Cramer (2015)broadly defines the term analogue in a much more refined scientific way referring to computing data through addition and subtraction that cannot be counted exactly, but later shows that analogue is a means whereby by information is created or converted into measurable continuous scale of units, an example would be that of sound or light waves (Cramer 2015).
Using this definition, a way of defining the term analogue device is the use of a wristwatch, the hands on an analogue watch are in a continuous motion of measuring data, this being the time of day. Digital on the other hand is the opposite of analogue and processes the output data into chunked countable units, for example the hexic colour system uses code discreetly chunked information to enable the user to choose a colour (Cramer 2015).
Post digital is not periodic but a developmental or mutation of the current state of digitalization within today’s society and culture, as a society we are in an era of the digital age everything is increasingly digital but not everything is digital. The concept proposed by Cramer (2015) is the post digital society presents a developmental or recycling of ‘old’ media using ‘new’ technologies. This refers to Cramer’s (2015) opening dialogue regarding the hipster and the typewriter meme, as a society we are no longer amazed by the digital and the element of disenchantment of digital brings in the recycling aspect of old media in new ways (Cramer 2015).
At the time conception of the print press is considered New media but was limited to directly influence how information was disseminated to the mass populous, while the development of the electronic digital computer influences the production, manipulation, storage, distribution of information this in effect puts people in a state of empowerment and active role in culturally consuming and producing media. (Manovich 2001)
Manovich’s (2001) new media and Cramer’s (2015) works on the post digital, there are similarities where new media is not always new and reuses old media in new ways to support the functioning of the modern mass society we live in today. The images below represent Manovich’s (2001) 5 principles that need to work in tandem;
1) The image is digitalized by the means of mathematical code to provide a digital representation to be viewed on digital devices.
2) Although a high resolution image features the image being made up of modular objects like pixels.
3) Both image embed elements of automation whereby the creator can easily edit and manipulate the meme to individual needs.
4) The images below feature striking similarity although offers variability that changes the context of the image. In the case of fig 1. Pokes fun at capitalism within the games industry that certain game with most certain profit as have done in the past.
5) Transcoding translates cultural ideas into new media, these images seek to represent the views and perspective of its creator, reflecting that of culture or community (Cramer 2015 Manovich 2001).
Fig 1.
Fig 2.
Cramer F. (2015) What Is ‘Post-digital’?. In: Berry D.M., Dieter M. (eds) Postdigital Aesthetics. London: Palgrave Macmillan [available online at http://raley.english.ucsb.edu/wp-content/Engl800/postdigital-aesthetics.pdf amongst other places]
Jordan, T. (2015) Information Politics: Liberation and Exploitation in the Digital Society. London: Pluto. [Introduction: Information Politics” pp.1-25]
Manovich, L. (2001) The Language of New Media. London: MIT Press [Chapter one “What is New Media?” for a technical and cultural outline of what it means to call media ‘digital’. Chapter two “The Interface” for an understanding of the relationship between content and form] https://dss-edit.com/plu/Manovich-Lev_The_Language_of_the_New_Media.pdf
Fig 1. 2020. Sony Meme. [image] Available at: <https://i.redd.it/7sqkml46gv551.png> [Accessed 28 October 2020].
Fig 2. 2020. Cornavirus Meme. [image] Available at: <https://www.ubermemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/funny-coronavirus-memes-25.jpg> [Accessed 28 October 2020].