Week 1; Post 1 When exploring communication technology, it's function in todays society, the implications it may have on social, educational and professional aspects of our lives it becomes clear that communication technology has consumed modern society. It has progressed the rate of communication and as a result the speed at which tasks and information travels to unprecedented levels. This concept of communication and the technology utilised to transmit a message has been around for centuries, and will continue to exist for centuries to come. However within the exploration of communication technologies there are three questions that are imperative.
What are the main issues in new communications technology?
As particular technologies have advanced to revolutionary new levels, such as the iPhone and the iPad,
new questions have arisen to the stability of inbuilt defence mechanisms designed to prevent the unauthorised use of personal and confidential information. The are innumerable amounts of issues in relation to communication technologies; privacy, fraud, hacking and the dispersion of information to name a few. Quite clearly, the main issue in relation to everyday consumer technologies is privacy. Privacy is a major issue and refers to not only what or where the information we submit to technologies and websites go and how they are stored, but what information about us is received and stored without our knowledge. For example computer and technology giant Apple inc. has recently been 'slapped' with an iOS lawsuit. 'Apple has been named in a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company allows iOS applications to provide advertisers with sensitive – and supposedly private – user information.' (Myslewski, 2010) . Although apple was not actually aware of this taking place, with Goolge inconspicuously gathering this sensitive information, it illustrates how even just turning on a GPS may put you in potential danger.
How do we distinguish between old and new communication technologies?
To distinguish between old and new technology is not as simple as whats out on the shelf at your local JB-HiFi. Communication technologies are rapidly developing and as a result what can be seen as 'new' in some peoples eyes may not be seen the same way in others. Additionally new and old can also be over generalised. As with the discussion today, where some may see the difference between the old and the new as the transition from analog to digital. Often distinguishing old technology from the new is a matter of individual opinion, If it is used frequently and is easily accessibly from the stores it can be seen as new technology.
Under what circumstances will new communication technologies become old communication technologies?
Again, this is a matter of individual opinion. Often technology will become old or outdated when one of the following occurs, a new technology becomes available that either performs existing functions more efficiently or performs new, more up-to-date functions. 'When a new high-tech creation is born, something else may die as a result. Sometimes, the loss is a good thing--who wants busy signals or staticky TV?' (Raphael, 2009)
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