A historical recount of the development of communications technology is relayed by Winston in his book, Media Technology and Society. Author Lawrence Lessig, on the other hand, examines the modern-day issues relating to communication technology in his book, Code 2.0. While Winston provides the background and Lessig offers a forward-looking view, some common themes can be seen between the two works.
Winston outlines a context with which readers can evaluate and understand the adoption of communication technologies. By assessing the development of the telegraph and following its creation, Winston allows us to gain insights into the invention process and slow adoption timeline of technology. He writes of long durations between an idea’s inception and its implementation, as with the use of magnetic needles for long distance communication: “In 1635 Schwenter… describes a system using a magnetic needle along these lines, but the experiments which would demonstrate the viability of his ideas were not to be conducted until 1819” (p. 21).
Winston also touches on the issues of patent wars, system ownership as a struggle for control and the question of public versus private ownership. These, too, are relevant in today’s communication age.
As Lessig addresses, regulation is a present issue in communication technology. Just as the French and US governments were faced with how to classify communications technology centuries ago, similar issues are still at hand. Lessig identifies the problem of both public and private monitoring in the digital age as well as the regulability – “the capacity of a government to regulate behavior within its proper reach” (p. 23). In addition, the US is faced with making a choice to decide if and how it will regulate a population that lives under competing sovereigns: the one of cyberspace and the one of real space.
Winston notes that regulations had to be set in the past relating to privatization: “Despite the Postmaster General’s talk of ‘an instrument so powerful for good or evil which could not ‘with safety be left in the hands of private individuals uncontrolled b law’” (p. 27). Intelligence was not to be an exclusively governmental function and other businesses could be involved. Lessig describes today’s communications arena as one in which there is no constraint and anyone can publish anything to anyone.
It is clear that the issues faced by government and society throughout the history of communications technology are relevant to those faced today.
“Regulating behavior within its proper reach,” what a phrase, depending on the viewpoint one has of government regulation. Reading Winston and Lessig together really does shake up how one can look at regulation and innovation.
[...] Chao-Wei, Christy, Harry, Renee, Ross, Rubi and Vera for examples of well-written reflective essays — with [...]
Hi, Christy!
Essay feedback: as a general statement, shoot for a little less “this is what the author said” and more “these are my take-aways.” That said, your linkage of the two readings went beyond “this is what the author said.”
These are going to be graded on punctuation, spelling, grammar – and it looks like you kept that in mind. Also, it’s OK to focus on just one of the readings, if one has more meaning than the other.
Let me know if you would like additional feedback.