Johannes Guttenberg and the Printing Press. Early Communication and Writing Its unclear how long human beings have been using oral communication or “language”

Johannes Guttenberg and the Printing

Press

Early Communication and Writing

Its unclear how long human beings have been using oral communication or “language” with each other, but many scientists speculate it originated around 100,000 years ago.

Oral transfer of information only

Early Communication and Writing

Similarly, the earliest evidence of written language dates back to ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia) around 3,200 BCE

Symbols etched into clay tablets (Cuneiform)

Written transfer of information costly/time consuming

Early Communication and Writing

Various languages develop and evolve around the world over the next 4,000 years

Process of creating and duplicating written language remains roughly the same

Hand written

Requires literacy

Translations

Costly/time consuming

Text Duplication and Distribution (Middle

Ages)In order to survive, all texts had to be carefully copied by hand

Monks

Only most important documents were reproduced

Most often translating the Bible into multiple languages

A single Bible translation could take years

Life in Medieval Europe (15th Century)

Small communities

Feudal systemWorker/Nobles/Lords/Monarchs

Catholic churchOnly church in Europe

Headed by Pope

LiteracyOnly wealthy people or members of the clergy (church)

No transfer/access to info other than word-of-mouth or Church (tradition)

Enter Gutenberg…

Johannes Gutenberg (1398 – 1468)

German-born blacksmith

Created the first movable-type printing in Europe around 1450 A.D

Adapted from wine presser

Interchangeable letters of the alphabet made from lead, tin, antimony mix (very durable)

Drastically changed the speed, cost of producing, and availability of texts

From 1452-1455, Gutenberg produced about 200 Bibles with the printing press

Effects of Print PressAvailability of texts skyrocket

Cost of texts greatly decreases

Literacy among common people begins to increase dramatically as availability and more texts become available and affordable

Increased information access and transfer brought on by the printing press sets in motion the ideas of the:

European Reformation

Renaissance

Scientific Revolution

Age of Enlightenment

Perhaps the single most influential invention of the Modern Age

Fast-forward 500 years…

During the mid 1950’s a radical new communication system was being formed (in the U.S.) using electronic signals sent and received by computers

In response to growing global threats during the Cold War

ARAPNET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network)

Predecessor of the Internet

First to create interconnected network via TCP/IPActed as “movable print” of the network (manipulates data for organization, transmission, and reception)

At this time, computers could be as large as a warehouse room and could cost millions of dollars

Very little commercial access to computers ($$)

ARAPNET (1971)

Modern Internet and the Information Age

With the advent of the personal computer in the 1980’s, Internet accessibility explodes

By 1995, commercial users of the Internet outnumber academic/research users 2:1

By 2012, over 2 billion people have access to the Internet (roughly a third of the population)

Massive informational implications for:Education

Commerce

Entertainment

Think Questions…

How has the Internet influenced your life?

What do you think your life would be like without the Internet?

Similarities

Differences