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The Printing Press vs The Web: The Effects

The Printing Press vs The Web: The Effects

Speaker: Steven Pemberton – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Topic(s): Society and the Computing Profession

Abstract

The introduction of book printing changed the world: information became more available, and much more affordable, and a whole new infrastructure and economy was created for the distribution of information.

It also changed the ownership of information, from the church, who were the source of all books before the printing press, and this in turn created great turmoil as new thought patterns emerged.

For 50 years after the printing press was invented, books imitated manuscripts, before finally becoming what we now understand as books.

The internet in Europe is 35 years old this year. In similar ways it has changed the world: information is more available and cheaper, and there is a whole new infrastructure and economy to support it.

Similarly it is creating a new turmoil as we deal with the changing way that people obtain information.

Also similarly, the internet is still imitating pre-internet media: it could be described as paper documents without the paper; only the paper has been digitised away.

So what should the internet *really* be like, and can we expect it to emerge in the next 15 years?

About this Lecture

Number of Slides: 30
Duration: 45 minutes
Languages Available: Dutch, English
Last Updated:

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