When the container term media is used people usually refer to broadcast media like radio, newspaper and TV as in the description below. In this article I treat anything that carries ‘information’ from a ‘sender’ to a ‘recipient’ as a medium. This can even be a piece of paper in the form of a postcard or a reply-form in a magazine. Marshal McLuhan describes a lot of other media distributing ‘signals’ like a light bulb or a copper wire. In his book “Understanding Media” (1962) he distinguished warm and cold media based on consumer participation.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
me·di·a1 /ˈmi did ə/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mee-dee-uh] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a pl. of medium.
2. (usually used with a plural verb ) the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, that reach or influence people widely: The media are covering the speech tonight.
McLuhan stated that a book is a warm medium because the reader must actively visualise the descriptions given, where as film and TV are cold, because they leave nothing to the imagination. In his age interactive media didn’t exist yet and interactivity is very important in user participation, because this activates the users senses keeping associations top-of-mind.
Although McLuhan’s ideas were revolutionary at the time, I think other ways to categorize media are necessary in order to understand their functionality and closeness to the user.
Convergence
There have been discussions lately on the convergence of media in three different fields;
1. Networks,
2. Services,
3. Applications and Devices.
Of course we see this convergence. TV over internet ad mobile devices, PDA that have the power of a small PC, etc. These developments are powered by the technological evolution of distribution networks and therefore a technological discussion, which I try to avoid here. The evolution of media in the future will be based on human metrics not technological ones.
I see various ways to categorise media. Let me give you an overview of possibilities
The human senses and abilities
Text; Written media leave a lot to the imagination. The reader is mentally involved in “painting” the descriptions given. Other simultaneous activities however are hardly possible, because reading uses almost all of the human abilities.
Audio; Sound media, like talk-radio or music broadcast, deliver intensive amounts of information in a manner that leaves people free of deploying other simultaneous activities. Although not very warm in McLuhan’s categorisation, I think listeners involvement is high, because of the freedom of choice they have they concentrate strongly on the message.
Video; The consumer medium “pur sang”. No imagination is necessary. McLuhan describes this as a cold medium. But attention span of film and TV are long and intense.
Type of distribution – connections
There exists a fine analogy between distribution of information and physical transportation. Let’s keep it simple and ask the question why cars are a more popular choice of transportation than trains. You could see the car as a 1-on-1 solution, delivering exactly the transport needed, whereas the train is a broadband (1-to-many) type off solution designed to service large numbers at the same time. This is both its strength (cheap and easy to maintain) and its weakness (it never services the total need.
You can categorize types of media in the way they distribute information and how it is delivered. Broadcast, narrow cast, point cast pod-cast, and even cell-cast. All very modern categories. Actually the last two (pod-cast and cell-cast) have developed with new technological possibilities and are just variations on a theme.. I would like to stick to the categories below.
1-on-1: Or personalised marketing was a hot topic in the nineties off last century. Nowadays it is referred to as peer to peer communications or point cast. Tailor made information for the individual consumer. It is an entire range of techniques more than a media solution. Play-on-demand, My-space etc are 1-to-1 solutions in a many-to-many environment.
1-to-many: Normally referred to as broadcast. Aimed at anyone that can receive information at a specific time with a specific medium.
A variety on broadcast type of communication is cell cast. This means one message for all present in a certain geographical area, limited by the strength of the distribution signal..
Many-to-many; Also referred to as net cast. This is a networking technology used in social networking. It is not truly all to all but the individual user can take it’s pick from all information offered an can comment on it or offer information back to the community
And then there is POD-cast. Play on demand as you please for audio and for video.
Controllability
The fact that a consumer / user can control what is happening in the media he or she uses has a direct influence on the user involvement and attention. Controllable media are therefore closer to the skin, closer to you.
Non-interactive: There are a lot of non interactive media. Radio, TV, news paper, Bill Board, etc. Non interactive means that a spontaneous reaction to the sender of the information is not possible. Although some TV and radio formats allow listeners and viewers to react. I categorise them as non-interactive because one way response mechanisms are used here
Semi-interactive; Newer media initiatives on the Internet can be regarded as semi interactive. Discussions are possible with a delay like e-mail forums, Blogs etc. Direct contact is not possible.
Fully-interactive: In social networks the newest type of communication is fully interactive, based on Instant Messaging. Examples of instant messaging are SMS, MMS, Chat, and Video Conference. Not many companies offer this kind of communication possibilities to their customers. Direct contact is a threat to the internal business processes.
Accessibility
From the human perspective media have different modes of access. This access is not always a freedom of choice, something all customers value very much.
To illustrate the accessibility paradox I give you the following. Internet Telephony is free. Skype and VoIP are developments that have been in the centre of attention over the last few years. VoIP is very successful within enterprises whereas Skype in the consumer world has lost its momentum. Why should we ask?.
The explanation is fairly simple. Accessibility. When working on your computer in the enterprises intranet VoIP is always accessible. In the private domain of the consumer the transfer to the PC is just one step too much, when an adequate alternative is readily available. In 2007 internet telephony receded. This process will not restart unless “always-on” devices start servicing this “Internet Telephony”.
Although media development can be placed in a historic perspective, which I will do in a later stage it has developed in three basic steps
Random: From clay tablets and other “one off” productions. Up to the modern billboard. You’ll never know when you’re going to see it.
Switch on; Like TV, radio, newspaper and even books. Etc.
Always on: Only personal mobile devices apply to this standard, which in terms off communication possibilities is the ultimate state.
Operating distance
The human measure applies to media too. Only if media find themselves between 3 feet and zero space from its user full control can be used. Farther away and remote controls are used, limiting the freedom of control. The closer to the skin, the more trusted media are. And the more private they become. I’m totally satisfied that friend come to my home and watch my TV. If they want to use my PC it feels like an intrusion. Let alone my cell phone. No one come within reach. It is mine.
The distance comes with two other aspects. First the context in which you use a medium and which people accompany you. Secondly the span of attention a medium generates. Communication professionals will always search for the optimal mix. Attention and context. This creates the media value.
Span of attention
Some media create other or longer spans of attention due to the nature of the medium. Since the message is more important in creating true attention I will leave this aspect out of the categorisation.
Media have to be categorised along two axes;
Span and or depth of attention
User involvement
The future of screens
Research labs of all consumer electronics producers have developed new materials that can act as a screen. These new materials are known as OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) and they come in the form of textile like fabrics. You cab wear your screen, or hang it on the wall- The size is limited to the size of you room. Screens will appear in sleeves and provide interactive possibilities. Can a medium get closer to your skin, can it get more “trusted”. The medium becomes personal space.
It will be a fine age for privacy lawyers and digital burglars!
Summary
Means : All types of media distribution will convert into one wireless technology. Cabling, Fixed Switch boards, and other networking components will come to an end. This development will only be slowed down by Telco’s that need to stretch the earn-back period of their investments in fixed network components
Message : The integrated approach in the 4-steps will be increasingly tuned to the environment customers find themselves in…..made by the environment
Media : PDA+. The revolution of personal devices has begun and the days of the personal computer as we know it are numbered. Ajax technology enables devices to be whatever you want with Ajax server based applications. Personal devices will become more than photographing telephones. They will be personal assistants, projectors, book, game console and ……everything. Where will Microsoft go?
No comments:
Post a Comment