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Post by robgallagher on Jun 9, 2016 19:11:20 GMT
Both the podcast and the Poe Article gave the impression that the internet is not revolutionary.
The podcast came said that people will become lost and wouldn’t be able to do anything without the internet. While the Poe article discusses how the information is “packaged” differently today than in the past.
I believe the internet is revolutionary because it has changed the way humans do certain activities. For example, the internet allows more and more people to share information at a faster rate than ever before. This makes it a lot easier for people to learn and understand information. However, the internet has some negatives. For example, some people have become a lot lazier because people just want to stay inside and play on the computer.
I believe the internet is revolutionary but it isn’t the top revolutionary thing that we learned from this course. For example, the issue of slavery was resolved and that I believe was revolutionary. All African Americans were free to do what they want and it changed the country forever. Today, the internet has the potential to allow revolutionary things to occur faster than events in the past. For example, same sex marriage, and the legalization of marijuana in certain states probably wouldn’t have happened so quickly without the internet.
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Post by Stephanie Weiner on Jun 9, 2016 19:42:08 GMT
The title of Poe’s article, “The Internet Means Nothing” sums up the content of the article and Poe’s opinions very well. Poe finds that “the Internet gives us almost nothing the much maligned “traditional media” did not.” Although he mentions the usefulness and ease the internet provides, he finds that there is nothing new, or revolutionary about the establishment of the internet. On the other hand, media experts have focused heavily on how the internet is “easier”, but Poe still does not find this something that is transformative or new. He doesn’t find the internet to be something that is going to change everything, especially because there are prior creations that were already in use.
Poe resorts back to time periods of ancient Mesopotamia, Renaissance Europe, and even the mid-twentieth century and examines their uses of literacy and technology. He does not find any of these periods to be categorized as a period where there was creation and establishment of revolutionary material. Poe makes it very clear in the article that he does not find the creation and establishment of the Internet, writing, TV and radio to be considered a revolutionary process in any such time period, since none of them were “new at the moment when they “took off.””
Unlike Poe, The On the Media podcost focuses not necessarily the internet, but more on the digital dark age. It recognizes the changes in technology and environment that one day might lead to a revolution, or “dark age.” Instead of focusing on the present like Poe’s does, its reflects back on technology in the past, such as NASA film and photos, and the future such as how DNA can be used to store information. The podcast was very eye opening and interesting to listen to. From the podcast, I was able to find that this age of technology and internet is revolutionary and will continue to be revolutionary. Although right now, it is a “good” revolutionary moment in time, in the future it may lead to a “dark age.”
However, if media experts are also considering the internet to be revolutionary, a major question I find is what defines this as a revolutionary process in comparison to something like the establishment of the “new world” or the Civil War? These instances are very different from each other, but also similar because in all instances, there is an introduction to something that America has not necessarily seen or dealt with before and Americans must find a way to take hold of the situation. Although, it doesn’t have to be “new” to be revolutionary, as Poe believes, there is a remarkable change occurring in “normal day” instances which makes the development of the internet, the creation of the “new world”, and the uprising of the Civil War all revolutionary events. Although Poe may not agree exactly with this statement, this is how I perceive it.
All in all, other processes that could be addressed in a course like this is focusing on the revolution of rights for the LGBTQ. This is something that is becoming a great part of history, as we have this “group” or “population” of people who are going through a revolutionary time themselves- gaining rights and support from a social and political standpoint.
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Post by danielkogan on Jun 9, 2016 20:00:23 GMT
Response to Discussion Question 2:
In some way, shape or form, revolutionary processes are always occurring in the world, particularly in the sector of politics. There is always some form of disagreement, distrust, battle for power, and/or attempt (both successfully and unsuccessful) to make a party’s voice heard. In addition to the political element, I believe ongoing revolutionary processes can pertain to other numerous aspects of a society.
After reading Coates article, he mentions that “But it may not be supposed that the Negro American community has not paid a fearful price for the incredible mistreatment to which it has been subjected over the past three centuries.” This excerpt portrays the deep-rooted and continuous injustice and discrimination that African-Americans are subject to. That said, this is essentially an example of a current socio-political revolutionary process. To this day, groups of people still advocate for their equality in society, whether that be African-Americans, women, etc. With this at hand, Coates certainly provides an example of a revolutionary process that has made its way into the twenty-first century.
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Post by chrisdigi on Jun 9, 2016 20:00:56 GMT
Question #1
I think that Poe's article and the "On the Media" podcast present the internet as nothing new or revolutionary. From what I got from both is that the internet is nothing new because it's only a different platform we use to do what we've already been doing. All it is is just a new mode of transportation of information. For instance, going to the store and buying clothing. Those stores most definitely have a website where you can buy clothes and have them delivered so (in a Poe-ish explanation) you can be lazy and continue to have your eyes glued to a bright screen. Even grocery stores have websites and enable people to have food delivered. The information we can retrieve from the internet is the same as it was before its time; it is only method of delivery. So yeah, I think what they're getting at is that the internet isn't revolutionary because it hasn't changed what we do; it changed how we do it.
I think the whole revolutionary process involves changing a condition, action, or mindset. It has to bring something truly new. I'll give an example: a film or movie, it has and always will be a visual recording of that tells a story, documents events, etc. The idea of the movie/film hasn't changed. Yes, we've advanced the technology to make movies but a movie isn't new. The modern film isn't revolutionary. The film was revolutionary only when the first films were created. One may argue that the new technology is revolutionary. I think it is, it's the technology not the idea of a movie. we've been making and watching movies since the inception. The internet is no different. The technology is revolutionary, but the purpose of it is not. We get information, buy good, are presented with advertisements, send mail and a whole lot of other things. Those things aren't revolutionary and because those things aren't revolutionary, the internet is not revolutionary either.
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Post by rheajain on Jun 9, 2016 23:08:26 GMT
Poe and the On the Media podcast are on the same side by saying that the internet is non-revolutionary. Poe is showing that there is something that is just like the internet but it was just like the internet, indicating that the internet is not the start of something new. He cites that changes between “boxes” and how that “they are still boxes.” Additionally, I think that Poe did not talk about the evolution of technology because that idea goes against his idea.
On the Media podcast didn’t directly say that they were against the idea of the internet but they talked about the internet being destructive – that is not something we could stop. They talked about we would go back to live in the 1800s – which we have done before so it’s not anything different.
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Post by wattsajengineer on Jun 10, 2016 16:34:58 GMT
Question #1 I think that Poe's article and the "On the Media" podcast present the internet as nothing new or revolutionary. From what I got from both is that the internet is nothing new because it's only a different platform we use to do what we've already been doing. All it is is just a new mode of transportation of information. For instance, going to the store and buying clothing. Those stores most definitely have a website where you can buy clothes and have them delivered so (in a Poe-ish explanation) you can be lazy and continue to have your eyes glued to a bright screen. Even grocery stores have websites and enable people to have food delivered. The information we can retrieve from the internet is the same as it was before its time; it is only method of delivery. So yeah, I think what they're getting at is that the internet isn't revolutionary because it hasn't changed what we do; it changed how we do it.
I think the whole revolutionary process involves changing a condition, action, or mindset. It has to bring something truly new. I'll give an example: a film or movie, it has and always will be a visual recording of that tells a story, documents events, etc. The idea of the movie/film hasn't changed. Yes, we've advanced the technology to make movies but a movie isn't new. The modern film isn't revolutionary. The film was revolutionary only when the first films were created. One may argue that the new technology is revolutionary. I think it is, it's the technology not the idea of a movie. we've been making and watching movies since the inception. The internet is no different. The technology is revolutionary, but the purpose of it is not. We get information, buy good, are presented with advertisements, send mail and a whole lot of other things. Those things aren't revolutionary and because those things aren't revolutionary, the internet is not revolutionary either.
Response:
I think you bring a good point with this and I agree with you. Poe does present the idea that the internet hasn't changed what we do, but it has changed how we do what we were already doing. You make a good point with the fact that the film industry is not new or revolutionary now, although it was at one point, it is the tech that makes it revolutionary. When you mentioned the film industry it made me think about how the printing press changed the way the news was delivered to people. It started by someone shouting the news on a street corner and telling people the news, then the printing press came out. People were already used to getting the news, but now they could buy a paper and then keep going about their days. The newspaper wasn't revolutionary in the sense that it gave the people the news, but it was revolutionary because it significantly changed the way everyone received the news. |
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Post by tylerg033 on Jun 10, 2016 17:42:03 GMT
Primary Source Assignment  First Source-New York Herald Newspaper  Second Source-Macon Daily Telegraph Newspaper The two documents I chose to analyze are two newspaper articles both released on July 11, 1863 and they both are discussing the events that took place at the battle of Gettysburg. The first article is from the New York Herald and contains information received in a report from a Captain John Downey and discusses incidents of the battle. The second piece comes from the Macon daily Telegraph which was a newspaper located in Macon, Georgia. These two articles discuss the events that occurred at Gettysburg and because they were published only days after the battle was finished there could be information left out but I wanted to get articles that were very close to the battle. I also wanted to be sure to get one from the North and one from the South so that I could better understand the differences on the reporting. As I said the first article was printed in the New York Herald and a lot of the information was being put down with the help of a letter from Captain John Downey whom it says was severely injured and would be returning home. This was a very dangerous time for both the North and the South because of the civil war and all information printed was being read with heavy hearts and baited breath because most people knew family or friends in the war. The article also tells of how Downey was in the hands of rebels but escaped before being almost burnt alive, he lost almost 160 men and was wounded but still in high spirits. You can read the badness and killing that is going on and this was important to show the nation what was happening in the war. The article continues on telling of some atrocities that rebels committed including walking African Americans through the fields at Gettysburg. It is important that this item was saved because it shows of the hardships men went through but also was informing the public on what was happening in their country. I do not know why it was saved but I believe because of the detail and stories that are involved in it. There seems to be less known about the article from the Macon daily Telegraph but there is still a lot of information contained within. It seems that the information was relayed from a one Judge Oald who was commissioner for the exchange of prisoners and it was summarized in the article. The headline begins with the battle renewed and major losses on both sides but also talks of the confederates attacking and many Yankee officers killed. Times were just as dangerous in the south and maybe even more so because they may have had more at stake. Southerners believed that they were fighting for what was theirs so some say the southerners put more into the war and had more to lose than the northerners. This caused them to pay very close attention, this article also gave great detail and showed the resiliency of both sides. This was shown in the last lines of the article as it read “it was the determination of our generals to fight to the bitter end”. You can tell by just reading the passage how passionate and determined each side was to fight and that is why it was one of the bloodiest and worst battles of the war. It seems the Judge who sent this information was merely there being a business man doing his job as prisoner exchanger but you cannot help notice some of his sentiments within the words he has written. To me he seems torn between continuing the war and believing in it but also wants it all just to end. This was an important piece to keep and one that deserved to be saved because of the great detail and lengths that were taken to explain what was happening in the war. This showed the toll the war was taking on the new country and that was crucial. Both of these documents contained a ton of information about the three days that was Gettsyburg. They were from different sides but that was important to me to make sure that I got a viewpoint from both sides, this helped me better understand each of the passages in their own way. The northern paper seems to keep it more to the factual standard while the southern paper may have added a bit more to energize the reader. The southern paper said Yankees officers killed trying to help the south gain confidence because at this time the war was not going very well. These two articles are a wonderful representation of a point in history viewed upon from completely different sides about the exact same thing. They both are great articles with loads of information but differ in their sentiments and really what they were trying to accomplish. Looking at two documents that oppose each other can help historians learn how to look at things from all angles and potentially gain a better understanding because of that. Both of these documents were wonderful to go over and read and really immersed you into the war and battle as you read them. The factual details and exact numbers of men and horses and many other things is what makes these articles so great to be still out there and able for people to read. Articles like this help us better understand not only what the men who were fighting were going through but maybe what the people at home were going through while reading this news. |
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Post by hollie on Jun 10, 2016 18:40:59 GMT
Response to Madison,
I agree with you when you speak of the main focus of discrimination today is with women. I do not believe that if we elect a woman President salaries and promotions will be level and equal. Woman only received the right to vote less than a hundred years ago. Black Americans only received their right to vote fifty one years ago. This country has not grown that much considering that we have been immigrated for the last four hundred years. My hope is that change and equality can be achieved for all people.Just as President Lincoln was the surprise underdog introducing the Republican party in 1860 and with the dissolving of the Whig party maybe something positive can come from the upcoming election.
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Post by craigaway on Jun 10, 2016 20:27:13 GMT
Response to Question 1: I think Poe poses the good point that the internet is not revolutionary anymore, it's just not new anymore. But what I think is important to realize is that although the institution of the internet is not new or revolutionary, the new found abilities through the internet are revolutionary. He does raise a good point with saying that the internet did not take any new time away from people, the TV was already a mainstream thing and once the internet came out people were already used to staring at the TV set, or if they were able to, their personal computers. I think it is interesting that we see the internet as something that has the ability to change everything, while I believe that to be true, I don't think we will see that happen within a generation. Let me explain this. Each generation had a revolution in technology. For my grandparents it was the entertainment revolution as we went from having home radios to home televisions. Then my parents were born into a world that already had TV, they would never know a life without it. And in turn they were young when personal computers became common, and although there was no internet they still went from watching TV to playing games on their computers like ZORK, which I have come to love (yes there is a place to play it online)....if you don't know what ZORK is use Google and if you do, yay! There was no internet until they were almost done high school and all research was done by hand...from books. Kids today would die if they had to do that. And just like the internet they watched the birth of mobile communication. So then when I was born in the late 90s we already had all of these things, TV, computers, internet, and even cell phones. I don't know what life was like without them. My generation hasn't had our big revolution yet. But in the grand scheme Poe is right when he says that not much is new from this world to the world that is in the not so distant past. "Email is still mail. Online newspapers are still newspapers. YouTube videos are still videos. Virtual stores are still stores. MMORPGs are still variations on D&D. A user-built encyclopedia is still a reference book. Stealing mp3s is still theft. Cyber-porn is still porn. Internet poker is still gambling." The internet just made it easier to do all of those things. In a weird way I feel that the internet helped revolutionize technology, by making it more user friendly, but I also think it revolutionized the way people think today. For example, if I have a question regarding a certain subject am I going to say "Hold on let me go the the library, go the Encyclopedia Britannica and look it up" hoping that the answer is there? No...that would be a last resort for me, instead I would pull out my phone and just Google it until I got the answer I wanted. How many of us are programmed to do that, and would not even think about the fact that the library is packed full of books with the same information? Honestly I feel the internet has made us lazy and unsocial. Yeah I know there is Facebook and Twitter, both very popular social media's, but let me ask this, out of all of your Facebook friends or your twitter followers, how many do you actually know, and how many do you interact with face-to-face? It leaves an interesting thought about how the internet has affected our social lives. I think the creation and establishment of the internet most definitely ranks among the other revolutionary processes that we have learned about in this course. One of the common themes through any revolution is the piece of communication or sometimes the lack thereof: the colonists communicating with the Native Americans, the miscommunication that happened through all the drama of the Civil War and slavery, and so many more. The internet created a new wave of communication. In fact, if it wasn't for the internet I would have never been born, because my parents met on AOL when it was still just an open chat room, so yeah that happened. And to add processes to the course I think could be the revolution that is happening in the pharmaceutical companies as medical marijuana is becoming more prevalent and accepted, the rise in personal communication and wearable tech, and because of that the revolution of the lack of communication skills in teens and young adults today. I don’t think the internet changes much of anything unless it changes the way people use information. For the most part, it is an extremely useful tool. As Marshall Poe points out, the internet making things easier is “not new or transformative”. I like to think of myself as using the internet mostly for education. But I find that my flashdrives look like my bookshelf did 15 years ago, filled with information that I will never read in my lifetime. If people can learn to control their use of the internet and the information that they can access for their own betterment, then it can be considered revolutionary for everyone. The Arab Spring was a glimmer of the power of the internet, but that attempt at changing old regimes appears to have hit the snag of international politics and other complexities. Activist causes do appear to be making great gains, and access to social media could tip the balance toward a revolutionary change in society at large. With the internet it is two steps forward and one step back. Cyber bullying is an example of this step back. Until the trolls and bullies realize that there is no fire to add gasoline to, nothing changes. If there is a smoldering fire of hatred out there, someone will try to take advantage of that hatred. People will need to change their way of thinking toward a higher level of consciousness in order to see a revolutionary change. If the internet helps us get there, than I think it belongs in the category of a tool that is revolutionary. |
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Post by jpetonak2 on Jun 11, 2016 3:44:17 GMT
Response to Question 2: We continue to see revolutionary processes going on every day that were begun in beginning years of people landing on this continent. One of these processes in my opinion is the ability to do what you like and the transgender issue is one I believe that fits into this revolutionary process bill. These people who want to change their gender to whatever they like may feel like they are unwanted and not part of society much like the processes we have read in this course. I cannot say I know how they feel but in my mind this is a twenty-first century process that fits in with the revolutionary processes of years before. Same sex marriage and many others are great examples of these processes taking place as well and we must continue these and recognize them when they are taking place. This allows us to get a better understanding of the revolutions of times past and other ways to make the processes of the future much more successful. I agree that the transgender issue is part of the revolutionary process. It is something that is very new and will take time to change. Just like the same-sex marriage issue that began many years ago and was finally made legal in all states, the transgender issue will also change and will be accepted in many states one by one. It is something that with time and more momentum that will change just like many other issues in history. |
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Post by chelseaw on Jun 11, 2016 10:58:08 GMT
Response to question 2 The revolutionary processes form this course are continued into the twenty-first century. One example of this is same-sex marriage. It is a very talked about topic that challenged whether a man and another man or woman and another woman could legally be wed. It was a topic that had gave people many different opinions on the matter. Eventually the many states made advances to making same-sex marriage legal and then the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states. Another example is the topic of racism. Racism is something in this country and also among the world that is clearly present. It is something that has been trying to be stopped for hundreds of years with great advances. Many if not most people are against racism and are for the end of it. One of the best quotes I have heard about how to end racism was said by Morgan Freeman. He was asked about how to stop racism. Freeman responded “The best way to stop racism is to stop talking about it. It just gives it more attention.” Response:
Revolutionary processes are happening all around us. From your example of same sex marriage to racism and transgender/ non-binary restrooms. We experience something new that can change our lives everyday, Its how we respond to them that shows what type of people we are, and what type of a society we live in. History just doesn't exist in the past, we are living history everyday, and if we are not careful the future generations will be learning about very little of actually went on. |
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Post by tylerg033 on Jun 11, 2016 11:25:10 GMT
Both the podcast and the Poe Article gave the impression that the internet is not revolutionary. The podcast came said that people will become lost and wouldn’t be able to do anything without the internet. While the Poe article discusses how the information is “packaged” differently today than in the past. I believe the internet is revolutionary because it has changed the way humans do certain activities. For example, the internet allows more and more people to share information at a faster rate than ever before. This makes it a lot easier for people to learn and understand information. However, the internet has some negatives. For example, some people have become a lot lazier because people just want to stay inside and play on the computer. I believe the internet is revolutionary but it isn’t the top revolutionary thing that we learned from this course. For example, the issue of slavery was resolved and that I believe was revolutionary. All African Americans were free to do what they want and it changed the country forever. Today, the internet has the potential to allow revolutionary things to occur faster than events in the past. For example, same sex marriage, and the legalization of marijuana in certain states probably wouldn’t have happened so quickly without the internet. Reply to Rob: I really like and have to agree with what you stated about the internet being a revolutionary process, it does indeed change the way we do many things in our lives. The internet has allowed for many good and maybe bad changes but I like how you discussed this and how the internet coming about has changed the way we do and even look at other things in our lives. I agree that some progressive ideas such as marijuana and same sex marriage would be less likely to succeed without the internet and the information you can find and use everywhere. The internet can be a helpful tool but is also a very dangerous one so it is a revolutionary process and one that we must be careful with. |
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Post by madison on Jun 11, 2016 13:24:44 GMT
Response to question 2 The revolutionary processes form this course are continued into the twenty-first century. One example of this is same-sex marriage. It is a very talked about topic that challenged whether a man and another man or woman and another woman could legally be wed. It was a topic that had gave people many different opinions on the matter. Eventually the many states made advances to making same-sex marriage legal and then the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states. Another example is the topic of racism. Racism is something in this country and also among the world that is clearly present. It is something that has been trying to be stopped for hundreds of years with great advances. Many if not most people are against racism and are for the end of it. One of the best quotes I have heard about how to end racism was said by Morgan Freeman. He was asked about how to stop racism. Freeman responded “The best way to stop racism is to stop talking about it. It just gives it more attention.” When I answered this question the issue of same-sex marriage did not come to my mind, but is another great example of a revolutionary process. Over a long period of time this topic was brought to light and many issues surrounded it. Throughout time the viewpoint has shifted as people fought for the right to marry whoever they please, wether it is the same sex or the opposite sex. I believe the Supreme Courts ruling is a great step in making equality present in more ways. Secondly, I believe the topic of racism is still in the so-called "revolutionary process." Efforts have been made over decades to try and eliminate racism, but it has yet to fully cease. I like the quote that you mentioned by Morgan Freeman as I too agree that stopping racism starts with not publicizing it throughout the world. |
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Post by madison on Jun 11, 2016 13:25:52 GMT
Response to question 2 The revolutionary processes form this course are continued into the twenty-first century. One example of this is same-sex marriage. It is a very talked about topic that challenged whether a man and another man or woman and another woman could legally be wed. It was a topic that had gave people many different opinions on the matter. Eventually the many states made advances to making same-sex marriage legal and then the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states. Another example is the topic of racism. Racism is something in this country and also among the world that is clearly present. It is something that has been trying to be stopped for hundreds of years with great advances. Many if not most people are against racism and are for the end of it. One of the best quotes I have heard about how to end racism was said by Morgan Freeman. He was asked about how to stop racism. Freeman responded “The best way to stop racism is to stop talking about it. It just gives it more attention.” When I answered this question the issue of same-sex marriage did not come to my mind, but is another great example of a revolutionary process. Over a long period of time this topic was brought to light and many issues surrounded it. Throughout time the viewpoint has shifted as people fought for the right to marry whoever they please, wether it is the same sex or the opposite sex. I believe the Supreme Courts ruling is a great step in making equality present in more ways. Secondly, I believe the topic of racism is still in the so-called "revolutionary process." Efforts have been made over decades to try and eliminate racism, but it has yet to fully cease. I like the quote that you mentioned by Morgan Freeman as I too agree that stopping racism starts with not publicizing it throughout the world. |
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Post by davidd on Jun 11, 2016 14:21:11 GMT
Response to Question #1 I never looked at the Internet the way Poe and the On The Media podcast talked about it. The internet has always been there since I was a child--it's just changed. And it is changing, every day it is becoming more complex, and faster, and our options of how to use the Internet are becoming endless (shopping, playing games, researching, communicating, dating, etc.) But Poe hits it right on the nose, the Internet is not new. Merely, it is an improved way of doing the things we have always been doing. He says that in ancient Mesopotamia, people needed to record things, so writing was used more extensively. During the Renaissance, more people had a thirst for reading, so printing was developed to quench that thirst. In the twentieth century when businesses needed to advertise more, they turned to the television and radio. And when all of these things (writing, reading, advertising) needed to make a step up, the internet filled that role. There was no revolution for any of these things, they were all part of the process, just as the Internet was. I didn't even realize that the Internet is over 20 years old. It's an accustomed part of my life. We wouldn't even have this class if it wasn't for the internet. We would be on campus, reading from a text book and listening to a lecture. But, because of the Internet, how we do things has changed. Because we are so used to the access of the Internet being at the tip of our fingers, we have taken for granted how much it really allows us to do. Poe also mentions individuals such as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and Guglielmo Marconi. They are revolutionists, they each invented something totally new and revolutionary for society. The invention of the light bulb, or the telephone or even radio transmission is so much more important than that of the internet. If it wasn't for those things, would we have it today? Would our screens be able to light up in the dark, or listen to podcasts for this course if it wasn't for these foundational discoveries? The Internet is nothing new, it's building off the groundwork set by others in the past. One section of the podcast about "Our Uncertain Digital Future" talks about VHS tapes--does anybody still use a VHS player on a daily basis? What about all of the home movies our parents have recorded? I'm sure the majority of us have moved onto Blueray or something of that sort. But what is scary to think is that one day Blueray will become outdated. Just, what is next? How long can we really store information for? That's alarming when so many of us pay our bills automatically online or some use it as a sole mean of information or communication. It isn't perfect. And it is changing, leaving bits and parts of it's last update behind. I cannot look at the Internet and say it has been a revolution. Revolutions are a fundamental change, not an ongoing process. We've had the aspects of the Internet from the first civilizations, and it will only go on from there. You've brought up a very good point that I didn't consider when answering question 1, and I should have. The majority of us who answered this question from what I'm reading agree with Poe that the internet isn't new, but what about our class, as you brought up. Non of us would be taking or could take this class without the internet. Does that say something about whether or not the internet is revolutionary, or is it another case of same situation, different box? Its still a class with readings, discussions, papers, etc. but everything is presented from the comfort of wherever we are. It makes me actually question how to define a revolution. In the case of something as old as printing books, at the time it probably wasn't considered a revolution, but years down the road when more and more people were literate and educated because of it, printing was considered a revolution that started the rise of intellectuals. So while I agree that the Internet is not a revolution, who is to say that years later it will be considered a revolution based on the way our future generations will live. |
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