If the basic concept of 'wings' is to make living things 'fly', not limited by the space, I think 'the telegraph' gave wings to the communication. Isn't it wonderful to fly, free from the transportation and heading to the place with messages? Like all other generations, people had savior, Morse in 1838, helping them escape from the cave and experience 'global village', linking them with people everywhere.
From all strong impacts of telegraph, I'd like to talk about its effects on 'language' and 'power of controlling group'.
* Effect on Language
By the impact of printing press, people already experienced reading newspapers of same date edition in the morning simultaneously, enjoying their vernacular languages, not bothered by understanding Latin. But the characteristics of telegraph communication tools, dots & dashes, gave more objectivity and standardization to the language when people deliver the message. I think it may have possessed strong effect on giving the message to large number of people, especially in urgent situations.
* Effect on Power of Controlling group
There is a game, which is relaying the message person to person from the first to the last, and we always laugh, realizing the fact how much different between the first and the last message.
Telegraph made it possible to transmit the message 100 % correctly without misunderstanding to the receiver from far away area.
Surely common people could use the telegraph, though, I think especially power group must have felt thrilled by the fact they can use this technology to control the group, taking advantage of it. The power of control frequently comes from the power of communication, I think.
But, if we watch what's happening currently, like so many leaders or important people in public collapse by the power of communication, isn't it irony?
Joohee
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I think you're right: controlling the means of communication makes it possible to control a lot of people. It's interesting to think about this theme related to all of the communications technologies we have discussed. With regards to your comment about the telegraph making it possible to communicate 100% error free, I wonder if it wasn't common for telegraph operators to make mistakes, or for telegraphs to be delivered to the wrong place. In a sense, since a letter writer could control exactly what went into a letter without having to relay it through a third party, letter writing might have been more error free than the telegraph, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteDear Joohee, I enjoyed the wing metaphor - how nice it is to think that our articulation can fly... especially as a contrast to the power and monopoly consideration applied to the telegraph. Meaning, the development of the telegraph caused an unequal distribution of power and social status on the one hand, while on the other hand empowered the individual to reach new heights in terms of personal communications. Thank you for all of your comments throughout the semester, and see you in class tonight!
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