Information by Ted Byfield

When does information turn from data into meaning? While reading Information by Ted Byfield I was struck with how the language used in this essay reminds me of the language used to discuss the forming of personal belief systems, in that both are based in the intangible, yet hold powerful meaning and potentiality. The concept… Read More »

information>data>databases

In the film The Information Machine, information at its very basic level is shown as an animated person looking at objects around them (starfish, leaf, spider web), and storing them in their “active memory bank” heard as CHA-CHING. CHA-CHING=information (I find the onomatopoeia endearing). Information then, in terms of the film, is the “stuff” you… Read More »

Information, Machine and Human

I really enjoyed the film, The Information Machine by Eames. It was made in 1958 but I didn’t feel it at all. In the film, Eames presents the history of how human store and analyze information. Especially these phrases strike me: “With the computer, the concept and direction must come from the man. The tasks that… Read More »

Conveyance

This was a very interesting set of readings. The quotes that stood out to me are: “Information as a measure of one’s freedom of choice when one selects a message from a universe of possible solutions. The more choice the more freedom. However, trying to decipher a message they have different consequence: The more freedom… Read More »

The Information Machine

“This is information. The proper use of it can bring a new dignity to mankind.”    This is a statement from a segment of the 1958 film entitled ‘The Information Machine’ which was completed by Charles and Ray Eames. This statement poses an interesting assessment on the ability of humans to collect and use data… Read More »

The Library as the "City's Living Room"

Came across this article about a newly redesigned library in Canada. The space looks absolutely beautiful and it seems to have everything anyone could ever need in one building: “At almost triple the size of the original, the library will provide a 300-seat performance space to support the city’s burgeoning arts scene; two cafes – including one… Read More »

Final Presentations December 2 4-7pm (Extended Class)

We’re extending our final class on Tuesday, December 2, to 7pm — in other words, we’re meeting from 4 to 7 — so we can accommodate everyone’s final presentations. We’ll be meeting in the Media Studies “back conference room” (room 1645) on the 16th floor at 79 5th Avenue. I’ll have pizza delivered around 5:30… Read More »

Order Up

How and why do organize our daily lives, our collections, our schedules. Is there a central theme we follow that links all of our organizational habits, do we follow some grander classification system that has been set up by scholars and prophetic minds or are we all idiosyncratic. Databases have structural organizational systems, libraries too,… Read More »