When publishing changes, so does society. [ARTS 2090 Distribution Project]

When publishing changes, so does society. Investigate and compare the impact of two
publication technologies, one pre-1900 and one post-1962, on a specific aspect of society (e.g.
education, politics, creative industries, science, entertainment, social relationships).

Publishing is the activity of making information available for public view. In order to make contents available for general public to view, there is a need for different modes of publishing. These modes of publishing enables information to make known and to some extent, it also limits the types to be published. So publishing tools change the way a society behaves and communicates, because it is the society which reacts to the environment. I will investigate two publications technologies’ influence and impact on education to illustrate that as publishing changes, so does society. These publication technologies involve Gutenburg Printing Press in the pre-1900 period and Youtube/Teacher Tube in the post 1962 period.

Johannes Gutenburg Printing Press was the first complete printing press invented in 1436, which changed the face of literature. A printing press is a mechanical machine in which ink was rolled over the raised surfaces of movable hand set block letters held within a wooden form and was pressed against a sheet of paper (Bellis; 2009). This technology was not new since block printing was in place long before Gutenburg invented printing press. China had been carving wood blocks to print books as early as 868 but it had its drawbacks. Its drawback was that a new set of woodcuts had to be made for each book (Dowling; 2005). But invention of printing press overcame this problem. A special feature about the printing press was its movable type system (system of printing that uses movable elements to reproduce elements of the documents. What separated Gutenburg’s Printing Press and other printing press is that Gutenburg Printing Press was more advanced and complete than other printing presses due to his invention of matrix that enabled quick molding of new type blocks from a silver template as well as using separate pieces of metal type for each letter and character to be printed. This allowed the same pieces to be used over again and again to print different texts.

What did this new publication technology mean for the society?
The Gutenburg Printing press was considered to be one of the most significant inventions in the Middle Ages. In ancient times, the literacy rate was low and it was too expensive for individuals to purchase books and manuscripts. Instead, histories and information were passed on from generations to generations through clay tablets, papyrus roll or even via words of mouth. But the printing press changed that. It became the medium for the masses. This process allowed Gutenburg to print an entire book much faster than hand copying or hand writing manuscripts. At this rate, reprinting and reproducing books was much easier than copying and rewriting manuscripts. On top of that, reprinting of parchments meant each reproduction of works would require substantial labour cost as labour was cheap. With the press, it could produce a book much quicker with less effort and less cost.

How did the invention of Gutenburg Printing Press impact on education?
From the words of Marshall McLuhan, ‘Printing from movable type created a quite unexpected new environment- it created the PUBLIC’ (McLuhan; 1962). Gutenburg’s Printing Press had indeed created a new public and atmosphere as it was the age where publishing flourished in a more public way.
In the pre 1900 period, writers of the era were mainly concentrated among the upper ruling class as they were seen to have more power over the rest of society. Thus, class division among the rich and poor was evident. Luckily enough, for those in power that time, the printing press represented a danger to the societal status quo (Bellis; 2009). As majority of the society was illiterate, invention of the press led many to read as they had the motivation to learn how to read and write. With the press, literature was widely accessible since printing press was invented. Because education was only available to the rich, those belonged to the working class had no opportunity to be educated, but with Gutenburg’s printing press, higher availability of printed works was available hence more forms of literature could reach more people.
Also, with reference to McLuhan’s quote from above, printing press also allowed ideas and information to circulate around. Previously, ideas and other discoveries were kept by the author. This meant that information were scarce and society’s knowledge was limited among the rich and educated since they had first priority to everything. But with printing press, knowledge was democratized since knowledge and ideas were published and people now had access to both old and new works to discuss among themselves. Published works stimulate discussions and debates among the public and it is those published works that could further develop and shape society to be a better place for everyone.

PRINT GOES DIGITAL

As the printing press was a turning point in the history books of literature and publishing, it helped bring literature to the masses in the pre 1900 period up to this day. Without the invention of printing press, we would probably still be illiterate and only aristocracy and the rich would be able to read and write, reinforcing the dominance of class division in society.
‘Any technology tends to create a new human environment’ (McLuhan; 1962). As publications technologies are always evolving, human environments are constantly changing. We are living in an era that is commonly referred to as ‘the late age of print’ (Kho;2007) or the ‘post-print age’ (Gunkel;2003). As public as information and knowledge are in this 21st century, the information individuals gain and obtain – no matter public or private media, has become digital. The digital technologies are driving the society forward, especially with the development of Internet and World Wide Web. We are living in a digital age where print only products no longer interest our senses as online publishing has taken over print publications to meet the demands of younger generation.

This is true in the case of YouTube. YouTube is a video-sharing service that lets users upload files onto its server (Educause; 2006; Internet). Ever since its debut back in 2005, it has been successful and popular as it allows users to publish works of their own at the same time streaming videos online. YouTube is a significant discovery as it offers an opportunities for individuals to express personal opinions and feedback not in words, but using technologies to express it visually on screen. The process of uploading and sharing with the public are made possible through the revolution of Web 2.0 technologies.

Is education Ready for YouTube?
YouTube ‘draws users into the experience of viewing videos and engaging with the content as commentators and creators, activities that heighten students’ visual literacy – an important skill in today’s electronic culture’ (Educause; 2006). YouTube isn’t just a creative outlet that allows people to showcase their creativity and to get feedback from and interact with users online, but ‘it’s a chance to redefine traditional education by engaging students in a format more tailored to the Modern Age’ (Cardine; 2008). In a generation which is heavily immersed with digital media, the traditional way of education (students with pen and paper in front of a teacher inside a classroom) is seemingly less influential on students. Most educational institutions – like universities are linked to YouTube, mainly because it has become a site that is home to many projects, instructional videos and professional development (Cardine; 2008). It serves as a communication platform between teachers and students.

TeacherTube
Similar to YouTube, TeacherTube is also a video-sharing site where teachers upload resources, teaching plans and tips and other inspiring films that may help further and broaden students’ knowledge and perspective. It functions like YouTube as members within the community are encouraged to post videos that are educationally beneficial to students, to comment and use rating system to rate and vote the most entertaining clips.
Certainly, having tutorials online enhance the students’ skills with technologies since it is a MUST to be technologically trained in this digital age. Learning from visuals increases our awareness as it is one of our senses to engage with the publics we imagine that are out there. Having this skill to critically evaluate the contents we see on screen, we can apply the knowledge learnt from visuals into our daily lives.

What can we learn from different modes of publishing?

The Printing Press and YouTube/TeacherTube are services that has had an impact on society because of technological advancement. Data has been retrieved in many different ways since technologies are constantly evolving. From these two examples, publishing practices (no matter it is print or digital media- Printing press and YouTube/TeacherTube) have helped form different formations of publics. Print has enabled literacy so that the public could have access to education while digital media have opened a networked of information economy since the publics could contribute to social and political sides of society. Even though there are many differences in modes of publishing nowadays, they have three things in common.
1) They serve to be archives storing more and more information
2) They distribute this information to the publics
3) They bring people and information together to create a better learning environment.

Essentially, different modes of publishing has reassembled the way we interact with data and the publics, and has changed the intensity of our experiences in these media technologies as print allowed us to interact with the text and knowledge from author while digital media has touched on our five senses as we could now decide to dim the screen and adjust volume when we are interacting with Youtube/TeacherTube. Different modes of publishing has impacted and created the publics in one way or another.

References
Bellis, M. (2009). Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press. Available: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/b1JohannesGutenberg.htm. Last accessed 7 June 2010
Bellis, M. (2009). ‘The History of Communication’. About Inc. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of_communication.htm. Last accessed 6 June 2010
Cardine, S. (2008). Is Education Ready For YouTube?.Available: http://www.convergemag.com/edtech/Is-Education-Ready-For-YouTube.html. Last accessed 8 June 2010.
Dowling, M. (2005). Johann Gutenberg. Available: http://www.mrdowling.com/704-gutenberg.html. Last accessed 8 June 2010.
Educause. (2006). 7 things you should know about…YouTube. Available: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7018.pdf. Last accessed 7 June 2010.
Gunkel, D. (2003). ‘What’s the Matter with Books?’ Configurations: 277-303. Last accessed 8 June 2010.
Kho, N. (2007). ‘The Medium Gets the Message: Post-Print Publishing Models’ EContent: 42-48. Last accessed 8 June 2010.
McLuhan, M (1962). The Gutenberg galaxy: the making of typographic man. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 1-24.

Group Xenon’s direction statement

Xenon Directions

The gentle caress of wabi sabi and nature has left Team Xenon in a wishy-washy state where our conversations often lead to the beauty of drifting clouds and impermanence of falling flower petals. Our understanding of the first ‘Inspiration Cluster’ has led the group to concentrate not only on nature but on nature’s effects upon man-made structures/objects.

The beauty that we will try to depict will not be of grandeur or revolution. Instead it will be represented by the tacit simplicity that nature holds. For example a single ray of light through a hole in a wall, cracking statues under the might of rain or even the sound of the wind, singing nature’s song.

Team Xenon’s aims are to create a project that embraces nature’s ideals as well as using wabi sabi’s principles as foundations. Hopefully these basic ideas can evolve into something that technology can capture and explore.

Inspiration Paper on Cluster 1

MDCM2003 Concepts

After reading inspiration clusters 1-3, I have been inspired by the ideas presented about Wabi Sabi in cluster 1.

Is art tied with conventions? Are we restricted to create works using specific materials? Do artworks need to be created with particular materials in a certain way for it to be considered as an artwork? The Wabi Sabi design of Japanese art is the opposite of the perfectly aligned and constructed works we once come to know.

One of Japan’s foremost English –speaking authorities, describes Wabi Sabi as ‘An active aesthetical appreciation of poverty’ (Daisetz T. Suzuki).  To appreciate the aesthetics in artworks, one must lift the heavy weight of layers of layers of materials.

The imperfect, naturalistic and simplistic designs in Wabi Sabi art, through the use of organic materials has made me realised not all artworks need to be perfect to be considered as art. The lack of shiny materials used aims to emphasize the details and the craftsmanship of the artist in the time that it was produced, so that as audiences, we may better relate to the artist’s intentions and inspirations.

I like the idea of simplicity in Wabi Sabi art. When I come across architectures and works that makes me go “WOW”, I immediately think it is impossible for anyone to have built or came up with the idea presented. It is often the complexities and the overcrowded materials that divert our attention to the technical side of things. The simplicity in Japanese works focuses on the essential part of the design and does not pretend to be anything else other than what it really is.

Also, the uneven textures and irregular forms presented in Wabi Sabi provide a strong bondage between the artist and the artwork, as though the work itself is alive and breathing. These qualities of Japanese art portray their values in achieving beauty in imperfection and to accept the natural cycle of growth, decay and death.  From this, Japanese’s Wabi Sabi works celebrates the cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time and weather.

Having some idea about what Wabi Sabi art is about, I would like to focus on elements that associate with wind, since wind is not something we can predict. The influence of wind on wind chimes, depending on the speed and which direction the wind is coming from, will produce various pitches as the wind hits the wind chimes. Through videoing different stages of the wind chimes (documenting the wind chimes with no wind, to wind chimes hit with different speed of the wind), I am thinking of creating layers of wind chimes in different stages and emphasize on the pitch of wind chimes, as the pitches and sound produced are determined by the wind.  I believe interesting outcomes will come out from this.

Sources of light and colour can either complement each other or go against each other.  Using coloured cellophane and the different light settings according to the environment (cloudy, sunny, raining, sunrise, midday, sunset), and possibly an object that is placed in the centre of things, I want take advantage of the light to capture the effects of light on object from different angles. Through the uneven textures on cellophane paper by scrunching it, and the blending colours offered by the environment, I wish to display a scene where viewers can contemplate and think about how meaning can be constructed through these elements. From this, the incomplete and imperfect scene allows viewers to develop their own creative mindset and as Sandra Crowley states, ‘because within imperfection is found the allusion of perfection’ [Sandra Crowley (2005). Wabi Sabi Style. Gibbs Smith. 151].

Every piece of material has their uniqueness and value. It is the way materials are utilized, organized, placed and its composition that brings out the beauty and unconventional works, works that are unique – Just the like Wabi Sabi style.

Week 6 – You Tube

We were required to do a group presentation this week on filters and I thought I’d share what we shared to the class.

Our group ‘Team Awesome’ talked about the importance of filtering in the midst of an attention economy. How did the attention economy came into place? In today’s society, it isn’t information that is in short supply, rather, there is an over supply of it. A good example would be The Internet. The Internet allows you to access to everything, as if everything you need is just a click away.

Information after information are thrown to us to get our attention. The use of modern technologies has allowed companies and news organisations to present certain figures or products to appeal to us to grab our attention in the hope to reap profits from advertising agencies. Hence, in deciding what information should be filtered out and what should we pay attention to, filters are an important tool.

Will there be an information overload in today’s society once our attention are captured by the media? Certainly, with the rise of the ‘second media age’, we are able to produce, store and distribute knowledge with hardly any cost. As we are now able to create a two way communication, the minds of individuals are not limited by the information they receive through mass media. Rather, a new public sphere is created to allow individuals to comment/blog on political, social and economic issues.

The fact that Youtube has so many different types of video suggests we can find whatever we want to watch on it, emphasising our creativity and knowledge are endless. As we absorb, filter the knowledge and create contents, we are generating more information, and will hence see a society overloaded with information.

Youtube is a highly filtered site. It helps to identify the different video categories that are available for viewing, tells us who is subscribe to certain site and can view youtube according to your region.

That’s just a brief outline of what our presentation was on.

That’s all from me now!

Cheers!

Anthea

Week 4 – Media Viruses?

‘These media events are not like viruses. They are viruses’ (Rushkoff)

Media viruses are just the like viruses we encounter when we’re sick. Instead of traveling through the body, media viruses travels through the networks of media space.

Let’s look at an example of a media virus below.

ADBUSTERS – The Media Foundation

‘We are a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who wants to advance the new social activist movement of the information age. Our aim is to topple existing power structures and forge a major shift in the way we live in the 21^st century”

Origin of Adbusters

• Founded in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1989
• Non profit organization
• An activist group to fight consumerism
• Circulates 120,000 magazines
• Publications devoted to numerous political and social issues
• Purpose: to make readers think about the consumer culture we’re so attached to in the 21st century

Feature of this activist group

• particularly known for their culture jamming campaigns – to alter image or message before reaching their intended audience

Their audience:

• Communicate with audience through videos & posters
• Designed and tailored to appeal audience in specific countries
• Ie. ‘BUY NOTHING DAY’ campaign – held in November each year

http://www.adbusters.org/node/1564

Methods in which they gain attention:

• They publish their magazines on a monthly basis
• Associations with Friends of Earth and Greenpeace
• Featured in mainstream newspapers, magazines, television etc…

2004 Black Spot Campaign

• sold shoes to resemble Nike and Chuck Taylor All Star shoes in response to sweat shops production methods
• Black spot shoes – ‘earth friendly, anti-sweatshop, and cruelty free’, 100% organic hemp
• Black spot show factory situated in rural region of Portugal
• Factory machines are new and upgraded
• Minimum wage is 450 – workers are paid between 450 and 700 Euros per month
• Medical plan for all citizens – doctor visits factory twice, and workers are entitled to unlimited free consultations

http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/blackspot

Week 3 – Rhetorics

Hey! Apologise for the delay in posting up my blog!

For this week’s presentation, I found an ad on Hugo Boss’ perfume XX and XY to do a 2 minute presentation on Durand’s table of rhetorics.

The following points are made to summarize what I said during the presentation:

• Metaphor -XX and XY acts as a metaphor for the genders represented in the ad. The symbols of these letters are used to constantly convey the biologically-oriented aspect that’s embedded in everyone of us and also the battle between the sexes (suggested by the battle ring). The blue colour emphasised the masculinity and coolness in men while the bronze colour represents the goddess in women.

• Allusion -The words ‘Harmony is overrated’ alludes us to the space created between the male and the female. That space can be open for interpretation but i feel there’s tension between these 2 figures, suggesting that before harmony can be reached, some kind of conflict has been taken place. Those words also suggests that 2 separate entities are needed to be one to be complete – to form unity.

That’s all from me now!

Anthea

Week 1- Being a Media Producer?

Media.  Community. You

We can often associate community with media, why’s that?

Whenever we see headlines presented on TV, something must have happened to a community or a group of people  to have attracted media’s attention for them to broadcast on National Television. It can be said Media acts as an intermediary between the community and the audience as it feeds information and news from one end to another. The idea of networks apply here since information is circulated from one party, to another etc..Technology plays a large part in circulating information around since it is rapidly evolving in today’s society – it is as though we are receiving news in real time.

Imagine this…

If you were given the role to be a media producer, and you had to find out ways to add value and build relationships in your community, what would you do?

Since Media helps people to connect in a community, as a media producer, I would use different mediums and modes of communications to help strengthen the relationships which has already been build in a community. Using various modes of communication, it will not restrict the way in which a group can  communicate – giving them the flexibility and choice of communicating.

I would also look for a more interactive way to engage the community and present different ways for them to connnect and communicate. Today, new ways of communications are often needed to gear people’s attention to the new forms of communications since we are living in a technological advanced economy. To add value in the community, as media producers, we must search for innovative styles of communications to attract attention and make a lasting impression!

Anthea