Best Two Out of Three?

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/