Perhaps I'm the old fart in the class... I am not effective at reading the articles we are assigned on a computer screen and so I print them out. I then read a hard copy document and have a highlighter and an ink pen handy. I highlight passages and if something is particularly interesting or I need to vent, I scratch notes in the margins. This reading ended up with a lot of highlighting and ink.
The first thing I made a note about in the margins was on the second page; for all of the stuff in section "A. Versions of Cause and Effect in Technology and Society" (pg. 292) I wrote "substitute all of the above that says 'television' with computer..." Meaning, I think all of this applies today for computers. Next to item vii, I wrote, "to which we have since added the computer" as a machine that has been added to the home. How many homes have you encountered recently where there are no computers? Or even only 1?
I particularly enjoyed the section on broadcasting (p. 297). There is a section on the right about to the midpoint that reads, "Masses had been the new nineteenth-century term of contempt for what was formerly described as 'the mob'," or what I wrote, "the great unwashed, "the rabble" (ref. Mr. Potter in the movie It's a Wonderful Life). It really is interesting to get a glimpse into how the other side (the 1% in my book) view the rest of society (U.S. society in this case). This simply touched a nerve and it resonated with me in this manner.
Overall, I liked the reading as I see it as a fairly useful history of technology and how it has wittingly or unwittingly, impacted our society. I also liked how the author set up the idea and effectively proved out the idea that television had been in the works for many years; while no one necessarily saw it that way leading up to it, that was the net result of all of the efforts noted.
Hi Chato, great response to this article! You make some very interesting points that caught my attention. The first being that about switching all the television words to the word computer. That changes everything a great deal in terms of today's society. And it's interesting how all that information does apply to computers. My parents are older sp growing up I didn't get a computer in the house until sixth grade and today there is still only one computer in our household, which is mine. The first page of the article blew me away with how much information it expressed. The causes and versions of technology were a bit difficult for me to comprehend but intriguing nonetheless. I too found the broadcasting concept interesting and mentioned the shift in the meaning of the word "mass". Again, great job!
ReplyDeleteJinxx21,
DeleteThank you for the comment. I'm still processing this article. I noticed my last comment just now, "I also liked how the author set up the idea and effectively proved out the idea that television had been in the works for many years; while no one necessarily saw it that way leading up to it, that was the net result of all of the efforts noted." In that comment, you can substitute television with computer as well... ;)
Chato.
Hey Chato!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I must say, I do the same things with the reading. I have to print them and read it, reading on the computer screen strains my eyes, and I like to take notes and highlight the good ol’ fashion way. As for the reading goes, I thought the “masses” part of the article very interesting. I didn’t realize the evolution of the term and how it is sort of improperly used. Furthermore, this was a great insight on the historical aspect of the television, and or technological mediums, and the social impacts throughout its evolution. I agree with you and got the message “the idea that television had been in the works for many years; while no one necessarily saw it that way leading up to it, that was the net result of all the efforts noted”. Very well put.
-Rob