Digital Culture: Production, Distribution, Function and Audience

Research Question:

Technology:

– application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes

'advances in computer technology' 

– machinery and devices developed from scientific knowledge 

' it will reduce industry ability to spend money on new technology' 

McLuhan believed that to fully grasp the impact of a new technology, one must examine figure (medium) and ground (context) together, since neither is completely intelligible without the other. He argued that we must study media in their historical context, particularly in relation to those technologies which preceded them.

The digital revolution is far more significant than the invention of writing or even printing. 

Digital Culture:

- set of values, beliefs, opinions, skills and practices shared by regular users of digital media fro production and distribution 

- A social phenomena of interrelated online and offline activities, experiences and innovations.

– what functions and devices encourage, enable and extend are ability to develop, communicate and distribute content 

– how do we use these devices, what do we use them for

what social, culture and creative relationships are formed around them. 

Participation:

– formal and informal online affiliations, connections, collaborations, expressions and networks. 

Remediation:

– new technology and media as a constant development remix of older media and refashioning of old media to meet the demands of new technology.

Bricolage:

- the creation of products through available media, re-using existing artefacts, remixing, remaking and redistributing through new-media distribution. 

Fanzines:

- self published magazines, known as fanzines, were a popular feature during the punk ear, they strongly demonstrated the use of bricolage. 

Bricolage and social media:

different way to build credibility and authority through followers, likes, comment and re-tweets. 

'Connect yet alienated- that us the paradox of our global digital culture. we have access to so many things, yet we are increasingly incapable of seeing those things, or ourselves, in any meaningful context' - Skye Jethani

Mail < Email

Newspaper < Blog 

Phone < Instant Messaging 

??< Twitter 

'Digital and social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to community' - Simon Mainwaring

The saddest aspect of life now is that science gathers technology fast than society gathers wisdom.- Isaac Asimov

'Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting kids working together and motivating them the teacher is the most important' – Bill Gates