What are the technical AND economic transformations that are making the new emerging media practices possible? Be specific—not just internet, but how, what capacities, materials, etc. Think about other technologies, roads, satellites, phone, and alternative energy sources, 

            Without question, the single most technical transformation is the SmartPhone. Everyone has one, everyone needs one. The current world wide ratio of cell phones is 2 cell phones for every single land line. (Maxwell, 2009) Since the SmartPhone is needed to make and receive calls, people usually sleep with the phone by their bed, let alone carry it wherever they go. The economic transfer is in lowered cost of parts, mainly the chips that run the OS. Take a picture on your SmartPhone, click a button and there it is on Facebook for everyone to see. The same can be done with Twitter as well as other social media sites.

Alternative energy sources would be my number one economic transformation outside of the Internet. Solar and wind power have yet to be harvested in an economical and practical fashion. Yes, they exist, but they are very expensive to produce and put into operation. Additionally, their size alone would preclude most people from having them in their homes. This in a sorted way leads to both economical as well as material capacities. If renewable energy were to be able to advance in the scientific portion of production as the computer did, it would eliminate the need for fossil fuels, thereby destroying OPECs grip on the world, let alone the emissions leaving the environment. With the renewable energy sources would come the materials needed to create the devices. We have seen companies such as IBM, Intel and others make billions of dollars from chips as small as or smaller than the tip of a pen. If this could materialize whereas it was feasible to create these alternate energy sources at a cheaper price, an entire new market would open up.

New emerging media practices are not new concepts however. People meet on Match.com and eHarmony.com; they meet on Facebook and other sites. How is this different than meeting someone in a gym, a nightclub or even a supermarket? The concept is the same; however the venue has changed due to the immediate ability and anonymity that people have with the Internet. The downside to meeting someone on the Internet was depicted in a cartoon that I recently read; there was a picture of a young girl with the caption of “meet 12 year old Cindy.” Below it was a sleazy old man in a dirty t-shirt with a cigar in his mouth that read, “Meet Cindy’s Internet 12 year old girl friend.” Therefore, the concept has basically remained the same, the threats that the Internet bring sometimes outweigh the good.

Reference

Maxwell, B. (2009). COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST RATIO OF CELL PHONES TO LAND LINE TELEPHONES. Retrieved April 2011, from Geography Lists: http://www.geographylists.com/list21n.html

Understanding New Media

     Mediacy, hypermediacy and remediation can be used as terms to describe different types of media as well as the same type of media. The Sports Illustrated video is a prime example of this. Using the inter-active video in its new interactive format, the magazine offers the perception of immediacy for its new format, but also acts as a manifestation of the journals hypermediacy. At the same time, Grusin also claims that is premeditation because two very different markets are being advertised in one, the iPad and the new format for Sports Illustrated.

     Jenkins and Bolter offer up an example of remediation as a multi-media CD ROM whereas all information is self contained within the CD itself without having to look at outside sources for information. This is an example of an older form of media. Grusin on the other hand states that remediation does not have to be self contained and may contain a hybrid or mixed media that replicate other media.

Jenkins discusses premeditation as well in the sense of the Sports Illustrated video by having the iPad play the app, but then also has the ability to play a game while the user is reviewing the magazine, thereby deeming it preprogrammed interactivity.

      The video Gold Digger was also discussed as a form of remediation due to the look and style of pin-up magazine covers in the background while the video plays. Both Jenkins and Grusin agree that within remediation, there is a fine line to cross of undermining the premeditated type of all of our media interactions.

The article was very interesting and it did take a few times to read due to the fact that the two gentlemen contradicted each other on several accounts and obviously spoke in opinion, of which this topic is. It took several readings to realize that many forms of Mediacy can be crossed and mixed. I especially liked how they explained the terminology with the associated videos, however even there they had a few different opinions and some very grey areas. It is obvious however that both men took a lot of effort to not only develop their opinions, but their interview was well played. (Jenkins, 2011)

Jenkins, H. (2011, March 7). A remediated, premediated, and transmediated conversation with Richard Grusin (part I & II). Retrieved 2011, from Confession of an Aca-Fan: http://henryjenkins.org/2011/03/a_remediated_premediated_and_t.html