Favorite Marshall McLuhan Moment

Woody Allen was fascinated by Marshall's writing. In Marshall's later years Allen asked him to do a walk-on to one of his films — he did — Annie Hall.

       

Woody Allen plays the role of Alvy Singer

Alvy Singer: [the man behind him in line is talking loudly] What I wouldn't give for a large sock with horse manure in it!
Alvy Singer: [to audience] Whaddya do when you get stuck in a movie line with a guy like this behind you?
Man in Theatre Line: Wait a minute, why can't I give my opinion? It's a free country!
Alvy Singer: He can give it... do you have to give it so loud? I mean, aren't you ashamed to pontificate like that? And the funny part of it is, Marshall McLuhan, you don't know anything about Marshall McLuhan!
Man in Theatre Line: Oh, really? Well, it just so happens I teach a class at Columbia called "TV, Media and Culture." So I think my insights into Mr. McLuhan, well, have a great deal of validity!
Alvy Singer: Oh, do ya? Well, that's funny, because I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here, so, so, yeah, just let me...
[pulls McLuhan out from behind a nearby poster]
Alvy Singer: come over here for a second... tell him!
Marshall McLuhan: I heard what you were saying! You know nothing of my work! You mean my whole fallacy is wrong. How you got to teach a course in anything is totally amazing!
Alvy Singer: Boy, if life were only like this!

Marshall McLuhan; Media the message; Hot–Cool Media

Marshall McLuhan, was a pioneer in communcation theory, decades before there any study anywhere.

Of his many accomplishmentd he is best known for two of the more famous expressions:……

(I) In Communication Theory — where he wrote "The Media is the Message"

 

McLuhan's famous expression has been repackaged / reused  by (at least) the Connectivism Theory Researchers without any reference [ed. note What have I seen so far] e.g. "The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe"

 

(II) Defined "Hot" and "cool" media:

Hot media usually, but not always, provide complete involvement without considerable stimulus. For example, print occupies visual space, uses visual senses, but can immerse its reader. Hot media favour analytical precision, quantitative analysis and sequential ordering, as they are usually sequential, linear and logical. They emphasize one sense (for example, of sight or sound) over the others.

For this reason, hot media also include radio, as well as film, the lecture and photography. Contrasted this with "cool" TV, which he claimed requires more effort on the part of the viewer to determine meaning,

On the other hand, McLuhan describes Cool media as those that provide little involvement with substantial stimulus. They require more active participation on the part of the user, including the perception of abstract patterning and simultaneous comprehension of all parts. "cool" TV,  requires more effort on the part of viewer to determine meaning, which due to their minimal requires presentation of visual detail require a high degree of effort to fill in details that the cartoonist may have intended to portray.

McLuhan died in 1980 - thirty years before the cell phone, tablets and other devices.

© Rbrwr, Joyous!, Jenblower,et al. Marshall McLuhan's concept of "Media"

In "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (2.1 "hot" and "cool" media)".
[Wikipedia article discusses 1964 Pioneering study in media theory written by Marshall McLuhan]. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan

Principle 4: Capacity (Ç)

To know more is more critical than what is currently known

McLuhan, M., & Powers, B. R. (1989). Global Village, The; Communication and Society.

In G. Gerbner & M. Siefert (Eds.), Global Village,The;  Transformations in World Life and Media in 21st Century [ebook] (Chapter 7,  Global Robotism: The Satisfactions ). (Original work published 1986)

Marshall McLuhan, in The Global Village, Chapter 7, Global Robotism: The Satisfactions writes:

"The home may very well become more effecient and automated as cable TV, videocassettes, videodiscs, and quadraphonic sound are added to new home construction. For those who need escape, high-density screens will amplify and accenturate the apha state. For those seeking information, TV linked to the computer might eventually surpass the resources of the Library of Congress. The speed of print data through satellite hookups, such as Associated Press Newscable, could deliver to individual users an overwhelming range of information fashioned perhaps, to one's professional needs. The possibility of constant live information would prompt a continual update of background data on key news events.  Audiences oriented to a videogame mentality, neglectful of books and newsappers, might over a period of time welcome a capsule style of reporting, which when pushed to its farthest limit reverts to the style of the ideogarph."

Observation:

McLuhan predicts the Internet, RSS, Twitter and more technology, twenty-five or more years before they came into popular usage. He was actually writing about them in his 1964 book, Undestanding Media printed 1964, reprinted in 1994 and 2003

McLuhan., M. (2003). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. 

California, USA / Hamburg, Germany: Gingkko Press.
2nd Edition (1994) MIT Press,

First edition published (1964) McGraw Hill, NY.

---

Returning to the topic of Ç:

  

Rethinking Knowledge Now that the Facts Aren't Facts,            Experts Are Everywhere, and the                   Smartest Person in the Room Is … the Room

© Weinberger, David (2012)

Too Big to Know:, New York, NY: Basic Book Press

Quantifying Connectivism

How to get distracted from your work (and life) -- my brother's separation and unfortunate protection order so I become quite familiar with Manitoba Family Law and Family Law Forms 

Favorite form: 16a of course -- where the flip side requires a return address and return postage -- 16a, Acknowledge of Receipt Form.

(PS. If you need help with any legal issue in Manitoba, I am available to assist you with Pro se cases)

It has interfered with my research and paper on Marshall McLuhan - who I believe has to be linked to Connectivism in order to validate the Theory.

To refresh and start the paper -- where L is learning, K is knowledge, Ç is capacity,


P1: L and K rests in diversity of opinions

P2: L is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

P3:  L may reside in non-human appliances.

P4:  Ç (capacity) to know more is more critical than what is currently known 

P5:  Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning. 

P6:  Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill. 

P7:  Currency is the intent of all connectivist learning activities. 

P8:  Decision-making is itself a L process. Choosing what to L and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. 

P8.1: While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

Currency - is accurate, up-to-date knowledge.

8th Principle: Learning, a decision-making process...

The process of having a user click on hot spots took literally days to create - at the cost of doing nothing else. Finally I created the above interactive display using Flash over Javascript which was used in the earlier stages. There were reasons for this exercise that I will explain but it has to do with the fact that learning involves a decision making process. The main thing I learned from this exercise is that anyone using the Internet, as a source of knowledge, should know that most of the sources could be slightly wrong. I had great plans for this interactive box. At this point, I am happy a user is able to click on four different spots, read different four facts and have the fact fade out.

Principle 7: Accuracy / Currency of knowledge

How can we assure accuracy when everything is a digital copy of reality in unprotected digital format?

Connectivism Prinicple 6: Ability to see connections ........

Connectivism Principle 6:

Ability to see connections between fields, ideas is a core skill.