Week 1 - Response to Content

What are the main issues in new communication technology?

There are a lot of issues with new communication technology, some more serious than others. Some main issues are: Hacktivism, Privacy and Security, Private investigators and National Broadband Network

Hacktivism is an illegal act of hacking, or breaking into a computer system, for a politically or socially motived purpose. Its getting easier to do so and more popular each year. People can hack into social networking websites and get information about your credit card details, personal information, etc.

Another main issue is the National Broadband Network, it is a high speed broadband network that will deliver high-speed broadband to all Australians using fibre optic cabling. Australian homes, Schools and businesses will use it. 

How do we distinguish between old and new communication technology?

We distinguish between old and new communication technology by finding out whether it’s analog or digital.  Analog technology was described in the lecture as functions by representing various forces (through dials) and the relatively imprecise modulation of those forces. Analog technology is classed as old communication technology. In the lecture Digital technology was pronounced that it relies on storing bits of binary information (whether the current of electricity or light in on or off) and allows for the precise modification of forces”. Digital can also be described as new media and is know as new communication technology. 

Under what circumstances will new communication technologies become old communication technologies?

New communication technology will be phased out by newer communication technologies available. It’s based on the concept of Moore’s Law. Moore’s law is “The number of transistors that can be packed on a slice of silicon doubles every year” (Merritt, Rick, 2005). 

I have provided two pictures below to compare old and new communication technologies.

Old Communication technology

New Communication Technology

Reference


Merritt, Rick, 2005, ‘Moore's Law: not just a crazy idea’, Electronic engineering times, issue 1367, p. 8