Hyperlink extension report

In my Hyperlink extension report, I will be delivering my thoughts and understanding of Lev Mancovich’s The Language of New Media (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001). Mancovich first defines what is the new media and the criteria to be considered as one. He then proceeds onto tackling some conundrum about what is then, not a new media in this society. He concludes with intensive description of the various interfaces we utilize in coming across the new media. Mancovich’s argument about whether we should consider every work executed by computer as new media evoked substantial curiosity within me. Mancovich defines new media as the product of translation of all existing media into numerical data accessible for computers. Given the context in 2017, I would agree so but what if the same question of what is a new media was thrown to me in 1907? The definition of whatever that is ‘new’ varies on the time period of context. Digitally produced works may be considered as the new media in 2017 but what would be the new media in 2060? In an extreme scenario, the world may face nuclear war in future and the new media in 2100 maybe the mural paintings in cave.

Mancovich elaborates on the roots of the new media of 2017, tracing it as far as to the 1800s when photography was first developed. He asserts that new media represents a convergence of two separate historical trajectories: computing and media technologies. Media technologies such as camera and phone serves the function of “capturing” while computers do the job of actualizing products from the media technologies and disseminating the products digitally and also non-digitally. In this aspect, I regard computer with greater influence and importance since we have come to the age where images, videos can all be created from scratch on the computer. On the other hand, Mancovich considers both as equally important as stated, “The ability to disseminate the same texts, images and sounds to millions of citizens thus assuring that they will have the same ideological beliefs was as essential as the ability to keep track of their birth records, employment records, medical records, and police records.”

Mancovich throws a question at us if we should consider cinema, which existed from early 20th century, to be a new media. I personally disagree so but Mancovich argues that the early cinema producers then utilized technologies that we should considered to be of rudimentary computer (e.g., manual film editing) hence cinema is indeed a new media. I consider such argument to be an over-generalization and over-interpretation. Yes, film editing is an essential function of a computer now but to say that the early 20th century method of manually cutting, editing and complicating films as a modern technology is somewhat dubious. It contradicts with Mancovich’s own definition of digital media: computing and media technologies. Early cinemas miss the computing part. Mancovich ends with the various interfaces we interact with new media. Computer by far have created unprecedented interface: digital world. The existence of numerous newspapers online itself alone explains the greatness of computer.