New and ‘New’ MediaNew and ‘New’ Media

Prepared 13 Feb, 2006

For Digital Media Culture ClassDepartment of Media,

Communications and Screen Studies

University of East London

Prepared 13 Feb, 2006

For Digital Media Culture ClassDepartment of Media,

Communications and Screen Studies

University of East London

Talk BreakdownTalk Breakdown

Digital v. Analogue New media is digital media 8 tenets of new media The rise of Web 2.0 What makes ‘new’ new media?

Digital v. Analogue New media is digital media 8 tenets of new media The rise of Web 2.0 What makes ‘new’ new media?

Texts used todayTexts used today Manovich, L. (2002) “New Media from Borges to HTML.” In The New

Media Reader, Eds. Noah Wardrip-Fruin and Nick Montfort. Boston: The MIT Press,

O’Reilley, T. (2005) “What is Web 2.0.: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software.” Online at http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

Tracy V. Wilson and K. Nice and G. Gurevich (2001). How Digital Cameras Work. Online at http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/digital-camera.htm

Woodworth. C. (2001) How Photographic Film Works. How Stuff Works. Online at http://science.howstuffworks.com/film.htm

Brain, Marshall (2002) How Analog and Digital Recording Works. How Stuff Works. Online at http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/analog-digital.htm

Manovich, L. (2002) “New Media from Borges to HTML.” In The New Media Reader, Eds. Noah Wardrip-Fruin and Nick Montfort. Boston: The MIT Press,

O’Reilley, T. (2005) “What is Web 2.0.: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software.” Online at http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

Tracy V. Wilson and K. Nice and G. Gurevich (2001). How Digital Cameras Work. Online at http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/digital-camera.htm

Woodworth. C. (2001) How Photographic Film Works. How Stuff Works. Online at http://science.howstuffworks.com/film.htm

Brain, Marshall (2002) How Analog and Digital Recording Works. How Stuff Works. Online at http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/analog-digital.htm

What do we mean when we say “digital”?What do we mean when we say “digital”?

Digital: the conversion of information into bits of data for transmission through wire, fibre optic cable, satellite, or over air techniques.

Digital: the conversion of information into bits of data for transmission through wire, fibre optic cable, satellite, or over air techniques.

What is digital/new media?What is digital/new media?

Media that employs digital technologies to supplement or replace traditional representational practices, such as painting, writing, photography, music making, etc.

Media that employs digital technologies as content-generators, creating objects, images, and sounds that have no analogue in the physical world (e.g. web pages or special effects.)

Media that employs digital technologies to supplement or replace traditional representational practices, such as painting, writing, photography, music making, etc.

Media that employs digital technologies as content-generators, creating objects, images, and sounds that have no analogue in the physical world (e.g. web pages or special effects.)

In the beginning , there was analogIn the beginning , there was analog

Analog soundAnalog sound

The gramophone was designed to replicate human hearing

Sound travels in wavesSound travels in waves

This is what your voice looks like when you say “hello.’

The x axis =microphone, the y axis = time

This is what your voice looks like when you say “hello.’

The x axis =microphone, the y axis = time

This is the sort of wave that was scratched onto the tinfoil in Edison's first recording cylinders. Later, flatglass disks were used, and still later, plastic ones.

Analogue imageAnalogue image

The camera lens was designed to replicate the human eye

Light travels in waves and particlesLight travels in waves and particles

To make pictures, silver-halide crystals located gelatin within in your film cartridge are exposed to this spectrum.

Your film “speed” really means the amount of light exposure you plan on giving these crystals.

Analog lacks fidelity and permanenceAnalog lacks fidelity and permanence Sound productions can have unintended

noise and distortion image production can be likewise

undesirably altered by nature: poor light conditions, dust on the lens, etc.

Analog reproductions wear out with time. Book pages deteriorate, records get worn out with play, tapes go brittle and break, etc.

Sound productions can have unintended noise and distortion

image production can be likewise undesirably altered by nature: poor light conditions, dust on the lens, etc.

Analog reproductions wear out with time. Book pages deteriorate, records get worn out with play, tapes go brittle and break, etc.

Digital as a solutionDigital as a solution

Digital recording converts the analog wave into a stream of numbers and records those numbers to produce the sound or image.

Digital recording converts the analog wave into a stream of numbers and records those numbers to produce the sound or image.

Making waves into numbersMaking waves into numbers

Here is a sound wave. We want to turn this wave intonumerical values, so we“sample” it.

The green rectangles represent samples: snapshots taken representing a number b/w 1 and 10 every 1/1000 of a second

Sampling = fidelitySampling = fidelity

The red line represents the original sound wave. The stiff blue line is the digital interpretation. See how different they are?

This “sampling error” is adjusted in the 2nd chart by increasing to 20 samples every 2,000 seconds.

Finally, fidelity!Finally, fidelity!

In order to get CD quality fidelity level, a wave isSubjected to approximately 44,000 samples persecond, which makes it sound “perfect” to the human ear

Digital imageDigital image

“Conventional cameras depend entirely on chemical and mechanical processes -- you don't even need electricity to operate them.

On the other hand, all digital cameras have a built-in computer, and all of them record images electronically.”

Tracy Wilson et al. “How Digital Cameras Work”

“Conventional cameras depend entirely on chemical and mechanical processes -- you don't even need electricity to operate them.

On the other hand, all digital cameras have a built-in computer, and all of them record images electronically.”

Tracy Wilson et al. “How Digital Cameras Work”

Electrons, not filmElectrons, not film

Instead of chemicallyactivated film, your digitalcamera uses chips thatacts like solar converters,taking light waves, converting them into electrons, and then reading the accumulatedcharges as numeric values.

Digital design and art are parallel projects (Manovich)

Digital design and art are parallel projects (Manovich)

“The computer scientists who invented these technologies…may be the only artists who are truly important and who will be remembered from this historical period. “

“The greatest hypertext text is the Web itself, because it is more complex, unpredictable and dynamic than any novel that could have been written by a single human writer, even James Joyce.”

“The greatest avant-garde film is software such as Final Cut Pro or After Effects…”

LM’s 8 Props of New MediaLM’s 8 Props of New Media

1. Differs from cyberculture2. Requires digital distribution3. Depends on software manipulation4. Straddles existing conventions and

conventions of software5. Loves immediacy 6. Allows real-time interactivity7. Celebrates manipulation over representation8. Has roots in post WWII art AND computing

1. Differs from cyberculture2. Requires digital distribution3. Depends on software manipulation4. Straddles existing conventions and

conventions of software5. Loves immediacy 6. Allows real-time interactivity7. Celebrates manipulation over representation8. Has roots in post WWII art AND computing

Prop 1: New Media v. CybercultureProp 1: New Media v. Cyberculture Cyberculture: LM defines this as

Internet-related questions of identity, sociality, etc

New media: LM defines these as digital objects/tools such multimedia apps, DVDs, and even the Web itself.

Cyberculture: LM defines this as Internet-related questions of identity, sociality, etc

New media: LM defines these as digital objects/tools such multimedia apps, DVDs, and even the Web itself.

Prop 2:New Media as Distribution Prop 2:New Media as Distribution For LM, new media must involve computers

at the level of distribution. Using this logic, media distributed on the Web

counts as new media, while media merely involving computers for production (eg. magazines) doesn't count as new media.

LM admits this proposition will cause problems in the future because of the growing digitization of everything

For LM, new media must involve computers at the level of distribution.

Using this logic, media distributed on the Web counts as new media, while media merely involving computers for production (eg. magazines) doesn't count as new media.

LM admits this proposition will cause problems in the future because of the growing digitization of everything

Prop 3: New media means manipulation via softwareProp 3: New media means manipulation via software Forms of manipulation:

numerical representation (e.g. algorithms that help us sharpen, contrast, etc an image);

modularity (the existence of plug-ins over the Web automation: variability (e.g. Amazon's ability to create "your"

page with reading prefs) and transcoding.

Forms of manipulation: numerical representation (e.g. algorithms that help

us sharpen, contrast, etc an image); modularity (the existence of plug-ins over the Web automation: variability (e.g. Amazon's ability to create "your"

page with reading prefs) and transcoding.

Prop 4: New media makes existing culture the conventions of software

Prop 4: New media makes existing culture the conventions of software

At one hand, we come up with new digital techniques like special effects, mouse-rollovers and "hot spots" on Web images.

On the other hand, older analog ideas persist: we talk about web “pages”, desktops on computer screens, mobile cameras in videogames (a technique from cinema.)

At one hand, we come up with new digital techniques like special effects, mouse-rollovers and "hot spots" on Web images.

On the other hand, older analog ideas persist: we talk about web “pages”, desktops on computer screens, mobile cameras in videogames (a technique from cinema.)

Prop 5: New media loves the aesthetic of immediacy

Prop 5: New media loves the aesthetic of immediacy Each time a camera gets smaller, LM

points out, it is subjected to discourses of "direct", "candid", and "verite" cinema.

LM discusses how the film TimeCode literally reflects the new length of a DV camera tape.

Each time a camera gets smaller, LM points out, it is subjected to discourses of "direct", "candid", and "verite" cinema.

LM discusses how the film TimeCode literally reflects the new length of a DV camera tape.

Prop 6: New media allows real time interactivityProp 6: New media allows real time interactivity Computers now hear and respond to us (think

of surveillance cameras and voice activated phone assistance lines.)

This means that we must stop treating computers as simply fast calculators, warns LM, and instead understand them as cybernetic control devices, placing us into their own system of meaning.

Computers now hear and respond to us (think of surveillance cameras and voice activated phone assistance lines.)

This means that we must stop treating computers as simply fast calculators, warns LM, and instead understand them as cybernetic control devices, placing us into their own system of meaning.

Prop 7: New media loves manipulation, not representationProp 7: New media loves manipulation, not representation

LM argues that whereas the avant garde of the 1920's concerned itself with seeing the world in a new way, this new avant garde is mostly interested in using old material in new ways.

LM admits that his is the the postmodern culture of the remix argument.

LM argues that whereas the avant garde of the 1920's concerned itself with seeing the world in a new way, this new avant garde is mostly interested in using old material in new ways.

LM admits that his is the the postmodern culture of the remix argument.

Culture of the mixCulture of the mix

DJ PartyBob’s mashup of Madonna’s Ray of Light and New Order’s Bizarre Love Triangle

DJ PartyBob’s mashup of Madonna’s Ray of Light and New Order’s Bizarre Love Triangle

Prop 8: New media takes its cue from post-WWII art & computingProp 8: New media takes its cue from post-WWII art & computing

interactive computer art paralleled the rise of performance art "happenings”

Jeffrey Shaw's VR installation work had its genesis in inflatable structures for film projection.

Computer scientist Manfred Mohr is connected to minimalist artist Sol LeWitt through "combinetronics," which today shows up as algorithmically-derived art.

interactive computer art paralleled the rise of performance art "happenings”

Jeffrey Shaw's VR installation work had its genesis in inflatable structures for film projection.

Computer scientist Manfred Mohr is connected to minimalist artist Sol LeWitt through "combinetronics," which today shows up as algorithmically-derived art.

The rise of ‘new’ new mediaThe rise of ‘new’ new mediaIs it really true that cyberculture and new

media should be thought of as separate entities, given the rise of Web 2.0?

Is it really true that cyberculture and new media should be thought of as separate entities, given the rise of Web 2.0?

What is Web 2.0?What is Web 2.0?

Term Tim O’Reilley and friends developed at the term at “Foo Camp” in 2004 to describe a shift they saw in the “post dot.com crash” web.

Term Tim O’Reilley and friends developed at the term at “Foo Camp” in 2004 to describe a shift they saw in the “post dot.com crash” web.

Web 2.0 vs. 1.0Web 2.0 vs. 1.0

O’Reilley’s 7 Props for Web 2.0O’Reilley’s 7 Props for Web 2.01. Web 2.0 works as its own platform2. Web 2.0. Harnesses collective intelligence3. Web 2.0 treats data as the next intel inside4. Web 2.0 promises the end of software

release cycles5. Web 2.0 demands lightweight programming

models6. Web 2.0 places software above device7. Web 2.0 promises rich user experience

1. Web 2.0 works as its own platform2. Web 2.0. Harnesses collective intelligence3. Web 2.0 treats data as the next intel inside4. Web 2.0 promises the end of software

release cycles5. Web 2.0 demands lightweight programming

models6. Web 2.0 places software above device7. Web 2.0 promises rich user experience

Prop 1: Web as a PlatformProp 1: Web as a Platform

Three cases: Netscape v. Google Doubleclick v. Adsense Akami v. Bittorrent

Three cases: Netscape v. Google Doubleclick v. Adsense Akami v. Bittorrent

Prop 1 (web as platform) , continuedProp 1 (web as platform) , continued Netscape v. Google

Netscape: makes you download, update and maintain their browser to see the web

Google: “No scheduled software releases, just continuous improvement. No licensing or sale, just usage.”

Netscape v. Google Netscape: makes you download, update

and maintain their browser to see the web Google: “No scheduled software releases,

just continuous improvement. No licensing or sale, just usage.”

Prop 1 (web as platform) continuedProp 1 (web as platform) continued Doubleclick v. Adsense

Doubleclick: Ad company relying on the adage that “size matters. Supplied customers with software that enabled them to run big advertisements on web sites.

Adsense: a Google scheme that relies on small advertisers, micro-payments, “small tail” economy and tiny print-only ads.

Doubleclick v. Adsense Doubleclick: Ad company relying on the

adage that “size matters. Supplied customers with software that enabled them to run big advertisements on web sites.

Adsense: a Google scheme that relies on small advertisers, micro-payments, “small tail” economy and tiny print-only ads.

Prop 1: web as platform (cont)Prop 1: web as platform (cont) Akami v. BitTorrent

Akami depends on a large server that users access to download movies

BitTorrent works on peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture, which means that rather than everyone going to one central server, people meet in a central place and connect to one another as smaller servers.

Akami v. BitTorrent Akami depends on a large server that

users access to download movies BitTorrent works on peer-to-peer (P2P)

architecture, which means that rather than everyone going to one central server, people meet in a central place and connect to one another as smaller servers.

Prop 2: Harnessing Collective IntelligenceProp 2: Harnessing Collective Intelligence Yahoo : First Web success story, began as a

collection of links Google: Works so well because “Page Rank” looks

for links as well as content Ebay: Works because of its critical mass of buyers

and sellers Amazon: Barnes and Noble offers same service but

sells less books because it doesn’t link users and it chooses to push its own products before those that are most popular among users.

Yahoo : First Web success story, began as a collection of links

Google: Works so well because “Page Rank” looks for links as well as content

Ebay: Works because of its critical mass of buyers and sellers

Amazon: Barnes and Noble offers same service but sells less books because it doesn’t link users and it chooses to push its own products before those that are most popular among users.

Prop 2: Harnessing Collective Intelligence (cont)

Prop 2: Harnessing Collective Intelligence (cont) Case study: Wikipedia as “open

source” scholarship on the Web Case study: Wikipedia as “open

source” scholarship on the Web

Prop 2 (Harnessing Collective Intelligence) cont.

Prop 2 (Harnessing Collective Intelligence) cont.Case study #2:

Individual Bookmarking vs. Tagging and “folksonomy”

Case study #2: Individual Bookmarking vs.

Tagging and “folksonomy”

Go ahead and try it!Go ahead and try it!

Login: ueldigital password: ueldigital Login: ueldigital password: ueldigital

Prop 2 (Harnessing Collective Intelligence) Continued

Prop 2 (Harnessing Collective Intelligence) Continued Case study 3: The homepage versus

the socially networked weblog (“blog”)

Case study 3: The homepage versus the socially networked weblog (“blog”)

LiveJournal Comments FeatureLiveJournal Comments Feature

Above, a screenshot of some of the fifty five responses given to the author’s question, “What did people do in the time before Advil?”

LiveJournal interests featureLiveJournal interests feature

LiveJournal Friends PageLiveJournal Friends Page

LiveJournal Friends FilteringLiveJournal Friends Filtering

Prop 3: Data is the next Intel InsideProp 3: Data is the next Intel Inside Every significant internet application to date

has been backed by a specialized database: Google's web crawl Yahoo!'s directory (and web crawl) Amazon's database of products eBay's database of products and sellers MapQuest's map databases Napster's distributed song database.

So WHO OWNS THAT DATA?

Every significant internet application to date has been backed by a specialized database: Google's web crawl Yahoo!'s directory (and web crawl) Amazon's database of products eBay's database of products and sellers MapQuest's map databases Napster's distributed song database.

So WHO OWNS THAT DATA?

Prop 3: Data is the next Intel inside (cont)Prop 3: Data is the next Intel inside (cont) “The race is on to own certain classes of core

data: location Identity calendaring of public events product identifiers and namespaces.”

“Much as the rise of proprietary software led to the Free Software movement, we expect the rise of proprietary databases to result in a Free Data movement within the next decade.”

“The race is on to own certain classes of core data: location Identity calendaring of public events product identifiers and namespaces.”

“Much as the rise of proprietary software led to the Free Software movement, we expect the rise of proprietary databases to result in a Free Data movement within the next decade.”

Prop 4: End of the Software Release CycleProp 4: End of the Software Release Cycle “So fundamental is the shift from software as

artifact to software as service that the software will cease to perform unless it is maintained on a daily basis.” Google must continuously crawl the web and

update its indices..and dynamically respond to hundreds of millions of asynchronous user queries, simultaneously matching them with context-appropriate advertisements.

“So fundamental is the shift from software as artifact to software as service that the software will cease to perform unless it is maintained on a daily basis.” Google must continuously crawl the web and

update its indices..and dynamically respond to hundreds of millions of asynchronous user queries, simultaneously matching them with context-appropriate advertisements.

Prop 4 (End of Software Release Cycle) cont.Prop 4 (End of Software Release Cycle) cont. Users must be treated as co-developers The open source dictum, "release early and

release often" in fact has morphed into an even more radical position, "the perpetual beta," in which the product is developed in the open, with new features slipstreamed in on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis.

Real time monitoring of user behavior to see just which new features are used, and how they are used, thus becomes another required core competency.

Users must be treated as co-developers The open source dictum, "release early and

release often" in fact has morphed into an even more radical position, "the perpetual beta," in which the product is developed in the open, with new features slipstreamed in on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis.

Real time monitoring of user behavior to see just which new features are used, and how they are used, thus becomes another required core competency.

Prop 5: Lightweight Programming ModelsProp 5: Lightweight Programming Models Design for "hackability" and remixability. The web browser's "View Source" option made it

possible for any user to copy any other user's web page

RSS was designed to empower the user to view the content he or she wants, when it's wanted, not at the behest of the information provider;

The phrase "some rights reserved," which was popularized by the Creative Commons to contrast with the more typical "all rights reserved," is a useful guidepost.

Design for "hackability" and remixability. The web browser's "View Source" option made it

possible for any user to copy any other user's web page

RSS was designed to empower the user to view the content he or she wants, when it's wanted, not at the behest of the information provider;

The phrase "some rights reserved," which was popularized by the Creative Commons to contrast with the more typical "all rights reserved," is a useful guidepost.

Prop 6: Software above DeviceProp 6: Software above Device Web 2.0 is no longer limited to the PC

platform. iTunes and TiVo are the ones to look at here.

They are services, not packaged applications What's more, both TiVo and iTunes show

some budding use of collective intelligence, although in each case, their experiments are at war with the IP lobby's.

Web 2.0 is no longer limited to the PC platform.

iTunes and TiVo are the ones to look at here. They are services, not packaged applications

What's more, both TiVo and iTunes show some budding use of collective intelligence, although in each case, their experiments are at war with the IP lobby's.

Prop 7: Rich User ExperienceProp 7: Rich User Experience The rise of AJAX

standards-based presentation using XHTML and CSS; dynamic display and interaction using the Document Object

Model; data interchange and manipulation using XML and XSLT asynchronous data retrieval using XMLHttpRequest; and JavaScript binding everything together.”

Case study: Gmail

The rise of AJAX standards-based presentation using XHTML and CSS; dynamic display and interaction using the Document Object

Model; data interchange and manipulation using XML and XSLT asynchronous data retrieval using XMLHttpRequest; and JavaScript binding everything together.”

Case study: Gmail

Prop 7 (Rich user experience) cont.Prop 7 (Rich user experience) cont. How far are we from an integrated

communications client combining the best of email, IM, and the cell phone, using VoIP to add voice capabilities to the rich capabilities of web applications? The race is on.

How far are we from an integrated communications client combining the best of email, IM, and the cell phone, using VoIP to add voice capabilities to the rich capabilities of web applications? The race is on.

URLs to Explore, Part 1URLs to Explore, Part 1

Blogging www.livejournal.com

LiveJournal for beginners tutorial is online at: www.terrisenft.net/students/tech/livejournal_for_beginners.pdf

www.myspace.com Video blogging

http://www.vimeo.com/ Link sharing

www.del.ici.ous Photo sharing

www.flickr.com

Blogging www.livejournal.com

LiveJournal for beginners tutorial is online at: www.terrisenft.net/students/tech/livejournal_for_beginners.pdf

www.myspace.com Video blogging

http://www.vimeo.com/ Link sharing

www.del.ici.ous Photo sharing

www.flickr.com

URLs to Explore, Part 2URLs to Explore, Part 2

Auctioneering www.ebay.com

Book reviewing www.amazon.com

Film rental/reviewing www.netflicks.com

Auctioneering www.ebay.com

Book reviewing www.amazon.com

Film rental/reviewing www.netflicks.com

This presentation on the WebThis presentation on the Web www.terrisenft.net/classes/

digculture06/lectures/feb13/feb_13_06.ppt

www.terrisenft.net/classes/digculture06/lectures/feb13/feb_13_06.ppt