Blog 5

Manovich goes into great detail when he describes the shift between computers being culturally invisible to becoming a new engine of software. He talks about how today's most famous brands deal with computers (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, etc.) rather than material goods. He also talks about how today's largest media outlets post their information on computers through YouTube, Google, MySpace, Facebook, etc. What Manovich is trying to say is that technology and computers are ruling the world. Information is everywhere -- especially on the Internet. No matter what subject you are talking about, it uses computers in some way. In the past, this dependence on computers was non-existent. But today, we cannot go 2o minutes without getting on our computers. This is the idea Manovich is trying to explain in the article. He also talks about how computers and "software" are the driving force in our economy. The article says, "search engines, recommendation systems, mapping applications, blog tools, auction tools, messaging clients, and, of course, platforms for other to write new software -- Facebook, Unix, Android -- are in the center of the global economy, culture, social life, and increasinly, politics." No matter where you go and no matter what you are dealing with these days, computers and computer software is a necessity. In fact, it would probably be very difficult to find a job these days with no knowledge about computers. Manovich also talks about how only some forms of software can be seen at the surface. There is a whole other layer of software that we don't see. Manovich describes software as the "glue that sticks everything together." He also describes software as, "a layer that permeates all areas of contemporary societies." Without computer software, our world would be turned upside down. As Beth stated in her blog, Manovich also describes the shift of computers from culturally invisible to a new engine of software by talking about his own experiences. He talks about the rapid growth of computers and the development of their new software.

The inventors of computational media were Liicklider, Sutherland, Nelson, Engelbart, Kay and Negroponte, among others. According to the author, they gradually turned the computer into the cultural form it is today. However, this history of inventors is fuzzy. We're not sure how accurate we are in deciding who invented computational media. The article says, "Remarkably, the history of cultural software does not yet exist. What we have are a few largely biographical books about some of the key individual figures and research labs such as Xerox PARC or Media Lab -- but no comprehensive synthesis that would trace that geneaological tree of cultural software." Manovich says the reason IT doesn't have a distinct history is because of economics. He describes how paitings have come to be worth lots of money, thus they are documented. But, computer software is not the same because it doesn't derive any profits from old software. Therefore, it's history has not been documented. No museums exist in the Silicon Valley about computer software.

The inventions of new computer software from the 1960s to the 1980s have definitely spawned an experimental, unfixed and democratic visual culture. The inventions spawned an experimental and unfixed culture because software designers are always trying to come up with something new. The world of technology is always changing. As soon as a programmer or designer creates something new, it's old the next day. It's almost like it's impossible to keep up with technology. I see this in my everyday life. As soon as a got my I-pod, a newer, better version later came out. Right after I got Facebook, Twitter arrived. Just when I thought having a yahoo e-mail was enough, I had to get a gmail. It never ends. People are always experimenting with new things to do with software. These inventions have created a democratic society because the programs give people more access to information. They also allow people to explore their own creative ideas. Think about it. The Internet and other computer programs give us a wide array of access to information. We can learn about what we want, when we want and how we want. It creates a democratic society because we are allowed to freely explore ideas and opinions. This new software also promoted a democratic society because people were allowed to freely create things on their computers. For example, artists, architects, writers, designers and more were able to develop their own creations on the computer software. Just as Beth said earlier, this makes me think about how fast technology will continue to grow. Will I be able to keep up with everything new that is available for me to use?