Week 2: The Communications Revolution

The transition of publishing and its effects on publics has sparked what Eisenstein (1979) calls a “communications revolution.” She expressed the notion of the shift from script to print and its correlation to significant historical developments.

More specifically, Eisenstein (and I do note completely irrelevantly how her name sounds like Einstein) brought to light the possibility that the consequential increase in the production and dissemination of old texts contributed to the construction of new theories. This newfound availability of abundant bookshelves gave rise to the consultation, comparison, and ironic contradiction of old theories, which henceforth encouraged the development of new theories. In the words of Brannon (2007), “..would knowledge advance more rapidly, or less so, when texts could be quickly designed, reproduced, disseminated, and updated?” The more we learn, the more we know, but when that knowledge is easily fabricated, misinterpreted and misaligned, is that knowledge still the notion of that word in its purest form – or does it become an oxymoronic lack of knowledge?

This brings forth Eisenstein’s statement of reliability, or, rather, lack thereof, in the increasingly sceptic view of the digital world of information. Although a web site may be cited, it may never again be sighted (Brannon, 2007) if it contacts anything from server failure to outdated links.

Eisenstein would be disappointed (and maybe Einstein too...maybe) that today’s technologies are still unsure of how to preserve our texts. I’m suddenly brought to an image of one of the most horrific nightmares of the first world. Power failure. Without electricity and the Internet acting as mediums between my tapping fingers and your eyes, any word this second could be our last moment of contact.

Yet, has this ‘communications revolution’ pulled us apart, or pushed us together? Our early ancestors came together to hear addresses delivered, whilst our present days selves divide to read a printed news report. Conversely, we now have the chance to stay in contact with people half way across the world. Who knew the invention of the alphabet and communication could impact our social selves and economic development of the human economy? Certainly not the me a week ago, and perhaps the you a few hundred words ago.

References:

·      Eisenstein, Elizabeth. (1979) “Defining the initial shift: some features of print culture,” Printing Press as an Agent of Change, vol. 1, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 43-163

·      Brannon, Barbara A. (2007) “The Laser Printer as an Agent of Change,” Agent of Change: Print Culture Studies after Elizabeth L. Eisenstein, Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, pp. 353-364