Postman Assignments 1 and 2

Postman Part 1
1. Describe three specific characteristics of the "Typographic Mind."
One characteristic of a Typographic mind is content. When reading or orating word, typographically every sentence must have a meaning. “If a sentence refuses to issue forth a fact, a request, a question, an assertion, an explanation, it is nonsense, a mere grammatical shell.”(50).
A second characteristic of a Typographic mind is rationality. Typography’s content, in each sentence, had to be rational and concise. The meaning coming across in every conversation was intelligent and analytical and related only the clear rationale of the speaker. The message conveyed in the conversation directly related to the listener, and could be agreed upon or debated intelligently and rationally.
A third characteristic is the serious nature of the content. Because typography is detached and based solely on written views, argument and intelligent presentation, the content will never have emotion flowing from it. Generally the presence of emotion (clapping in agreement for example) was frowned upon at public speeches. The speaker did not want to be thought of first in the minds of the listener, but wanted his words and the meaning behind them to be foremost. The typographic mind will always think seriously and analytically.

2. Postman suggests that the twin inventions of 19th century Telegraphy and Photography challenged Typography's monopoly on public discourse. How, specifically did each of these two new media/communications inventions do this?
In the form of advertising, photography took the rational thought right out of the message conveyed. Instead of clear, concise, intelligent wording to move the reader to buy, aesthetics and picture related psychology was used to sell and image. Intelligence was no longer necessary to understand that “this” product would be useful to you. “By the turn of the century, advertisers no longer assumed rationality on the part of their potential customers.” (60).
In direct opposition to the typographical mind, the photograph took away the right to analyze and personally interpret the meaning of the conversation. Debates, arguments and even agreed upon sentiments disappeared in the absolute definition of the unaltered photograph. For example two intelligent, typographical speakers could not disagree that a flower was a flower when shown a photograph of a flower. There was no chance to intelligently enhance a photograph. It is what it is. “The photograph also lacks syntax, which deprives it of a capacity to argue with the world.”(72).
The invention of Telegraphy challenged Typography’s intelligence and relevance. By being able to connect and pass information much quicker, the information ceased to be all important and dissolved into mere gossip conversations. These actions dissolve the serious, rational content of the typographical mind into irrational, irrelevant, unconnected information that was directly unrelated to personal action.

3. What does Postman mean by "The Peek-A-Boo World," and can you give an example of this world from your own media experiences?
The Peek-A-Boo World explains the vast amounts of useless information thrown at us as fast as the telegraphy and photographs in the past and newer technology now can throw; Information that at the time of delivery seems important but has absolutely no direct connection to how we live our lives. One personal example that I can think of for my life and the lives of many of my friends is something called “Wikiing”. I have spent hours in front of my computer at a time, surfing from one Wikipedia page to another. Without realizing how much time I have lost, I originally ventured to find information on one specific source that pertained directly to what I was doing at the time. While receiving an answer to my question I found something else, almost completely unrelated, but vastly interesting. So I looked that word up. In that definition was something else and thus a pattern started that ended in my learning vast knowledge about completely unrelated and useless information; that while interesting, had no bearing on my current task.


Postman Part 2

1. Discuss THREE specific ways in which Postman explains how the medium of television transforms the epistemological nature of each of the following:

A. Public discourse about religion
Postman claims that television has taken the message out of religion, effectively transforming it into a form of entertainment to gain more viewers. One example he uses explains how Father John J. O’ Connor used gags and Reverend Greg Sakowicz used rock music to gain popularity within their crowds of people. This is not the religious message that comes across through the people but an entertaining one. Another example would be the televised religion shows using beautiful people, both the trend and actual photogenic people in their crowds to promote the shows. Postman relates that this would give a home viewer the proper aesthetic view that television provides. A third example would be what Postman calls the “docu-drama” of a person (plain folk trend). Postman believes this makes the message more trivial than the traditional, typographic religious experience is. I agree that there are production techniques taking place here, however the message hasn’t changed. This video shows one woman’s story and yes she is promoting a company, Cornerstone, but I genuinely believe her story is no less true because it was put on television than it was had it been an interview or a story in a book.


B. Public discourse about politics
In politics Postman believes the entertainment world of television has changed the idea of who is the better politician to who looks the best. One example of this would be where Postman claims an aesthetically challenged person (such as Lincoln) would not have a chance of being elected President in today’s televised world. Politics have become more about what you look like than the message you stand behind. Another example would be Postman’s idea that politicians are elected solely for what they can offer us as a public instead of their ideas and how they can change the world. “Big Tim Sullivan and my father voted for the party that represented their interests, but “interests” mean to them something tangible…” (135). Another example of how television changed political discourse would be the NY Senate campaign of Jacob Javits and how he used the television commercial to gain the attention of the majority of voters, versus his opponent, Ramsey Clark who with a more typographical approach campaigned with papers. Javits won, and Postman believes he won solely on the fact that he used the current epistemological setting; appealing to television to promote him.

C. Public discourse about education

In education, Postman believes Sesame Street to be the downfall of the traditional classroom setting. Because Sesame Street appeals to children on a fun level they begin to believe that learning should be fun. Postman equates fun with entertainment and so comes up with education should be entertaining. Another example he uses is the Voyage of the Mimi, a documentary about whale research and Postman says this followed in Sesame Street’s footsteps in replacing books for television in education.
The television show was offered to students though the classroom and provided books and computer information to make it a multi media event. Postman says this is a perfect example of how the books became the audio visual aide to the teaching medium (the television). Postman also thinks that television in education becomes its own curriculum. He explains that curriculum is defined as “…a specially constructed information system whose purpose is to influence, teach train or cultivate the mind and character of youth.” (146). He says that the television does this and therefore is its own curriculum and wipes out the traditional school’s version of curriculum when competing with it.

2. What specific solutions does Postman offer to improve public communication in our "Peek A Boo" world, and our challenges to communicate in a thoughtful and rational manner in "An Age of Show Business"? In other words, how might we prevent a world in which we are "amusing ourselves to death"?
Postman would like certain questions to be asked. A few of them would be “What are information, what are its various forms? What conceptions of intelligence, wisdom and learning does each form neglect or mock?”(160). These questions and others, (directed at the television) he believes, will help our culture start their journey back to rational thinking. He believes that the schools and education systems should (and in his time are starting to) understand that television and other media are a huge part of culture. Educators should find a way to “…use education to control television.”(162). He believes we should distance ourselves from one sort of medium. To expand on this I believe a way to prevent the “Amusing ourselves to Death” is to not just distance ourselves from one medium but to include all mediums into our lives and our culture to create a balance between them. Postman might not agree but I think that books and television can coexist as educational tools in today’s world.

3. HARD Question: Does Postman's thesis about television still apply to our public discourse in today's Age of the Internet? Please explain your reasoning in 4-5 sentences.
I believe that Postman’s thesis about television still stands as television is still aesthetically beautiful and full of peek-a-boo information. It still holds its place over the typographic world which is just a memory at this point. However Postman’s theory would apply more to the instantaneous information we have at our fingertips with the internet. The web obliterates the competition of the television for the peek-a-boo world. However had Postman written his book in this day and age, with our current society, no one would have read it. It’s simply too long.

Exponential Times

1. Carr states that the reflection time taken after research has virtually disappeared with the rapid pace and peek-a-boo pattern the internet has thrown us into as a culture; and this has created an attention deficit disorder society that is more concerned with how fast instead of how deep the research goes.

2. Cascio states that the human species has adapted to and, really, conquered every Epistemological shift we have witnessed and it will be no different in the age of the internet, we just haven’t yet created the tools to harness the power of artificial intelligence being offered to us through the internet; and Google is closing in on creating that tool for us.

3. Carr offers his personal testimony and that of people he has spoken to as evidence we can no longer sit through long periods of reading. He also comments on the London experiment conducted which showed patterns of people skimming from one topic to the next, not really stopping to read the entire text documented. He also uses Nietzsche as an example to show that the epistemological shift will change the way a person thinks and reflects. Cascio starts out summarizing how humanity struggle but survived the eruption of a super volcano and evolved into more intelligent beings because of it. He moves on to quote from Steven Johnson’s book Everything Bad Is Good For You, saying that media culture actually provides details experienced at a quick pace. He compares this with calisthenics; to exercise the brain. He states that Scientists have portrayed these brain calisthenics to “find meaning in confusion and to solve new problems, independent of acquired knowledge.” In other words to think on our feet about idea that concern US.

4. Carr believes the internet is stripping us of our ability to partake in deep thinking. Postman stated the exact same thing concerning television. The Peek-A-Boo world mixed with the Now…This mentality that television created for us, the internet has expanded on and taken to a whole new level. Carr’s statement- “Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.” –sums up Postman’s theory that television has trivialized every topic reported on. Carr believes that the Internet has taken that trivial aspect and applied to our ability to read and reflect critically. The way we read has changed in the quicker pace of the information highway.

5. I believe in different aspects of both articles, however I find myself leaning more toward Cascio’s thought process. While I disagree with his acceptance of enhancement drugs, I agree that human nature is to survive and adapt any change thrown at us. I have found Google’s technological tools valuable in research and because the information given to me is a brief version of the text book’s wealth of information, I am able to look for different opinions, facts and reported on evidence of the topic researched. However I believe that in the new pace of the information age the responsibility to take the time to reflect on the information thrown at me rests solely on my shoulders. Accountability for how you use the vast knowledge you find on the internet is up to you. This article also argues both for and against the information at your fingertips. Professor Fred Mast, of the University of Lausanne agrees with Cascio’s side that the human brain can adapt to anything. However Nada Kakabadse, a Professor at the Northampton Business School thinks portable technology is like a drug that inhibits your reasoning. Both articles contribute good and bad ideas to the debate on the information highway. I believe the internet can be both useful if used responsibly and detrimental if you allow it to consume you.

About Me

<--This is me. This is also me.-->
My name is Kimberly. I also go by Kim and K Chan to the anime community.

I have been many places and experienced many things before I wound up at Champlain College which is where I currently am. When I am not being the inquisitive student, I am completely immersed in some aspect of anime, whether its drawing, writing, reading, creating anime music videos (AMVs), crafting costumes for cosplay (playing in costume at conventions) or actually watching anime. The highlight of 2009 for me was attending Anime Boston. Every year they have special guests at the convention and this year Yuki Kajiura was in attendance. She is my favorite musical composer. I was able to meet her briefly and attend a panel where she and her newest musical project Kalafina spoke about their music and different influences.Below is a picture of Kalafina.

Anime Boston was epic for another reason as well. This year one of my AMVs made it into the finals at the AMV contest. Although I did not win, over 7,000 people saw my creative work of art. I have provided the video for you as well.

Making AMVs is actually what sparked my interest in the Digital Filmmaking major at Champlain College. When I found out there was a DFM major at one of the local colleges in my area I was thrilled. What little experience I had with editing was intriguing and I am hoping that I can expand on that while at Champlain. I was excited to be accepted into the DFM program at Champlain and I am hoping to follow a career path creating and editing films to give my audience an escape from reality.

Contemporary Media Issues has provided an in depth view and discussion of media and how its changed and changing. The four most important concepts that I have learned in the class so far are:
1. In the book Amusing Ourselves To Death Postman’s description of the peek-a-boo world is extremely interesting. I hadn’t realized just how often and more importantly how capable we are of switching the channel in our brains. Hopping from one subject to the next in seconds with no correlation between the two subjects seems to be second nature to us in the Age of Show Business as Postman calls it. Whether this skimming is profitable or detrimental to the depth of our knowledge is debatable. What I find important is that we know we are doing it-changing the channel.

2. Epistemology is another concept I have learned in the few weeks we have been in school. I had never heard the word prior to the start of class. However I knew of the definition, concerning media, from growing up. When I was a child, my brother and I were allowed 30 minutes of television a day. After that we needed to find other ways of amusing ourselves. We were both raised to love books and throughout the years my taste in books has changed, but my love for reading never dwindled. When I started school I didn’t know what the internet was. We didn’t have it in our first classrooms. Only as an early adult did I realize the information I had access to with the World Wide Web. I believe that the Epistemological shift that has happened throughout time is very important to understand and discuss.

3. I found the article Is Google Making Us Stupid written by Nicholas Carr intriguing. I had never thought of the implications of having the world at our fingertips. It’s hard to imagine losing the ability to think critically and reflect objectively on topics being researched. However Carr believes that we are no longer delving into the depths of information that book research once required of us. He claims that internet research provides a sort of cliff’s notes version of the actual information. I suppose I would agree with some of that logic. Articles, essays, books and other forms of research are smaller when accessed online. However I don’t believe this to be a problem since the less time you spend on one person’s opinion and studies leading to it, the more time you can spend looking for multiple opinions and varied research. I think this would make the topic you are researching much more valuable than spending vast amounts of time on one prior researcher’s findings.

4. The 8 shifts, 7 principles and 29 persuasive techniques involved in creating and delivering media are very important to examine. The one shift that I find most important is the Personal shift. From personal in the past to participatory now, media have been able to connect and reach out to the entire world. Facebook has become the largest social networking tool ever. Through the internet we can not only research a country, but actually chat with the people in it. We can examine, learn and mix cultures that once were only accessible through written text. The one principle that means the most to me is “Reality” Construction/Trade offs. I believe that the media portrayal of reality can be interpreted many different ways, depending on the content. More importantly, the message that comes across often speaks louder by what is not said-what is left out- than the message you are seeing. All 29 persuasive techniques are important and most are used quite often in media ads. If I were to choose one as the one used universally I would say Symbols. Postman says the meaning behind images cannot be argued. A picture of a flower cannot be logically argued as anything but a flower. To say it is a dog for example just doesn’t make sense. Symbols take an image and attach ideas to it. This is the most powerful way of getting your message across popularly from a media standpoint. In the video below, the Clydesdale is the number one symbol for Budweiser beer....honestly what do horses have to do with beer? but when we see the majestic creatures we think of the Budweiser commercials!

If I had to ask just one media related question it would be: How much does violence in the media affect the American culture and more specifically children growing up in that culture? More and more these days we see violent movies becoming popular amongst all ages, news programs are showing more violence and reporting more in depth on the violent situations in the world. Video games have become bloodthirsty and image dense. What are these images and the meaning behind them doing to the creative, inquiring minds of children eager to learn what their culture is all about? The video I included is just one of many on the web either for or against violence in games correlating to violent outbursts in children.