4 ms·

Overall interesting ideas, but I think he did a disservice to this one. > 47. The Medium Is the Message: We pay too much attention to what is being said. But t

Overall interesting ideas, but I think he did a disservice to this one. > 47. The Medium Is the Message: We pay too much attention to what is being said. But the medium of communication is more impactful. For example, the Internet’s impact on humanity has a bigger influence than anything that’s said on the Internet. The concept here is that the character of the medium defines the types of ideas that can be transmitted through it. An example is how writing promotes logical and structures ideas, where television invokes emotion. For more info, check out the wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message EDIT: a relevant example is comparing HN and fb. The are both internet-based and have high-speed responses. However, HK is text based and all ideas must be written in a way that is clear to the reader. FB has text, but also has the like/heart/laugh/hate button. I think this encourages "a response", whether you can articulate it or not. Also fb has images. Memes can be used, which are quite ambiguous and not a structured, logical statement. The different environments are a consequence of the rules that define the medium.

toyg 6y ago
It's not just a disservice, he flatly got the concept wrong (or misrepresented it).
- oldsklgdfth 6y ago
  It's a very subtle concept. I do a pretty poor job explaining it to friends all the time. I think of it as an extension of "to a person with a hammer, everything is a nail". There's only so many ways to use a hammer. There's only so many ways to use smoke signals, or twitter or a picket sign or a sitcom to convey an idea. The main takeaway is that they are all tools, each with their specific use. Understanding Media by Marshall McLuhan [0] is where the phrase is first seen, but it's a dense book and tough to read at times. It's quite theoretical, kinda like he's developing an information theory of communication mediums. Amusing ourselves to death by Neil Postman[1] is more specific to written text and tv, but is a much easier read and very eye-opening. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_Media https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_Media [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death
- m463 6y ago
  I'm reminded of that scene from Annie Hall... ALVY: Well, that's funny, because I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here. So ... so, here, just let me-I mean, all right. Come over here ... a second. (Alvy gestures to the camera which follows him and the man in line to the back of the crowded lobby. He moves over to a large stand-up movie poster and pulls Marshall McLuban from behind the poster.) MAN IN LINE: Oh. ALVY: (To McLuhan) Tell him. MCLUHAN: (To the man in line) I heard what you were saying. You-you know nothing of my work. You mean my whole fallacy is wrong. How you ever got to teach a course in anything is totally amazing.

toyg 6y ago

It's not just a disservice, he flatly got the concept wrong (or misrepresented it).

oldsklgdfth 6y ago
It's a very subtle concept. I do a pretty poor job explaining it to friends all the time. I think of it as an extension of "to a person with a hammer, everything is a nail". There's only so many ways to use a hammer. There's only so many ways to use smoke signals, or twitter or a picket sign or a sitcom to convey an idea. The main takeaway is that they are all tools, each with their specific use. Understanding Media by Marshall McLuhan [0] is where the phrase is first seen, but it's a dense book and tough to read at times. It's quite theoretical, kinda like he's developing an information theory of communication mediums. Amusing ourselves to death by Neil Postman[1] is more specific to written text and tv, but is a much easier read and very eye-opening. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_Media https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_Media [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death
m463 6y ago
I'm reminded of that scene from Annie Hall... ALVY: Well, that's funny, because I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here. So ... so, here, just let me-I mean, all right. Come over here ... a second. (Alvy gestures to the camera which follows him and the man in line to the back of the crowded lobby. He moves over to a large stand-up movie poster and pulls Marshall McLuban from behind the poster.) MAN IN LINE: Oh. ALVY: (To McLuhan) Tell him. MCLUHAN: (To the man in line) I heard what you were saying. You-you know nothing of my work. You mean my whole fallacy is wrong. How you ever got to teach a course in anything is totally amazing.