Christoph Reuss wrote:
>
> Brad McCormick wrote:
> > Reading Chris's response to my posting led me to think of the telephone,
> > which seems to me to be an example of a "de-centric medium with
> > producers as consumers" etc. Even if there are not as many
> > phone calls as emails, there are zillions of them, between
> > Every(man|woman|child)-sub-m and Every(man|woman|child)-sub-n
> > where m is not equal n and both m and n are between 1 and
> > about 6,000,000,000.
I long ago concluded that all analogies are flawed, and that
a good analogy is one which at least sheds some light without
doing too much distortion.
Obviously the telephone and the internet are not the same.
And I certainly hope that the internet proves to be highly
socially and individually constructive.
[snip]
> 2) The vast difference between telephone and Internet (the Web part) is
> that the telephone communication is 1:1 and very volatile (hot air),
> whereas websites communication is 1:N or even M:N and durable (24h up)
> and most importantly, you can search contents to find info -- practically
> impossible by telephone. Producers need 1:N (or M:N) relationships.
Surely the internet offers new opportunities here. But I think
it remains to be seen how meaningful these opportunities
shall be. Who will find "your" website if it's not listed
in the top 10 or 20 for some search string that persons
are likely to enter into a search engine?
> 3) Even with e-mail, the communication is 'richer' than by telephone,
> as it's very easy to communicate 1:N, be it via "CC:" or mailing-lists,
> and very inexpensive even over long distances.
> (Suprised that I have to explain these trivia here..)
Yes, cc: and mailing lists can spread anyone's message
to a lot more persons easier and cheaper than just about
any other medium. But who reads what is thus sent? One
of my relatives sends out e-feuilletons to all his
friends and family in the self-conceit that each of them
is going to individually read what he has pseudo-personally
addressed to them. When his "news" makes the AP, then I'll read it.
>
> Brad, how do you *publish* by telephone ? How do you run an *international
> discussion group* like FW by telephone ? etc. etc.
As noted above, analogies have their limits. I'm not
going to mention "conference calls" here, because they
are almost intolerable. Insofar as the shoe does
not fit, please don't wear it.
>
> > My guess is that the "popularizing" effects of the
> > Internet may be somewhat similar to the telephone.
>
> Wrong guess because it's based on a flawed analogy (above).
If all analogies are flawed, which I believe they are
of necessity because "likeness" can avoid being "identity"
only through *difference*, the question is: Does the
analogy between the telephone and the internet have any
value, and, if so, how much? Does the analogy
between the internet and "the vanity press" have any value, and
if so, how much? Does the analogy between posting a website
and holding Andy Rooney's spot on 60 Minutes or, even
better: Arthur Ochs Sulzberger's spot at The New
York Times have any value, and, if so, how much?
[snip]
> At any rate, the Internet *increases* your possibilities to reach a wide
> audience, and *reduces* the relative power of centralistic media -- both
> contrary to your original claim.
The Internet at least increases the *appearance* of being able to
reach a wide audience, and surely in some cases it does
accomplish this. It's probably still to early to make
any good guess where the internet will lead.
One thing seems fairly certain, to me, however. Insofar as the medium is
the message, Intel and Dell and AOL and Microsoft and MCI-Worldcom
and Consolidated Edison, etc. are the medium. Never has a "populist"
phenomenon been so massively dependent on such big business.
>
> Yours in dissent ;-)
And yours in discourse (no smileys here...)
+\brad mccormick
--
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
<![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
914.238.0788 / 27 Poillon Rd, Chappaqua NY 10514-3403 USA
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