Outline
OBSTRUCTIONS TO ENLIGHTENMENT IN THE AGE OF INFORMATION
I. THESIS STATEMENT
- A. Quality of Information
B. Flow of Information
II. BRIEF HISTORY
- A. Military Might Vs. Information
B. Progression
C. Structure of Power
D. The Printing Press
III. 20TH CENTURY
- A. The Information Age
B. Definition of Information
C. Five Sources
IV. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
- A. Information Overload
B. Information Exiles
C. Information Manipulation
V. SOLUTIONS
- A. William Wresch
B. Dan Lacey
C. Gerry Spence
VI. CONCLUSION
Obstructions to Enlightenment in the Age of Information
How often does one stop to reflect on the quality of the information that bombards them on a daily basis? Perhaps from time to time, the question is posed the quality discerned, and a general feeling of apprehension borne. However, the onslaught proves relentless, numbing and convincing. No, one finds going with the flow easier than to question. This paper attempts to discuss that flow of information, questioning both quality and direction and seeking to prove, in my Gen. X vernacular, information doesn't always flow, sometimes, it sucks.
Brief History
From the beginning, (while not going so far as to say, "the logos", for the scope of this paper is too small) to the present day, information served and continues to serve as the primary tool of power. Though virtues of "military might" may often be cited, 'tis information, which gives kings their swag and sway. Walk with me.
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words. (Shakespeare)
(And yet), the conveyance of information through words allowed the forebears of modern humanity to establish first settlements, then tribes and villages, with the ensuing progression leading to empires and nations. Through words, alliances take form, trades made, bargains struck, and battle plans come to fruition. With advancement in the technology of information, this conveyance of words, profound change befalls the power structure of society.
To wit, consider if you will, the structuring of power brought about by the printing press. Prior to the printing press, books, as repository of information, although existing, short supply conclusively limited the requirement to read principally to the culturally elite. In short, the literate held the reigns of power, while the masses found themselves held to laws and decree, which, predictably, they could not even begin to decipher.
With the advent of Johannes Gutenberg's printing press in 1452, books began to flourish and literacy increased. However, the overall effect failed to empower the individual or local government, and instead acted to strengthen central government, or as it was, the Popes and Kings. "The rule of established and known law, uniform throughout a domain, became possible." (Lacy, pg. 27)
The 20th Century
The 20th Century witnessed the greatest and most rapid advancements in information technology in history. Examples include telegraphy, telephone, radio, television, satellite communications, and computers. With the explosion of information available through the new media came, "The Information Revolution" and we today, live and work in the midst of "The Information Age". (Wresch, pg. 5) We may wisely observe the power structure of society not only profoundly changed, but also continues to change at an unprecedented rate.
Driving this unprecedented rate of change is the sheer amount of information itself. Information, in the form of data is not only collected and stored but disseminated through the various media as well. William Wresch, In his book, Disconnected, postulates that "if we are to discuss an information explosion and define this as the information age, it would be helpful to begin by defining what information is." Wresch reasons that "information is not a neutral object to be discovered and counted, but an expression shaped from the very beginning by the creators of that information." (Wresch pg. 7)
Wresch lists and explores five major sources of information: public information, personal information, organizational information, professional information, and commercial information. (Wresch pg.8) For the sake of brevity, this paper refrains from exploring these individual sources. Instead, the remainder, as promised, explores some of the negative aspects of the quality and flow of information today.
Welcome To The Jungle
"Welcome to the jungle, it gets worse here every day" (Guns and Roses)
The amount of information available today can be overwhelming. Information comes from the radio, the television, books, newspapers, computers, telephones, our family, our friends, our employers and even our fellow employees. We are awash in information. The affects of so much information have given rise to a new science, known as cognitive science. "…which has had a couple decades to pull together and examine mountains of research on how people think, speak, see, reason, and listen. And in general, the news is not very good." (Wresch pg. 200) "The daily flow of communication is enormous, far above the capacity of any individual, indeed, of society itself to absorb as it passes." (Lacey pg. 152). When we have too much coming at us, we begin to filter, which leads to the personal dilemma of determining just what to filter. Author Richard Saul Wurman, has labeled this phenomena in a book by the same name as Information Anxiety (Wresch pg. 6)
While a vast amount of information exists, "the number of people totally removed from the information infrastructure is huge." (Wresch pg. 12) "Even within the advanced Western powers, the contrast in power and wealth between the corporations and individuals trained and equipped to use the information resources of those societies and the marginally literate poor tears at the social fabric and is perhaps the greatest threat to the public welfare." (Lacey pg. 154) The information exists, but can the individual reach it and once reached, will that individual have the education to use it? "Early indications are that the disconnected will fare far worse than their predecessors in previous revolutions. The gap between the rich and the poor, the knowing and the ignorant, will be larger, the room along the margins far smaller." (Wresch pg. 12)
For the information rich another problem exists: The media knows who you are, it knows where you live and it knows what makes you tick. In his book, From Freedom to Slavery, The Rebirth of Tyranny in America, Gary Spence speaks at great length about the tyranny of those who purport to bring us information. Spence writes, "The immensely rich and powerful corporations of this country can buy access to the public mind, can form public taste, and can create public opinion. These corporations can invade our minds and change our likes or dislikes, our ideas, our values, and even our personalities." (Spence pg. 147) The media targets the information rich continuously and relentlessly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, right through the television, the radio, the newspaper and now, the computer. Spence further states, "Few social psychologists doubt that redesigning the human mind has become the long-term objective of corporate America." (Spence pg. 148)
Solutions
"Most worrisome for me was that as I looked for solutions, they seemed less and less technological." (Wresch pg. xii)
For those "third world" members starving or barely sustaining existence much less taking part or benefiting from the exchange of information, placing another communications satellite in orbit or doubling the capacity of a CPU chip is not the answer. Nor, on closer inspection, does it appear a viable answer for those of us already overloaded or to those arguably enslaved by corporate media. Sometimes, more of the same is simply more of the same. For possible solutions, this paper offers some words of wisdom from its reference material authors.
Concerning information overload, William Wresch writes, "Brilliant, well-educated, well-connected people can also miss most of what is happening in the world. In fact, it is quite likely that they will. All it requires is that they take a part of the world and explore it to the exclusion of everything else. … If we are to prepare for the free flow of information, one place to start working is on our own perceptions." (Wresch, pg. 15)
In his book, From Grunts to Gigabytes, Dan Lacey writes, "To achieve an equitable flow of benefits from the new technology, it is not necessary that all should become sophisticated computer users. What is essential is that the structure of society should make the products of the new communications skill available to all. Successive advances in communications technology and skills have given us an almost inconceivable power both to master and shape reality and share that capacity benignly throughout society. How we use that power and how broadly we share it will depend on our wisdom and our will" (Lacey, pg. 179)
And finally, Gary Spence offers, " … when we have taken back our power, when we again control our airways and our voices can again be heard on every major issue that effects our freedom, when we know that we truly guide the ship of state, the character of the media will have also changed. Then truth, then in-depth analysis, then the presentation of facts (no matter how complex), then responsibility, yes, then art, too will take precedent over the silly, the mundane, the false and the empty" (Spence pg. 154)
To paraphrase Spence,
"Keep it Free!"
Conclusion
If this admittedly short paper, managed to raise any level of concern, any question respecting the quality or direction of flow of that information and media constituting the "Information Age", then partial success is claimed. For, to solve a problem, it must be admitted that a problem exists. Many would have us believe that things are better and that they can only continue to get better. And, given to conditions, they may be right. However, this writer believes that society can only claim that things are getting better if they are getting better equally for everyone within that society. No segment can be overlooked. If the "Information Age" brings about a Global Village or One World Government, then no segment of that Village, of this World, can be overran, manipulated or left behind, else…The Information Age must be found either in default of it's promise or without.
References
Wresch, William. (1996). Disconnected Haves and Have-nots in the Information Age. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.
Lacey, Dan. (1996) From Grunts To Gigabytes. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.
Spence, Gary. (1993) From Freedom To Slavery, The Rebirth Of Tyranny In America. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Wurman, R.S. (1989) Information Anxiety: What to Do When Information Doesn't Tell You What You Need to Know. New York: Basic Books
Shakespeare, William HAMLET. Act II, Scene II http://www.hamlet.edmonton.ab.ca/act2sc2.htm
Guns and Roses. (1987). Welcome To The Jungle. Appetite For Destruction. Recorded at Rumbo Studios, Canoga Park, California; Take One Studio, Burbank, California; Can Am Studio, Tarzana, California
Cover Picture: Big Brother and The Holding Company. http://www.bbhc.com/band.htm
Big Brother's Pyramid http://www.angelfire.com/or/GeorgeOrwell/#oceania
Buddha http://quietmountain.com/dharmacenters/buddhadendo/TENDAI.HTM
The Cure, (1989) The Same Deep Water As You (Midi file), from track 9 on Disintegration
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