The New Media Reader Intro #1 Summary

"Inventing the Medium" by Janet H. Murray we are able to discover the shifts in human thought in the 1900s that ultimately led to the creation of the computer. The computer, the digital medium, was made possible when technology and creativity joined forces to develop an invention that would completely change the world in which we live. Throughout the early 1900s, when only thoughts and visions of the new medium existed, engineers and humanists developed similar ideas of a new medium in which information could be collected, categorized, and made available to all as a readily accessible tool of knowledge. The shared ideas of engineers and humanists built upon one another over the years resulting in the creation of the computer. In the 1960s the computer become an object the was viewed as a powerful machine capable of countless possibilities.

As stated by Murray, there are 4 primary characteristics responsible for the fascinating and engaging nature of the computer. The first characteristic is the computer's "encyclopedic capacity," the system's ability to give us nearly all of the information we want in one singular place. The second characteristic, "spatial property," is so important because it allows us to conveniently and easily locate information within "cyberspace." We learn how to navigate the maps of computer systems and therefore, in doing so we come to expect things to exist in certain locations within this space created by computers. The third quality is the computer's "participatory" nature of the medium. It is an environment that actively engages users. The final characteristic discussed by Murray is the "procedural" characteristic of the computer which means the medium provides an environment that "responds coherently to our participation."

Throughout the 1970s there were skeptics who viewed computer technology as a negative invention that would only increase consumer alienation and isolation from the outside world. During the 80s, however, shifts in the minds of humanists were occurring as the possibilities of human connection through computer usage were realized as files and information could be passed from individual to individual. By the end of the 80s, the computer became a widely used tool in everyday life.

Soon after, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. Berners-Lee created documents called web pages which could be viewable by all on the Web. No longer was it necessary to send around files of information between individuals. Now, thanks to Berner-Lee, information was viewable and available to all, everywhere.

In 50 years alone the computer has come a very long way and who knows where it will take us in the future.