Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Media Codes and Conventions Week 2 LCC 2700: Intro to Computational Media Spring 2005 Janet H. Murray

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Last week …. The computer is a medium. Creates the Don Quixote/Ciotat Train/Eliza illusion a material substance that contains ideas through inscriptione.g. bits transmission 0011 binary code digital media formats (video codec) (gif, jpg) representation asci, letters, words, texts, etc. temporal and spatial formats and genres

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Computation as a Medium Not merely a tool or technology or conduit Inheritor, expander of media traditions Medium: inscription, transmission, representation Media conventions bring coherence Convergence disrupts coherence How to invent a medium – Import legacy conventions to new format to discover its unique affordances; –Discover, refine, employ new conventions that exploit and organize these affordances

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Computation as a Medium Not merely a tool or technology or conduit Inheritor, expander of media traditions Medium: inscription, transmission, representation Media conventions bring coherence Convergence disrupts coherence How to invent a medium – Import legacy conventions to new format to discover its unique affordances; –Discover, refine, employ new conventions that exploit and organize these affordances

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Web Page Assignment for last week: Make a home page for this course. Include your name, course name & number, link, an image of yourself, and an element that is appropriate to the general idea of “Computational Media”. Include area for links to all of your assignments. Include short biographical statement. Observe appropriate format and genre conventions for an academic course-specific student web page.

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Class Web Page: Include Title (Name of Student) visible at top of page(s) Menus visible without scrolling at top or left Photo of student visible at top of page, sized appropriately Links to assignments in orderly list Biography with degree of formality while still friendly; information appropriate to class Playful / thematic element characteristic of digital medium

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Class Web Page: Avoid Moving flashing pointers [temporal convention] Moving text scroll [temporal convention] Overly informal, slangy diction (‘Sup; well allrighty then; Hi there!) Characterizing yourself or your work negatively, offering apologies (“crazy”) using offensive words “retarded” Thanking people for visiting Enormous pictures Underlining without linking The word “random” Overly busy backgrounds Pages that require scrolling (without anchors) Centered text, especially multi-line centered text which is harder to read than left-justified text

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Examples of Web Page Coherence Biography in appropriate tone: nt1/index.html Layout with left navigation, no scrolling ment1/index.html (but do not use “links” as label) (navigation disappeared?) t1/index.html ment1/index.html nment1/aboutme.htmlhttp:// nment1/aboutme.html (but do not center text!)

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Your web presence Check out the Grad Students’ web sites for more polished examples: Remember your home page for the class is not your all-purpose site. You can link to your academic home page. We have given you room on the server for a general student home page if you are a CM major. (Make an index.html file for you www directory) Advice: Use it to set up a site that employers can look at, including CV and portfolio

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Summary of Week 2: Review of Codes and Conventions Properties of the medium –Procedural –Participatory –Encyclopedic –Spatial

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Whenever I design a chip the first thing I want to do is look at it under a microscope -- not because I think I can learn something new by looking at it but because I am always fascinated by how a pattern can create reality. Danny Hillis The Pattern in the Stone Patterns of Representation

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Whenever I design a chip the first thing I want to do is look at it under a microscope -- not because I think I can learn something new by looking at it but because I am always fascinated by how a pattern can create reality. Danny Hillis The Pattern in the Stone Patterns of Representation

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Patterns of Inscription: (Wedges; Electrodes) 700 BC Cuneiform Clay Tablet

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Patterns of Transmission (Ideograms; Logic Gates, Bytes) 700 BC Cuneiform Clay Tablet

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Patterns of Representation (Words; Instructions) 700 BC Cuneiform Clay Tablet

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Code A system of rules, laws, or regulations (standard) A system of symbols, letters or words given arbitrary meanings for transmitting messages requiring brevity or secrecy (from dictionary.com) Codes are arbitrary, socially negotiated: we agree that shaking hands /saying “hello” = greeting

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Codes are arbitrary social agreements Semaphore flags for ships turning starboard yes keep clear of me

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Logical Codes (Symbols) Traffic signals, telephone numbers, urls Morse Code, Braille Computer code Semaphores Gang colors Quantitative and mathematical symbols Logical codes are unambiguous, based on 1 to 1 correspondences between code systems They work best for domains with constrained possibilities

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Cultural Codes (Signs) Alphabet Language Laws (as enforced) Images (except some iconic signs) Gestures (e.g. obscenities vary by culture) Dress codes: e.g. jeans vs suits; cowboy boots Social stereotypes Rules of Politeness Ideological categories (religious, political)

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Cultural Codes Rest on communities of interpretation (e.g. teenagers) Interpreted according to context Have more than 1 possible interpretation Include embedded logical codes, e.g. words/letters Overlap and embed one another Change over time Differ across communities Are often unconscious or “naturalized” Work for the messy world of human experience

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium First Telegraphs Looked Like This Flags on Poles, Lanterns at a Distance turning starboard yes keep clear of me

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Morse Code (1838) Telegraph rests on the invention of the electromagnet, activated remotely by electric wire plus Morse Code

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Paper output telegraph 1844 Smithsonian Collection: Samuel Morse

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Braille (1829) Based on a grid of 3 rows of 2 dots per letter. Earlier code based on sounds was unsuccessful. Braille is based not on sounds but on alphabet of written language using conventional spelling. 63 characters include shorthand for common words and punctuation.

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Morse Code (~1835) From inscription on paper as dots and dashes to inscription by short/long sound using key Dot = 1 time unitDash = 3 units Letter break = 3 unitsWord break = 7 units words per minute for expert operator Typewriter key descendent of telegraph key TELEX used with early networked, time sharing, interpreted code computers a descendent of telegraph 1855 key invented

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Emoticons and TLAs ^^^ MYOB Morse code abbreviations AA (all after) OM (old man = any male operator) YL (young lady = any female operator) Codes always pushed to greater expressiveness, new conventions

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Organizational Formats Bring Coherence Labels on clay tablets Single direction writing Pages, paragraphs, chapters, indexes, title page Shots, edits, multi-reel length movies Genre conventions: news articles, sitcoms, textbooks…

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Organizational Formats Based on Codes Labels –Names, addresses, urls –Menu items on web page –Categories of knowledge Listing. agglomerating Segmenting –Physical segmentation: pages, book length, 1 hour TV show, record album (from vinyl segmentation) –Semantic segmentation: paragraph, article, song..

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Organizational Formats Based on Codes Sorting –Like attributes –Hierarchies (a kind of) Spatializing –Tables of information –Library Shelves –Web page grid Sequencing –Temporally (syllabus) –Causally (narrative) –Symbolically (by alphabet, student number, etc.)

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Digital Organizational Formats Standard nomenclatures Database Web addresses Menu for a CD-ROM or DVD Controlled vocabularies Metadata attached to data files

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Digital Genres / Participatory Codes Productivity tool Web site Web store Newspaper PC Game Icons, menu bars Underlined/colored links Shopping cart icon Link to weather at top Mapping to arrow keys

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Media Conventions (codes, formats, genres) Sometimes Media-Specific –Telegraph shorthand not suitable for IM –Jump in story unnecessary on web – Theatrical acting vs film acting Sometimes Trans-Media –Spoken language, written text in multiple media –News tells who, what, where, when, how, and why –Tragedy, comedy, mystery stories cross media

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Telegraph to Computer Key strokes into letters into code Networked information devices transmitting messages Library to Computer Storing information in discrete labeled containers Sorting information Retrieving information by category and label Activity of coding forms a tradition

Intro to Computational Media W eek 2: Properties of the Medium Key Concept: A Medium evolves by expansion/refinement of its technologies, codes, formats, and genres Clay Tablet Papyrus Scroll Manuscript codex (pages) Printed Book Fresco Oil Painting Photography Cinema TV Computer