"What Is New Media?"

Manovich's "What Is New Media?" is an extensive analysis of new and digital media. It discusses the history and present forms of new media in great detail. I was able to relate to many of the forms of media discussed within this reading. Because society is so technology based and computers and digital media are used every day, I found it easy to understand many of the things Manovich explained. I believe this made the reading slightly boring for me. I agreed with the points he made but most of it wasn't new information to me.

While reading I couldn't help but think of how new media can be related to my area of study. Throughout my college experience I've had the luxuries of computer programs such as MathCAD, Honeywell Unisim, Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. I can't imagine completing my degree without these types of media. In the past year I have learned that digital media is becoming more and more important in the control of chemical processes. Manovich's discussion on modularity reminded me of my study of ISA-88 philosophy. As Manovich explained, modularity is important when editing or deleting parts of a project. ISA-88 is completely modular so that additions and subtractions of this type can be made without digging too deep and effecting the entire project.

Although I said most of the reading was boring to me, I did find interest in the historical discussions made by Manovich while explaining how new media came to be. It is always important to understand what was done in the past and how historical decisions and inventions have effected the future.

If interested, additional information on ISA-88 can be found at http://www.batchcontrol.com/s88/ .