The Digital Sublime: When old Myths Were New: The Ever-Ending Story

This reading was a little harder for me to grasp then some of the other readings I have had throughout my time in New Century College. The thought of some of these inventions being the “end of the world” or having such an impact on daily life that inventors could just “give up” doesn’t even begin to faze me. It was very hard for me to think of electricity or the telegraph as a life changing invention. For me, my blackberry has really been a life-changing invention and has made me addicted to it. If I leave the house with out it, I would rather turn around to get it and be late to where-ever I am going.
When the reading began they spoke of inventors promising an “Electronic Utopia.” When I think of this, the first thing that comes to mind is the cartoon “The Jetson’s”. In no way shape or form have we reached what I consider an electronic utopia however, I wonder if the inventors could look on what we have at our disposal today and feel that their visions were fulfilled. Would they consider what we live in today an “Electronic Utopia?”
The talk of the telegraph was nerve striking for me because reporters of that time considered it “the nerve of international life, transmitting knowledge of events, removing causes of misunderstanding, and promoting peace and harmony throughout the world.” If any technology we could produce would allow everyone from every nation to gather around a camp fire and sing “Kumbiya, My Lord” (well without the my Lord part because that would be offensive to 40% of the population based on religion and the other 20% just because they like to argue) then there would be no war and that would be a great start to the electronic utopia. Although another interesting part of the telegraph invention was the thought that it brought about “….early versions of hacking, virtual sex, and fears of information overload.” In the mid 1800’s sex wasn’t even acceptable to talk about, and I wouldn’t even believe the thought of them trying that over the phone.
Electricity was the hardest idea for me to grasp. Sure, phones, TV, and radio had to be invented at some point in our history, but spoiled as we have been in our generation, Electricity was something God created on the 8th day and has been there since. As true as I know it is, but the thought that people once lived without electricity blows my mind. In the reading, it seemed very contradicting as “One writer was moved to compare the sight favorably with Athens at its peak of classical power: “In a moonless night Athens hid her beauties…..Not so, however with this modern Athens, for night is the time of her greatest splendor.”” When overlooking this grand fair with thousands of lights I find it hard to compare it to Athens, a city of stone and sand. When looking at something so new and grand I would have compared it to something of the future, not of the past.
Working in the telephone industry this part was one of the sections I took most interest in. When the telephone was first introduced they stated it would guard against “nervous strain, provide safety for your family, reduce household fatigue and make writing an anachronism.” They also claimed it was a “moral obligation for a considerate husband and a good citizen.” This made sense to me when talking about cell phones. Only cell phones can provide you safety in your home or on the road, as well as reduce household fatigue if you provide your entire family with phones to check-in where they are at. Radio’s were a minimal section to me as those come standard in every car made, set in every clock purchased, and now come in the software of phones.
This reading was interesting for me in terms of the development of technology. It still doesn’t occur to me that where we are in terms of technology has been a long process and many along the way thought they had made a huge impact, however we still have so much to expand on.