Ch 4-6

Chapters four through six concern remediation. Remediation is the act or process of correcting a fault or deficiency. In the case of new media, it is the act of improving upon older, already existing media. Examples of this are paintings to photographs, letters to emails, and telegraphs to telephones. All new media is based on an older form and the term remediation pays homage to and acknowledges the qualities and overall existence of older media. Mediums are constantly borrowing from one another, combining, or mimicking one another in order to advance technology and communication. An example of remediation is the cell phone. Cell phones are modified house phones. House phones are a mean of instantaneous communication based on telegraphs. Most cell phones, now have computer functions. By computer functions, I am referencing internet access, Word application, and everything a computer can do. Cell phone can even project PowerPoint presentations. The cell phone serves as one complex medium whose entire existence is based on that of several simpler mediums.

These chapters also discussed new interactive technology that remediated old remediated old book. The example of the Magic Book was interesting because it is a very big advancement on the traditional book. However, I don’t think the invention is all that great. I think it required a lot of intelligence and hard work to create and is an amazing invention, but I think it discourages its readers from the essence of reading a book. I love to read, but that is because I like to create the characters in my head. I like to use my imagination and I think that the Magic Book is suppose to encourage imagination but could actually discourage children to use their imaginations.