After reading the history and theory of digital media, the most I realized is that media are human technologies, which means human needs are the root and source of the development of media. For example, the technology of radio emerged and became popular because amateur operators seek to make a contact with other hams in distant locations. To contact with people is human nature so we try to invent technologies of communication and keep finding better ways to contact with people around the world to fulfill our needs.
Another article we discuss this week「How the internet killed the phone business」 mentioned the effects and application of VOIP and Skype. As an international student, The most advantage of using Skype services is that I can contact with my families in Taiwan frequently without paying expensive telephone price. Even more, we can talk to each other face to face with webcams as the same situation as I still stay with them. In summary, the application of VOIP shorten the distance of space and also change the slogan「global village」 into 「global community」.
However, the Skype has its restriction because it must be used thorough the Internet, which means we must have a computer, the Skype driver, the internet connection and a sufficient electric power to keep working at least. Therefore, we can’t call other people at anytime and at any place. Many professors predicated that Skype can’t kill the traditional telephone business completely because its restriction of required equipment. Fortunately, where there is a demand, there is an improvement. Some technical companies combined with the advantages of lower-price internet telephone and Wi-Fi technology to invent a Skype cell phone. It overcomes the restriction of locations and required equipment. You can use Skype cell phone everywhere which has Wi-Fi signals as the same as using regular cell phone. Of course, what you pay is only for the fee of internet access. After solving the restriction, I think Skype service has strong potential to swallow the marketing of traditional telephone in the future if it can integrate resources of signal stations, cut down it expense and maybe sell the service of calling for free. It must be great for customers at that time, isn’t it?
No matter what dominate the business of telephone in the future, I think it is hard to make a final conclusion about the perspective of digital media. It is like what Robert Louis Stevenson said：「 Travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive and true success is to labour.」
What do you think about the perspective of Wi-Fi phones for Skype? Do you agree it will become the main trend of telecommunication or you think it is popular at beginning but it will fade out at the end?
Filed under: COM 546 Evolution and trends in digital media
Great post – you make some really good points in your reflection. I agree that “human needs are the root and source of the development of media” and will be a key driver in where this media goes and how it is used in the future. YouTube, all of the social networking sites, blogs, and Flickr are great examples of this.
As far as Skype goes, I think it’s going to be really interesting to watch and see if Wi-Fi phones will replace traditional telephone service. There is a strong market for Wi-fi phones now, but I’m not sure if it is large enough to support Wi-fi phone service as a replacement for traditional phone service. It could be that they learn to co-exist and traditional phone service is used for local calls and Wi-fi for long distance.
However, as families become more geographically dispersed and people become more globally interconnected, the market could grow enough for Wi-fi phones to dominate. This is a great time to be study the diffusion of technology!
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