Communication & Creativity
“Where there’s a will there’s a way” seems to be the theme when it comes to software development on the ARPAnet. There were definitely strong wills and a lot of stubbornness at play in the software community (e.g. the Big Indian vs. Little Indian bit processing debate that was discussed in class). Perhaps the most important program in the network’s history, email was developed through humans simply playing around. It is basic human nature to want to communicate and the grad students and other programmers found a way to do it even though the network was not explicitly designed for this task.
It seems to me that the history of technology has been clearly linked with a history of communication. In ancient times, technology enabled the creation of road systems to allow for better communication and a very physical manifestation of a network. Similarly, ship technology was improved to allow for intercontinental communication, among other things. Next came steam engines, cars, airplanes, the telephone and other technologies that allowed for the movement of human “packets” of information.
The most primal of human desires is connection. Communication systems make us feel connected (though they may seem impersonal today). The jump from physical mail, or even systems of communication like the telephone or telegram, to email and file transfer systems is monumental. It represents communication on an entirely new level, opening up new modes of communication that are still being explored. It’s amazing to think that this was created almost illicitly, outside of the parameters for which the network was created.
Today we take for granted the constant connection to the rest of world and our ability to access information. We have Snapchat, texting, FaceTime, and so many other forms of communication based around the network created by a group of determined individuals less than fifty years ago. In this short time, communication has transformed exponentially, and it makes one think about what might be next.
Mike Smith
September 17, 2017 @ 3:28 pm
I love the comic. The constant big-smile generator in those 10+ years is finding the gems, whether a letter or an email, in the blizzard of junk mail and spam.
I agree with your assertion that the need to connect and communicate has driven much of the technology we use daily. I think what is truly unique about today is the amazing variety of ways to communicate and create connection. When I was young, I could dial the phone and talk to my grandmother, or I could write her a letter and include a picture in the envelope, or I could travel 100s of miles to see her in person. Today, I can send 10s of pictures in an instant, or multiple videos to help her feel like she was part of what I’m experiencing 100s of miles away from her. What will cheaper and more pervasive virtual reality technology bring next? It probably won’t be just visual.
There is a flip side. Taxes and a heavily regulated industry controlled my connection options when I was young. I was pretty sure my private communications stayed private. Today, I get the large variety of connection options by companies mining my private communications with my grandmother. How much of our deep-seated desire to connect should be monetized? Maybe we’ll get to discuss this in class!