Prelinger Archives: Finding His Voice (1929)

I found a video relating to the way motion pictures work. This is important to our topic on "information society" because the start of motion pictures opened an entirely new world on the way we are able to interpret and analyze films. In the past, films didn't have sound, it was just characters doing motions and it was in the audiences' hands to figure out the communication taking place. At times it was easy to figure out, and at others it was fairly difficult. When motion pictures emerged, sound was paired with the actual film, making it easy to follow along and understand the plot. Motion picture plays a huge role in our society, it is used through computers, phones, televisions, and many more popular devices.

When motion pictures were first developed, films were very staggered with having the words and sound match up with the characters motion of their mouth. It was definitely a work in progress that is now right on point in the world today. It is a lot easier to hear the words coming from the film than just reading a sentence at the bottom of the film. Having to read what is actually going on drew the attention away from the actual film. Eventually, the sound speed and picture film speed were matched up so that they were on the same track. This was a big step in our society, and knowing that it is an important aspect in our every day life makes it that much more interesting to learn about.

This video showed me the difference in film back then compared to now. Films are now for being an information network, so seeing them develop is an interesting site. Going to the movie theaters is popular around the world. However, if we were to go back to black and white film without sound how would that affect our society? It is interesting to see the way sound motion pictures were developed, especially seeing how advanced the world is now when it comes to motion pictures.

https://archive.org/details/FindingH1929

Communications and Our Town

Communications and Our Town

This interesting video was filmed in 1947 and discussed the importance of communication. The setting was a telephone-wire repairman went to retrieve a model airplane for two young boys and afterward he explained all the different ways their town relies on communication. By playing a game of make-believe he used rocks and wires to demonstrate the connections of various communication technology amongst their town. The examples they used were many still relied on today such as mail, telephone, radio, television, and newspapers; other ideas they brought up were the church bell, factory whistles, and policemen using hand gestures. This video intrigued me because it seemed like their ideal society would’ve been one where communication is effortless and instant, much like our society today. It would be interesting to let them see how communication and the global network society have changed our dependency on technology and transferring information.

In the video the man acknowledged using visual and verbal forms of communication, but there was nearly no emphasis on face-to-face interaction. It most likely didn’t even cross their minds in those days, but people from this time period can easily recognize the tolls that hiding behind a communication barrier takes.

I think what we have to learn from this video is that while it is undeniable that technology, especially for communication, is important for our growth as a society; we must learn to be able to communicate in all forms. Given the technological experience we gain from growing up in gadget filled world, most people are more than proficient in communicating over the phone or Internet; the real need is to brush up our personal skills. Being able to form an idea, devise a way to relay this idea, and clearly express it are things that are becoming increasingly more difficult for younger generations. While we do have a plethora of options for communicating, we need to get back to the basics of personal interaction.

Writing Better Social Letters

Writing Better Social Letters

This cheesy video from the 1950s illustrates a woman’s confusion when she is writing a letter to thank someone for sending her an invitation. She then asks her brother for help. He tells her about the initial set up of the letter, what she should say, if it is supposed to be formal or informal, etc. He then walks her through the format of the general format of every letter and assists her in writing one saying she should speak as if she was talking to them in person since it is not a formal letter. The video ends by her saying that “writing letters will be a lot of fun”.

While not many people still send handwritten letters in the mail, we still use the lessons her brother taught us in print culture today. Some textbooks try to be informal, cool and hip so the students reading them can better relate. Emails we send to professors are typically formal, starting out with a more professional headline such as “Professor ______,” and might end with “Sincerely, ______”. If you are emailing back and forth between your boss, typically you would never use LOL or OMG. You would be a lot more professional because it is your job, not your friends, much like how her brother distinguished between the invitation that called for formal attire when you accepted and one that called for a casual response and wear.

I find it extremely interesting that something this old could still apply to our lives every day. I feel as if this format will continue on throughout our entire lives.

Radio - Hear and Now

This video talks about how the radio developed and evolved throughout the early 1900's and beyond the 1950's. In the early 1920's, radio first started by bringing people closer together. From farmers to city people, everyone was getting information in the same way. When Warren G. Harding won his presidency in 1921, radio is what informed the people of the election results and just 4 years later, completely changed how the election process was viewed.

In the next 20 years, radio was able to inform people of both great and tragic events. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had many instances where he gave speeches that were broadcasted on the radio. Examples of these would be the "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" speech along with "A day which will live in infamy" speech. After WWII, radio became indispensable to the typical American family. From information regarding the Cold War to warning systems alerting people of potential hazard in their area, the radio spread very important information.

To this day, radio continues to spread information to people in a mass fashion. There are many more uses for radio today such as entertainment, news, and weather. Many people tune into radio in order to hear what is happening around the world or even just what is happening in their area. Traffic information is another very useful feature that many radio stations broadcast.

As technology advances, more access to radio stations is occurring. People are often able to download apps with their favorite radio stations that are being broadcasted all over the world. No matter how far technology gets, the radio will always remain and important source for spreading information to mass amounts of people rapidly.

Opportunities Unlimited

https://archive.org/details/opportunities_unlimited

This vintage film Opportunities Unlimited from the Prelinger Archives was about the rise of the "middle income consumer" of the post-war 1950s to be the dominant economic personality of the time, and the importance of advertisement. This film emphasized change; change in power, income, demands, economic thinking, etc. It described the change from advertising to create sales, not vice vera.

This film is useful because it accurately portrays the postindustrial economy while including relevant information to today, even though it was made in the 1950s, such as change in demand, the need to compensate for innovation, and much more. This was a time that luxury became possible and common for the average person; they didn't have to work as much, they moved to the suburbs, families grew, and so on. The film is useful to show the constant theme of the Information Society, which is change. We can learn that the IS is always changing but some of this change follows a pattern, as predicted in the film.

I found it very interesting that things that were said in this film in the 1950s were still true today. examples of this are: increasing population, change in demand, increasing income, a rising middle class, distribution as the function of marketing, and advertising. The opportunities are truly unlimited and this leads to a domino affect of innovation in living, education, and the possibilities are endless.

Prelinger: Logic by Machine

https://archive.org/details/0577_Logic_by_Machine_15_01_03_00

This video discusses the computer and its relationship with man. I think the most interesting thing to take from this video is that it talks about how information was building up so rapidly and that the human brain couldn't possibly contain all of it. As we learned in class, there was a need to control the overwhelming amount of information that became available so suddenly and the computer, as shown in this video, was the perfect source to contain and organize it due to it's unbelievable speed.

Another important point from the file was when Dr. Richard Hamming talked about how the computer "freed a man from dull, repetitive routine." As we learned in class, with the introduction of the computer, instead of the person doing one job of one process repetitively in an assembly line fashion, the computer now processed everything at once through information software. This allowed a person to simply activate a system and let the computer do the entire process.

This video also talks about how some desired to replace man completely with computer, but how there should be more interest in the machine and man in a working combination. They argue that the computer should take more responsibility in the processing department, but that humans will now have more time to focus their time on creativity to transfer to the computer technology.

Morning Radio

https://archive.org/details/Morning_Radio

This film followed comedian Rob Paravonian for a day as he appeared on a morning radio show. He described how he uses the appearance to promote his shows and materials. For him it is very good promotion because radio broadcasts in large markets often reach thousands or tens of thousands of people.

It was very interesting to learn about self promotion, especially from someone who isn't very established in the industry. Even though the radio may reach less people than television it is still a very effective tool for people trying to break through. In the video he also mentioned that he already had new friend requests on myspace and that people were searching for him. This shows how in the network society people can get immediate feedback about how effective their promotion was.

This also got me thinking about how often this technique of promotion is used both on the radio and on television and how effective it is. Talk shows on TV are often used to promote movies, shows, or books that are about to come out and this provides both entertainment for the viewer and advertisement for the guest. It also shows how advertising has taken over so many aspects of our lives.

Story Without End (1950)

This video in the Prelinger Archives is about the innovations and expansion happening in the telephone industry in 1950. This educational video provides an interesting glimpse into the time and shows what they considered ground-breaking and the direction they thought technology was moving in.

This video is useful for people studying the information society today because this was a time when communication technology started to accelerate and connect people like never before. The video shows demonstrations of the "old" way of using a telephone, which included trouble hearing the person and a call taking five minutes as it was sent through many switch boards across the country. However, starting during this time people were able to dial numbers directly on their telephones and improved wires were sending information faster and longer distances. The narrator referred to these new wires as "information highways".

Another interesting part to take away from this short film was how forward thinking the people were during this time. Although telephone technology was not advanced by today's standards, the narrator mentioned how the phone will eventually become, "light and convenient" and that "air is the next highway". Many people today would be surprised to here how people from 75 years ago could predict the trend of the technology, but their predictions were fairly accurate.

Overall, it is interesting to look back at when telephone technology started to take off and see how it has changed over time. The video mentioned people, "having the privilege" to have access to a telephone and today that is something that everybody in the western information society takes for granted. It is also important to see how much of today's technology infrastructure was built, as the film highlights the equipment and procedures that laid power and telephone cables across the country.

By naming the video, "Story Without End", the creators are saying that this communication technology is always improving and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

On Guard! The Story of SAGE: IBM Corporation

This video talks about the advancements that IBM made in the computer industry and how they applied them to military tactics. It is mainly geared towards military personnel, but it also addresses families and civilians by claiming that these computers can make our country safer. I believe that this video is important because one of the main reasons that computers were able to advance so far is due to military funding.

This video relates to us because a lot of the advancements that IBM made for the military lead to the technology we have today. First, IBM was asked by the military to create a computer that displayed information at a glance. From this request IBM created the display scope, which was the first computer to display information on a screen. All other computers just printed out the information on printers. Because IBM was able to figure out how to print out information on computer screens, we are now able to utilize this and in fact do so everyday. Second, they made advancements in plane technology. They were one of the first companies to put computers and graphic radar into planes. Both of which are still used today. Due to this advancement we are now able to fly safer and smarter. Finally, they were able to track where planes were located and what time they left from a certain area. Does this sound familiar? Without IBM we would not be able to check when our flights were going to depart and arrive in certain cities. Imagine for a moment having to guess without knowing when your plane was going to arrive.

All of the advancements created by IBM for the military helped to move the computer forward for us as consumers today. Without them we would not have data readable on screens, or the technology that guide the planes we fly on. They helped to weave the silver lining that connects the world. I personally only knew IBM for the cash registers they have at McDonalds, but in fact they are more innovative than most people might think.

Telephone Etiquette- Prelinger Archive

https://archive.org/details/0820_Telephone_Etiquette_01_45_47_00

This video is an educational source about how to properly use phone etiquette in the 50’s. It is meant for young adults, specifically Native American young adults, in order to teach them how to be polite on the telephone. I think at the time this was a very important educational source because telephone calls were becoming a more common means of communicating business transactions and events through.

I think that it is a very important educational tool today in the fact that it shows just how important the ability to properly communicate through these new sources was becoming. It also shows how much the importance has changed on the phone and electronic education. Although the telephone is still a means of business and extensive communication, there is less emphasis on how to properly communicate on the phone because of the many other electronic ways to communicate in our society. As a kid I was taught how to properly portray myself on social media, and less so how to answer and use the telephone.

This video shows not only how important the education of using this new technology of the time was, but also how much the use of this particular technology has transformed into use of a different technology. The society based around this technology was much more formal than I believe it is today. With all of the casual means of communication, I believe that today there is less of an emphasis on how to be proper in speaking and more of an emphasis on how to properly write important communication.

Social Structure - Van DIjk

Teun Van Dijk works in the fields of text linguistics, discourse analysis, and critical discourse analysis. His biggest area of contribution was to the analysis and psychology of text processing. The article bases itself around a couple of main ideas. First the main premise of the article covers the idea that infrastructure will change by influence of communication networks. He then goes into how the barriers of time and space have been broken by the transformation in the information technology of today. In addition to that he makes a point about how many people have lost the appreciation for the globalization.

I would agree that the time and space barriers have been broken however the fact that it later mentions how important time has become to our society makes me question this statement. The importance that is now placed on time really makes this statement hard to comprehend. Although everything is faster, it also makes time more important because people want things done faster and better. As far as distance I really think that it has been super helpful in terms on long distance communication. I understand the view that Van Dijk brings up about not fully understanding the special dimension anymore, however the fact that it easier to get information around the world is definitely a plus side.

There are also many points about how the telecommunication world has caused general problems for the outside world. The main points that I don’t agree with would be the specific point about how the expansion of telecommunication activity has provided for a lack of individuality and social isolation. Although the internet and other telecommunication forms do provide the basic want to have a multifunctional space they also provide for individual wants as far as what they want to do in the space. Van Dijk explains how by wanting to do everything in one space creates a homogenous set of wants and needs. But I would counter argue this by saying that many individuals want the space in order to complete very different tasks and reach different desires in the space. So although their initial wants for the space may be the same, the very use of the space to reach their goals ultimately makes it an individual process.The other larger argument Van Dijk makes that I don’t fully agree with is the social isolation that comes from the new telecommunication. I would contend that there is actually more socialization happening because of the new telecommunication technology. Although I agree that networking through telecommunication is tied to one location like he says, I would say telecommunication is how more face-to-face meetings are set up and how they happen. Being connected across long distances and erasing the extreme time and space constraints of before allow people to meet up more frequently and allow for contact to happen more easily.

Although I agree that telecommunication has caused for some downfalls in the way we communicate as a society today I will say that it enabled more that it detracted.

Prelinger Archives: "Journalism"

In the video by the prelinger archives, "Journalism", we see the inside of a 1940's newsroom and a thorough digesting of what happens behind the scenes of a newspaper. It goes into great detail of the different editing positions and the paper's layout of pictures, stories, and advertising materials.

The process behind producing a paper in the 1940's I would imagine is relatively similar to the process that happens in today's modern society. However, one thing  I continued to wrestle with throughout the film was the details that could not have been missed in that generation. For example, the reporter who went out in a hurry to catch details of a local fire had to pay attention in grave detail of the happenings whereas in today's society, it could be recorded audibly and/or visually in order that no details were left out and the article was accurate.

The telegraph services were also highlighted in the film that discussed the importance of reporters gathering information all over the world in order that documentation was given to newspapers in accurate details.

The print society was incredibly different back in this era, however, the motivation behind it is quite the same. Although the technology used is drastically different (typewriters to laptops, notepads to recordings, etc), the purpose behind documenting a piece of news was for the same purpose: to reach the public with fair, accurate, and reasonable information.

Big Board: The New York Stock Exchange

This mid twentieth century film titled "Big Board" presents a detailed analysis of the man power and expertise that goes in to the New York Stock Exchange. The first four minutes of the film are influential in holistically describing the intricate process of making an investment.

The process of making an investment in the 1950's required extreme coordination among the many parts involved in the transaction.  Studying how Wall Street used to be run, before the innovation of the technological processes that have since made investing as easy as clicking a button, allows us to see all that really goes on in even the simplest of investments.  Before technology, the New York Stock exchange was run entirely by experts that were specialized in extremely specific areas. The floor brokers, specialists, reporters, tickers, and your personal broker all worked as a team to make each transaction possible. These brokers and specialists made all of their transactions on paper, which involved a very careful process of booking these transactions.

The most interesting aspect of investing in the 1950's was the utter necessity of having a personal broker.  One could not invest in the stock market as a "lay" person.  This made investing a much less universally available commodity than it is today. Though stock brokers are still around, the innovation of computer technologies and programs has lead to a continually growing trend of the average investor, using there own expertise to make their investment decisions.

The New York Stock Exchange is a great example of how the evolution of technology has completely changed the way information is communicated from one another through the business world.

Prelinger Archives: Printing

https://archive.org/details/Printing1947

When looking at this video, it is crazy to see where this type of industry began and the work that went into it. So many people worked in printing as it was the fourth biggest industry in the United States at this time. As shown in the video, there were different levels of work involved, some of which required a higher skill level than others. While many jobs were offered, some positions were needed to be filled with someone who had good grammar, punctuation and typing skills. Older teenagers were put in school to acquire some of these jobs in the printing factory. Nowadays, a job like this would not necessarily even require any type of post-high school education.

Our society has come so far from this time of printing. While the video showed many people still working in this industry, even more technological advances occurred, requiring less people in the processes of printing. This happened even more when society began to shift from all print to more technological based, offering things online instead of on paper. Even though we do not see jobs like those in the video today, the new inventions that led up to more efficient printing pushed for all the technological innovations we now have.

The Nation at Your Fingertips

Although the film, The Nation at Your Fingertips, was made in the 50's during the postindustrial framework, it is useful because it outlines the way the telephone has developed and played a role in all three of the frameworks we have studied.

The first framework we studied was print culture. In this film, the daughter sends mail to her mother telling her that her baby has the measles. She is able to send this letter all the way from California due to the development of railroads throughout the country. As you can see in this film, letters were being replaced by the telephone as the mother decides to place a call to the daughter instead of sending another letter because that would take too long.

Next, the telephone also played a role in the control revolution and this is shown in this film. Since there is so much information that needs to be processed during this time, new technologies are developed to help control this information. In this film, the husband tells the wife that she is able to call California because it's only 8:00. The development of time zones helped people know when it is acceptable to place a phone call. Also, the development of area codes is described in this film because of the increasing amount of telephones in homes. It's interesting because I'm from the Milwaukee area and the film shows the area code for Milwaukee as 414 and that's still the same today.

Lastly, the telephone industry played a role in the postindustrial framework. In this film, it shows the switch from boys controlling the switchboards, to women as operators, and then machines fulfilling those roles. Also, the film describes the telephone playing an important role in long distance service so customers are able to call and get information. Lastly, the film ends saying, "The story of long distance dialing points the way to even better telephone service for you, tomorrow." This is the futurology that Daniel Bell describes in postindustrialism that can help us figure out what the future will hold.

This film is really resourceful because it uses the telephone to outline the three different frameworks that we have talked about so far in this class!

Prelinger Archives: Television Tomorrow

https://archive.org/details/tomorrow_television

This film was very interesting, especially in its regard to the predictions of the future of television post World War II. Televised moving images were invented in the first couple decades of the 1900s, and it was not until World War II that the television industry started to expand.

One very interesting feature of television that the film introduced was the concept of on the spot news. I think many people today would not even think twice about having the ability to receive news from anywhere in the world at any time, but during the early to mid 1900s, this was a new concept. This film spoke about how television stations started to create portable stations on wheels that would allow them to travel and report news on the go. Viewers would now have the ability to have a “court side seat” at sporting events, or even governmental meetings, as the film pointed out.

The expansion of television expected to create over 300,000 jobs in the first five years, and has created many more jobs since. Information technology inventions are so important for the economy as a whole, as is shown through television. It is also important to realize that within the technological society that we live, there are many more advances in information technology to come that will probably be sustained for a long time as well.