as a way to promote his machines is now what we know today as IBM.

When WWII began, so did our reliance on computers.  The war played a pivotal role in the advancement of technology.  The U.S. Navy worked with IBM to design and construct a computer that would be programmable and able to calculate intricate tables.  The development of computers such as Mark I and Colossus are owed much recognition for helping end the war sooner.  Computers proved to be essential as the Mark I operated very quickly executing numerical results and Colossus helped crack the secret code the Germans had been using throughout the war.

            The emergence of the transistor drastically changed computers.  Instead of the vacuum tubes that not only took up a lot of space but also caused so much heat that it made working conditions unbearable, transistors were smaller, cooler and much more resourceful.  They also were rather cheaper which caused commercialism of computers to quickly follow, turning computers into a profitable market.

Countless years have gone into the making of the computer.   Thousands of intellectual ideas and numerous amounts research are to thank for what society has today.  Computers are evolving faster than any other modern technology.  We are seeing breakthroughs every few years as people are building upon what they are given.  What began as a tool for math is now used for entertainment, business, and research and so on. 

To Blog or Not to Blog

I have never thought of using blogs as a way to submit assignments via the internet.  When I think “blog”, schoolwork usually does not come to mind.  Teenage angst, recipes, controversy and Perez Hilton all enter my head before analytical criticisms do.    But in a course on technology and culture, it is easy to see why blogs are a not only a great use of internet, but an innovative way to collect, organize and share ideas within a classroom.

I have never had a blog before and have never desired to have one.  I usually am not completely comfortable with the idea of having my ideas and opinions out there on the internet.  Almost everyone who wants to can have access to the internet and therefore anyone can find whatever you post.  Most likely, if it was not required for this class, I would have never created a blog.  Only since we are using blogs as an educational tool, I think this will be a great way to explore the world of blogging.

Creating a blog is a great way to keep track of your work and thoughts.  It is also a very inventive way to generate class discussions outside of the classroom.  It not only gives freedom to each student to share his/her analyses on the material with his/her fellow classmates, but it also allows students to gain the feedback of others through comments. I am looking forward to reading classmates’ blogs. It will be interesting to see how the class interprets and analyzes the readings differently.

I’m hoping that by completing all of these blog assignments, my writing style and ability to critique improves.  I am also anticipating reading my blogs back at the end of the semester to see if any my opinions or reactions have changed throughout this course. 

Internet/Computer Reliance

Keeping a log of my internet use over the course of a few days really helped me realize exactly how dependent I am on it. I spend about an average of eight hours a day on the computer searching the web or with a computer in front of me. I discovered that starting my day on the computer has become a habit. I begin my internet routine checking my MyRutgers account, Sakai and the weather. Later, if I have enough free time in the morning, I continue my normal pattern and check my AOL email account as well as Facebook. I found it interesting that I go on my laptop and check the weather every morning. I never think to turn on the weather channel or check the newspaper forecast. Internet has made simple tasks even easier. I think having quick access to information for so long now has made me a little bit impatient. Having to sit through a television show and wait for your local weather to come on seems nonsensical.  I also noticed that half of the time I using a computer, I was busy doing something else as well.  I'd have a computer in front of me while reading for a class or while watching my shows.  Facebook would be up in another window while I was writing a paper.  Rather than diagnosing myself with a short intension span, I believe that access to the internet has made this generation much better multi-taskers.
While keeping track of my internet use, I spent a majority of one of my work days on the computer to do research for my boss. There was no way I could not complete this assignment without the internet. I mainly used Rutgers websites and Google to search for potential clients for a talk show that my place of employment is producing. With just a few clicks of the mouse I was able to learn about a specific someone’s educational background, research, job title and even address. Though I’ve always known that you can find out a little to a considerable amount of information on a person with just some searching, this kind of took me aback. The internet, for the most part, is public. Although I do not have an extensive resume and best-selling publications, it is still daunting to think that your information is out there for anyone to find.
During the time I recorded my internet usage down, I also realized that I definitely the internet for granted. I ordered my school books online this weekend. I printed out a coupon code for a store I went to the next day. I’ve used the internet to purchase the thousands of songs that I listen to each day. I watch the television shows that I missed the night before online. The internet has not only become a convenience in my life, but an essential.
I wasn’t necessarily shocked at how much I use the internet. A majority of my school work is done on a computer, I use the internet for leisure, to keep in touch with friends, and stay informed about what is going on in the world today.  I do believe that the internet has made things much easier for my generation.  Access to books, articles and research is right in front of us and available at anytime.  Contact with someone across the world can be made with the click of a button. 
Though I admit that I am dependent on the internet, this exercise made me wonder how it can be negatively affecting this generation.  For example, how is the internet affecting face-to-face communication?  Before the emergence of the internet, social networking, in particular, in order to reach someone, one would have to call them on a telephone or walk to their house.  Now we can just write on their wall.  While the internet is serving as a great tool for education, I wonder if it will eventually have its consequences.  Yet we still must adapt to society and with so many technological advances being made every year, it is inevitable that we become reliant on such advances.