Convergence in Communications and Technology
The concept of a "global village" or a united community around the world has only in these last few years become a concept widely thought of. However, it seems that the idea of a large-scale sharing of information has long been developing, whether intended or not. The tools of communication have long served a single purpose, that of transmitting information from people to people. Direct communication was long ago realised with sign language and speech, but when people spread out, a kind indirect communication was needed. Thus we created (or rather, hired) the messenger. (Necessity is the mother of invention.) This evolved later into a postal service, connected around the world by a network of synchronised offices of a similar nature. For a long time, indirect communication was the only way to communicate over long distances. Once the telegraph came along, however, people were able to instantly communicate information over long distances. This evolved somewhat into the telephone, which spawned the radio and television. As these were developed, the efficiency and clarity of these transmissions improved, and this allowed the world to know what was happening anywhere else in the world at any given time.
To simplify the experience even further, companies tried to cut out the computer in the equation, shaping technologies like E-mail capable cell phones and WebTV. e, programmable computers were finally coming to be used. Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) had a short-lived but popular life in the years leading up to the many commercial Internet providers we see today. The ultimate point of convergence I envision for the future is a single fibre-optic cable in our homes (perhaps brought to us by ShawTel?) as a conduit to what we know now as the Internet. As communication increased in popularity in this on-line form, companies became conscious of these opportunities and began to advertise on-line. However, computers were also already based in intercommunication, because computers are systems of smaller functioning devices connected to perform a function or process. The evolution of computers' communicating then evolved by extending direct connections between these large systems, sharing information. We are now given the choice to use our computer, connected through the internet via our TV cable outlet and displayed on our High-Definition TV, to watch a "TV show" broadcast via the internet. Millions of dollars will be lost and billions will be made, but the end product will create a closely-knit global community, able to communicate instantly regardless of language or location. BBSs became more elaborate with colourful interfaces, developed their own client software for ease of use, and formed networks of several bulletin boards permanently connected to provide an increased realm of communication. Perhaps mergers will be sought, or some companies will be run out of business because of their inability to keep up. Information was input to these machines and stored on tapes that could be put onto different computers to be run. First program data, statistics, stock market quotes, news, specific interest information, and finally personal information. The increased usage of modems for things like e-mail and on-line forums came about even before the Internet.
Common topics in this essay:
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Corporate America,
WebTV Conversely,
Cable TV,
Definition TVs,
Internet Fad,
HTML Internet,
Systems BBSs,
High-Definition TV,
indirect communication,
sharing information,
information computers,
communication computers,
people able,
cable tv,
watch tv,
tv cable,
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Acceptance Essays
