EOTO Presentation Impacts

Learning about some of the history that went into developing many of today's communication technologies was fascinating. It is hard to imagine what life would be like were it not for the positive impacts these technologies have had on our daily lives.  Admittedly, I take most communication technologies for granted. Today, there are new developments in the field of communication almost every day. Large technology companies like Apple hold 3-4 events each year where they announce new products and software to the public. It is these technological advancements in communication that allow us closer connections with people around the world. Want to buy something from Etsy that is made in Germany? You can do that with the simple click of a button. It was pioneers such as Benjamin Franklin (the postal service), Steve Jobs (Apple Products), Guglielmo Marconi (radio), and Philip Nipkow (television) and many others  who contributed to how we enjoy communication today.

Many of the communication technologies were complex and others grew out of existing forms of communication. For example, if you have ever put a little smiley face or heart at the end of a text message, you were communicating your feelings and emotions within the punctuation of your typed sentence. Simple? Yes but so effective. Using emoji's to express concern, anger, or excitement allows you to convey meaning in your digital communication, specifically nonverbal communication where the receiver of the emoji has no visual cue and relies strictly on the emoji to communicate those cues. The presenter discussed how in 1963, the creator of the smiley face, Harvey Ball, developed the smiley face for an insurance company. This highly recognizable smiling graphic led to the eventual creation of what we recognize today as emoji's. 

Another communication technology discussed during our class presentations was the invention of the printing press. Invented by Johannes Gutenberg was credited with this communication technology in 1436. The printing press was refined from the early beginnings when the medieval printing press and then the wine-and-olive press were first used. With this technology came great access to communication through print. With the ability to crank out books and news prints, people had access to material like never before.

Google is a technology company and google search engine was created in 1988 by two college students. In the beginning Google received $25 million round of venture capital funding. In the year 2000 Google really took when they became the client search engine for Yahoo. By the year 2004, users were searching on Google 200 million times daily and by year 2011 that number was up to 3 billion. With that many users searching for that much information proves that Google has certainly impacted the area of communication. Today Google is a way of life. Assisting with online searches, global maps, organizing workflows through Google docs and pages, and the ability to house our digital media, only adds to our communication capabilities.

Many of the technologies we take for granted today have been major influencers in the world of communication. Those discoveries and inventions have brought people closer together. Today, digital technologies like the internet, email, and smart devices allow connectivity in the blink of an eye. Building upon previous discoveries in the field of  communications, new technologies will continue to develop, forever changing the world we know.