Time has definitely told the story of how communications and
technology have evolved over the years. Centuries ago, people had to rely on
word of mouth to get any information, but then the written word was established.
People passed information along at a faster pace and in a more permanent
format. When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, he opened
the door to better access to information (Bellis, 2013). Churches were able to
disseminate their doctrines to the world through printed bibles and book
publishers were able to print books at a greater speed to reach customers.
As time passed, several other communication innovations were
invented, such as the telegraph, the telephone, and the television. People were
able to communicate with others around the world or just with their next-door
neighbors. The television allowed viewers the opportunity to keep up with
current events around the nation and the world. With each new invention, the
masses were able to get information at faster rates. The invention of the
personal computer and later the Internet changed things as we knew them. No
longer did people have to wait for information to hit the newsstands or listen
to the radio.
Since I have started my COM 6630 Strategic Communications
and Emerging Media course, I have learned so much about the changes in
communications and the need for strategic communicators to keep up with these
changes. Many of these changes have taken place at so great a speed that many
of us are still playing catch up. With every new technological innovation, I cannot
help but apply the “Good-Fast-Cheap” Triangle, which is useful for project
development.
(Anthony W. Hawks, http://www.aid-n.com/avs-technology-breaks-iron-triangle-of-good-fast-and-cheap/)
For those not familiar with this triangle, you must pick two of
the three choices and suffer the consequences of them. For instance, if someone
is building a new house, he or she has several options to choose from the
triangle. In the case of digital content and media, this triangle explains much
of what we have seen over the course of the Internet’s existence.
When the Internet first surfaced in the early 1990s, people probably
did not think that it would take off the way it did. Twenty plus years later,
the Internet has grown into data bank so massive that users with a connection
can gain access to whatever they can think of. In addition, users familiar with
HTML can create their own web pages and link them to the Internet to share with
others. Students are able to research topics for papers and projects, parents
are able to look up the symptoms of their children’s illnesses within seconds,
and banks are able to run credit histories and background checks on potential loan
customers. Social consciousness sites such as Upworthy are able to compile
information from other sites on the Internet worthy of exposing and provide it
to its readers. As technology continues to advance, digital access has also
evolved.
According to Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff, in their
article “The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet,” which was published on
August 17, 2010, users no longer use the Web because they have better access to
information on the Internet through apps that we can use on our smartphones and
tablets. They may a key statement that goes back to my previous post: “As much
as we intellectually appreciate openness, at the end of the day we favor the
easiest path. We’ll pay for convenience and reliability…” (Anderson &
Wolff, 2010). The creation of the Internet has afforded consumers numerous
opportunities to keep up with the curve, which takes me back to the “Good-Fast-Cheap”
Triangle.
In the course of the Internet’s existence, we as users have opted
out of either of the options on the triangle in favor of two of them. Because digital
designers and producers have given us easier access to the Internet’s bounty,
we have opted out of good technology in favor of faster and cheaper versions.
For instance, when the iPad tablet hit the market many consumers flocked to it
because of its newness. However, several consumers were left out of the loop,
so to provide these consumers with access, companies had to hustle to create cheaper
versions of the iPad technology. As a result, consumers opted out of having
quality products in favor of keeping up with the latest invention. There are
several more examples of this phenomenon.
There are so many apps out in the iTunes market and in the
Google Play Store. When I go to search for certain apps, I have seen where
there is the name brand version of a product followed by the cheaper version of
it. Take the Candy Crush Saga app, for instance. When I search for it in the
Google Play Store, I also see Candy Match Crumble and Candy Blitz-Crushing, both
offered for a nominal fee. The cheaper and faster digital technology does not
only apply to apps, but it also applies to the mobile versions of websites and
the digital formats of magazines and books. On several occasions, I have used
the mobile version of a popular website on my smartphone only to find that that
version is full of glitches and broken links. I have encountered several free e-books,
and even some that I have purchased from reputable publishers, that have features
that give me headaches and frustrate me.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I have seen over the years how
some people will do the proper research on products before making purchases,
and I am one of those people. I am also one to wait until the rush for the
latest technology has subsided before venturing out to investigate on my own.
With so much changing over the years, it is hard to stand back and watch while
everyone else is tapping into the latest digital goods, and this will
undoubtedly not change. With so many of these changes, it can be tough making
the choices the triangle demands. Which options would you choose? Personally, I
would choose good and fast and sacrifice a few dollars for something long
lasting.
References
Anderson, Chris
& Wolff, Michael. (2010). “The web is dead. Long live the Internet.” Wired.com. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_webrip/all/
Bellis, Mary.
(2013). “Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press.” About.com. Retrieved from http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/Gutenberg.htm
Hawks, Anthony W. (2011). "AVS Technology Breaks Iron Triangle of Good Fast and Cheap." aid-n.com. Retrieved from http://www.aid-n.com/avs-technology-breaks-iron-triangle-of-good-fast-and-cheap/
