1. What are the differences between the pre-literate acoustic world and the alphabetical visual world? How does the media of television become a part of the acoustic world?
The pre-literate acoustic world existed before the alphabetical visual world. In a pre-literate world, information emerges from anyway, and is filled with music, myth, folklore and total immersion. The television comes after the alphabet, which, like the acoustic world, is musical, mythic, immersive. Acoustic comes before the alphabet because first came all of those sounds and spoken word and song, then came the alphabet that could communicate information without sound. However, the television is part of this acoustic world because it still appeals to the hearing sense, but also the visual, alphabetical world.
2. Why does the alphabet have the segregating tendencies? How exactly does the printing press reverse the segregating tendencies?
The alphabet has segregating tendencies because it is a solitary medium -- meaning it is readable by only one set of eyes at a time. So when a person creates an alphabetical piece, only one set of eyes can view that piece. With the printing press, people in the nearby area could read or see this alphabetical piece. According to Stradanus' caption: Just as one voice can be heard by a multitude of ears, so single writings cover a thousand sheets.
3. How does the alphabetic communication in online communication make cyberspace acoustic? How is the online acoustic world different from the television, radio, or print acoustic world?
Alphabetic communication in online communication makes cyberspace acoustic because the Internet allows interaction between the consumer and the medium. The online acoustic world is different from television, radio and print acoustic world because it allows more listener and reader control. Once any of these media are archived online, any consumer can access it at any point in time.
4. Not only do we invent media and media technologies but also we select their uses in different contexts. What are the two selection criteria? According to the selection criteria, please discuss what will happen to our online communication in 20 years.
The two criterion are (a) we want media to extend our communications beyond the biological boundaries of naked seeing and hearing; (b) we want media to recapture elements of that biological communication which early artificial extensions may have lost -- we want, in other words, our hearth of natural communication even as we exceed it in our extensions. In 20 years, our online communication will continue to grow more immersive and interactive -- likely resulting in more realistic biological communication. Possible seeing and hearing pexpletive closer than in current communication.
