Week 5 - Tutorial Task

Week 5 - Response to Content

Week 4 - Tutorial Task

Week 4 - Response to Content

Week 3 - Tutorial Task

Week 3 - Response to Content

Week 2 - Tutorial Task

                                  Part One

b) In this video by the BBC, communication ideas that have changed the way in which we live and interact with one another are explored. I found this web video to be particularly interesting and relevant to the New Communication Techologies course as the implications of the introduction of these technologies is discussed and how they work.

c) An application that has allowed me to analyse facebook more effectively is the "friend finder" feature. Using this application a user is able to request to connect and communicate with other people who are on facebook. This application allows a user to find another particular user through the search for them via their name, geography, "mutual friends" or the school/employment they attend. By using this application, contacting  friends and family is significantly easier as it narrows the search results for a person's name from hundreds down to a few. 

                              Part Two

  New communication technologies play a vital role in my life for keeping in contact with long term friends, family or even acquaintances. Technologies such as the social networking site "facebook" have made contacting and staying in touch with others easy and convenient. I started using facebook approximately 3 years ago when i was encouraged by friends to join. At that time i had no idea that this internet site, in future years, would have such a profound part in my life. facebook has benefited me in particular as a bmx rider. Often I travel around the country to ride new places. When riding at these new places, that i rarely visit, i often meet and become friends with the local riders. Through facebook i am able to stay in contact and arrange to meet up with these almost strangers again at a later point. I can also get to know these new friends better from home as i can "chat" to them and see photos of what they have been up to and who they're friends with. Privacy has, to date, not been an issue for me when using facebook. When using this site the user must be aware that what they actively participating in can be seen by other users of the site too. Therefore, it is up to the user to use their discretion when uploading photos or making comments as what they do may have later repercussions. The collecting of information by facebook and google does not bother me at the current level they have been doing it. These sites are providing a free service to their users which must come at the price of advertising in order to continue operating. facebook uses only the information in which the user has provided in order for their advertisers to reach their target market more effectively.  

Week 2 - Response to Content

Response to content:

What are the key turning points in communication history?

The key points in communication history are the introduction of new communication technologies that have played a crucial role in the way we have communicated amongst one another. It has been these key turning points that have had the most significant impact on society and have played some role in the development of communication means in which we use at present.

·         3000BC, Egyptian hieroglyphics developed from Sumerian models.  

·         1775BC, Greeks use a phonetic alphabet written from left to right.

·         105BC, Tsai Lun of China invents paper.

·         305, First wooden printing presses invented in China.

·         1455, Johannes Gutenberg invents a printing press with metal movable type.

·         1617, John Napier shows how to multiply and divide using rods or bones.

·         1826, Niepce produces first photograph on metal plate. 

·         1831, Joseph Henry invents the first electric telegraph.

·         1835, Samuel Morse invents Morse code.

·         1874, Remington typewriter put on the market.

·         1877, Thomas Edison patents the phonograph

·         1877, Thomas Edison and others develop carbon telephone transmitter.  

·         1897  Karl Ferdinand Braun invents cold-cathode "Braun" tube.

·         1923, The television or iconoscope (cathode-ray tube) invented by Vladimir        Kosma Zworykin

·         1951, Computers are first sold commercially.

·         1974, First personal computers introduced.

·         1969, ARPANET - the first Internet started.

·         1979, First cellular phone communication network started in Japan.

·         1991, World Wide Web begins.

Referencing:

·         The History of Communication, viewed 11 August 2011

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of_communication.htm

·         Some dates in the History of Cultural Technology, viewed 11 August 2011

http://worldhistorysite.com/culttech.html

Week 1 - Tutorial Task

So this is the first post on my blog, Milligan Blogspace, for New Communication technologies.
Where to begin?
Well...
My name is Mark and i'm studying a Bachelor of Communication with the aim of majoring in Journalism. This is my first semester ever at Griffith and so far its kind of alot to take in all at once. I've only been a resident of Queensland for all of 11 days now so between University and home life i'm finding my self asking "Where the hell am i?" quite a bit. Its pretty daunting to be sitting here thinking this is only the first week of a 4 year course. I guess i have a fair bit of time behind a desk studying in front of me yet. As far as New Technologies go i am only really as informed as any other individual out there who has a mobile or interacts on the internet and the likes of facebook. By the end of this course however, i hope to have bettered this understanding to be more aware of the changing nature in which we communicate and the immplications new technologies have on society. Creating and managing a blog is something that im finding to be very interesting as i visit and contribute to multiple blogs everyday in regard to my personal interests. I find that blogs are a very important tool not only to display information but also to see what sort of feedback that information recieves from readers/followers. So there it is, the introduction to my blog and i guess the begining to my studies for not only this course but my degree. See you in the end!    

Week 1 - Response to Content

What are the main issues in new communication technologies?

Communication involves the transfer of information from one individual to another. Over the course of history the means by which we are able to communicate have evolved with the introduction of new technologies. This evolution has vastly improved the efficiency in which we communicate between one another. From a time where once people relied on simple forms of communication such as storytelling and letters we are now able to communicate instantly through technological advances such as the internet and “Smart” Phones. With the introduction of these technologies however, there have been some issues arise. A person’s privacy has become one of the biggest issues faced when using new technology. Technology such as the internet readily invites us to enter personal information such as credit card details when online shopping or electronically paying bills but how secure are these sites, are we being exposed to fraud? Through means of hacking and illegally obtaining information, electronic fraud is constantly on the rise. “Phishing” is another form in which a user’s sensitive information may be obtained. Phishing involves the use of emails to request personal information from an individual claiming to be a trust worthy entity.

Another issue faced when using new technology such as the internet is the accuracy/credibility of the information being accessed. The internet is free for any person to post information on and requires no publisher or editor to check for reliability such as with older communication forms like books.

 How do we distinguish between old and new communication technologies?

The distinguishing factor that determines whether a form of communication is regarded as new or old is usually in its popularity. For example, even though we still use paper mail it is considered as an old form of communication as the popularity of the email has been used to replaced it in many day to day situations. Another example is the switch from analogue to digital technology. Analogy technology functions by representing various forces and the relatively imprecise modulation of those forces. Digital however, relies on storing bits of binary information and allows for the precise modification of forces. The most recent form of communication to make this transition is the television. The following link describes the difference between digital and analog signals.

http://www.skullbox.net/dva.php

Under what circumstances will new communication technologies become old communication technologies?

The transition from being considered new to old in communication technologies usually occurs when the means becomes superseded by something completely new or simply more efficient at performing the same function. An example of how one communication technology can replace another one completely is when an individual or organisation adopts social networking or online advertising to sell its product or service over older forms of communication such as advertising in magazines or on the radio. On the other hand Moore’s law shows how the rate of technological progression can lead to the supersession of a technology. Moore’s law states “The number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years”.  The following gives an example of how Moore’s law is applied.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/silicon-innovations/moores-law-embedded-technology.html

References:

·         Wikipedia; Moore’s Law, viewed August 9 2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law

·         Skullbox.net; Digital vs Analog, viewed August 9 2011

http://www.skullbox.net/dva.php