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How the different forms of communication have affected society -- the influential moments in communications in the Age of Revolution. 

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How the different forms of communication have affected society -- the influential moments in communications in the Age of Revolution. 

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Have you ever been frustrated with your device when the internet is down and it takes forever to load? Well imagine that but, there is no such thing as the Internet, and waiting months for a response. Or maybe never a response at that. Oftentimes we forget how blessed we are for how far technology has advanced we never pay attention to its origins and the struggles that happened for it to be developed into modern-day technology. For many kids it is easy to assume the biggest regulator on your intake of screen time are your parents who might physically take away your phone, not allowing you to gain whatever information it is you wanted from your device(s). However, those in the early 1400s to the 1900s were seen being lied to and controlled through censorship from their only source of information. By meticulously controlling the flow of information and structuring societal narratives in these ways, big corporations in the 1900s were able to influence public opinions, consumer behaviour and even government policies, ensuring that the information shared with the public aligned with their interests.

In the beginning, we start with the Gutenberg Press, an innovation that was famously coined the Gutenberg Myth that Johannes Gutenberg was solely responsible for the printing revolution and the dissemination of knowledge that followed afterwards. As shown in the reading of Scott Cook’s reading “Technological Revolutions and the Gutenberg Myth”, the innovation was revolutionary, the catalyst as to why this achievement did not improve intelligence or education was the accessibility of information for those of the lower class. Only those who were considered elite thinkers had access to this information as the cost of these papers was expensive. As a result, it was not until many years later that the pivotal role of knowledge came about when it was accessible to most. Literacy was not accessible to most due to its social hierarchy that only the elite and higher with power should hold knowledge. Scott Cook makes a point that although the invention was a huge milestone if society had not accommodated it, it would not have had the success it did. Not only to mention, the Gutenberg Press was only a success as a result of a collective effort through several labourers but the spread of misinformation led to Johannes only getting the sole praise for the invention.

Moving further along, in the spreading of communications, we see an advancement as we have more electronically charged communication lines such as the Transatlantic telegram. These pieces of information were able to exponentially speed up the process of communication from what once took over months to deliver in person, to just a couple of minutes. With the help of women, they were able to lay the foundations for the technology we have today. Although their hardest efforts were shown behind the doors, they were severely unacknowledged and hidden from their appreciation for revolutionizing how information would be passed around. As was mentioned in Jennifer, S. Light’s reading of “When Computers Were Women. Technology and Culture”, many men found they were chosen for those positions simply because of the stereotypes of being female, such as being patient and doing repetitive tasks. However, if a man were caught doing such things, they were considered too feminine.

With all things being held in power through politics, it is to no one’s surprise that many were corrupt, especially during the Vietnam War which was the first televised war that made headlines for its misinformation causing a riot among the public. As mentioned in Daniel Hallin’s article ““Introduction” to the Uncensored War: The Media and Vietnam”, talks about the “bitterly divisive… role of the media”(3). With the TV news and papers casting an update on the battle each day and night, there was little to no information on the underlying purposes of this battle. The president(s) seemed very nonchalant with what was going on and was withholding information from the public about the true feelings of the soldiers in action. Many protestors were hippies and college students protesting against the Vietnam War saying it felt morally wrong and unjust as many women and kids were dying in Vietnam. With this came the “Doctrine of containment” where the Government was sworn to secrecy of classified information that would never see the light of day. We see that these people in power or corporations have always had a way of controlling people's lives through the served corporations' interests.

References:

Cook, S.D. (1995). The Structure of Technological Revolutions and the Gutenberg Myth.

Hallin, D. C. (1986). The "uncensored war": The media and Vietnam. Oxford University Press.

Light, J. S. (1999). When Computers Were Women. Technology and Culture, 40, 455--483.

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The Gutenberg Press was invented around the mid 1400's by Johannes Gutenberg in Europe. (Pinterest, "Gutenberg Press", accessed April 18, 2024). 

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Johannes Gutenberg, a German goldsmith, is credited with inventing the infamous Gutenberg Press, which enabled a faster and more efficient way of copying texts and images to be printed quickly and at a low cost. This innovation was a huge milestone in inventions as it revolutionized society by spreading ideas and the printing industry, with the aim of increasing literacy. However, the printing press was initially a luxury item and not accessible to European society until much later when paper became more widely available.

(Cook, S.D. (1995). The Structure of Technological Revolutions and the Gutenberg Myth).

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The Gutenberg Bible was produced in West Europe in the mid 1400s. (Wikipedia, "Gutenberg Bible", accessed April, 18, 2024). 

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The most notable early project of Johannes Gutenberg, the Gutenberg Bible was the earliest printed book that was mass-produced on the Gutenberg press. Given the influence the Church held in Western Europe during this era, the Bible was arguably the most influential work of its time and used the printing press to its advantage as a means of influencing the public.

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Gaspard De Prony created the logarithm chart in the late 18th century in France. (Accessed, Exponential View, September 6, 2021) 

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Gaspard De Prony came up with the idea of creating a logarithmic table for surveying purposes. During the French Revolution, labor was inexpensive, so De Prony hired a team of one hundred people to calculate mathematical tables for scientists and the government.

The history of intelligence is intertwined with social hierarchy, and most of the people who did these calculations were women, widows, and people of color. This opportunity also enabled factory workers to develop new skills and aspirations.

(Babbage. S, Babbage's Intelligence: Calculating Engines and the Factory System, 1994).

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In 1854, led by the Cyrus West Field, the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in Ireland to Newfoundland. (Accessed, Atlantic Cable, February 23, 2023) 

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The transatlantic telegraph cable was created by connecting wires between a transmitter and a receiver with an electric circuit to enable communication. Before the invention of the telegraph cables, information between Europe and America was only delivered by ship, which sometimes took months to arrive. However, with the introduction of the cables, information could be sent across the Atlantic in just "two weeks to two minutes". The placement of these cables resulted in significant changes in the commercial and political relationships between people on both sides of the ocean.

(Dick, S. Week 8, Connection Division, slide 47- 51)

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Samuel Morse invented the commercial use of the electric telegraph and co-invented the Morse Code with Alfred Vail in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1838. (Accessed, WitBlox, April 19, 2024) 

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Samuel Morse, born in 1791, was an American painter who co-invented the Morse code. He discovered that electrical pulses could be used to convey information over wires. By assigning a small set of sounds to each letter, Morse code became a reliable method of communication that would revolutionize business and politics, making the world a smaller place.

(Dick. S, Connection Division, Week 8, slide 52)

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Members of the Women's Army Corps served a vital service in 1945 working the telephone switchboards. (Accessed, National WW2 Museum, July 16, 2020) 

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Before modern-day cell phones existed, communication networks were managed using switchboards. This enabled fast and secure communication between different networks by manually plugging and unplugging cords on the switchboard. Women were often chosen to operate the switchboards because they were cheaper to hire and were perceived as more courteous, patient, and better suited for their repetitious tasks compared to men.

(Dick. S, Cold War, Week 10, slide 42)

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Citizens marched against the Vietnam War on October 16, 1965. (Accessed, Dissent Magazine, October 2017) 

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The following photos depict a situation where access to information was deliberately denied to the public. The Vietnam War was the first televised program but the public was misinformed and kept in the dark about important details regarding the soldiers' mission, leading to a protest because of its perceived moral implications. The public, feeling disconnected from those in power who had withheld this information, was outraged by the injustice and fearful of what else may be hidden from them.

(Dick. S, Competing Regimes, Week 11, slide 28)

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Women Programmers during the WW2 in the United States. (Accessed, Medium, March 13, 2023) 

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Women have played a crucial role in shaping the world we live in today, yet their contributions remain largely unacknowledged. During World War II in the 1940s, female workers were classified and employed to calculate ballistics projections, which laid the foundation for modern-day technology. Despite their high impact, their efforts went unnoticed for many years. It is noteworthy that women were considered low-status workers and were hired because it was less costly. However, their work also started the move to change societal standards for women.

(Dick. S, Information War, Week 9, slide 21)

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A video by AT&T released in 1985 in the U.S. (Accessed, YouTube, June, 21, 2012) 

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In 1985, AT&T released a video that explained how the rapid advancements of information technology were creating new opportunities. This was a critical economic development in the information age as it allowed for the introduction of future technologies and widespread accessibility. By bringing great minds together, more opportunities were being created for careers, businesses, politics, and technology. Many believe that these opportunities will continue to grow.

(2012, June 21). Looking Ahead to the Information Age in 1985: AT&T Archives [Video]. YouTube.

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A modern day cell phone from Apple created in the USA from 2023. 

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The modernization of electronic forms of information and communication processing has revolutionized the way individuals access information. Today's technology has made it easier than ever to access information. With different forms of technology, information accessibility is feasible. The functioning of our modern society relies heavily on mobile devices. Technology has its advantages and disadvantages, but it has advanced beyond what anyone could have predicted.

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Moving up to the final section, we have our furthest advancements yet. This section includes a start in which verbal communication is introduced and at its most advanced state yet. Looking back, we started with communicating through via texts on paper, then we went into talking via phones, and now back to its original roots of just texts, but this time, through a mobile device of text messaging.

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During the 1800's we saw a lot of labour being put into use. Without the help of many hands, we would not see the advancements in technology we have today. In this section, we see loads of crunching numbers, and still physical labour but an advancement as we see it start to connect through various outlooks such as connecting the distance across the Atlantic.

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The first section dates back to the beginning of the 1400s. introducing the first innovation that was used as a form of mass communication. The early 1400s had very little equipment that was accessible and everything was done by hand, repeatedly, with intense labour. With the mass distribution of information, these printed materials gradually became more accessible, leading to more widespread knowledge and the start of more revolutionary ideas.