Lev Manovich's Principles of New Media - Blog Post #1

1. Numerical Representation

Fundamentally speaking, digital code is numerical representation. As such, all new media is digital and therefore numerical. Manovich asserts that because of this, all new media is mathematical. It consists of numbers and formulas and is subject to algorithmic manipulation; new media text is programmable (27). One example of this numerical representation would be the digital television transition that took place across the United States in 2009. Going from analog to digital broadcasting offered the viewing public better sound and picture quality as well as a myriad of other benefits. The digital switch has created interactive video and data features. Digitization made television programmable.

2. Modularity

Modularity is a term Manovich uses to discuss the modular, independent nature of technical devices. Simply, it is the ability for a digital item to be taken from another digital item, yet both pieces still function independently. One piece does not change or destruct the entire system. Modularity is essential for updates and revisions in an ever-changing technological world. One example of modularity is simply updating a website. One picture can be taken from a website and placed in another. A web programmer can also easily update videos, manipulate text, and remove content that is out-of-date or irrelevant. It is because of the site’s modularity that he/she is able to do this quickly and painlessly. 

3. Automation

Automation is the ability for new media objects to be created automatically--independently of human prompts. These devices essentially do the thinking for us. Of course they are not entirely “automatic” as the machine has been created and coded by humans to perform said functions. Automation is literally everywhere in a digital world. One example of automation would be the auto-correct computer function. Auto-correct is a feature designed to correct typos and misspellings in digital text. It will notice when a word is misspelled and will provide the user with what it “thinks” is the correct word and its correct spelling. Auto-correct is found in cell phones, word processing software, search engines, and other places where large amounts of digital text is created. 

4. Variability 

Variability is the notion that a new media object is not stationary, unchangeable, or fixed. On the contrary, new media is designed to better itself and change. New media objects are (or should be) frequently re-examined and revamped; this often happens in a branch-like fashion where one branch does not look like a neighboring branch, yet both share similar features of  their parent branch. Examples of variability in new media abound. One such example is the modern ipod. What once was a simple white-screen instrument whose only function was to play music, is now a sleek, colorful “do-all” device that, it probably goes without saying, does much more than play music. Yet, even with all of the different versions, all ipods have some of the basic inherent characteristics that the first ipod had: portability, a small, rectangular shape, a user-friendly interface, the ability to play mp3s, and they are all designed to be used with Apple's iTunes software.

5. Transcoding

Manovich tells us that to transcode something is to “translate” it into another format (47). It’s turning one thing into another. In the context of new media, Transcoding is the term used to describe the way media and culture are being changed through the different versions of the computer, and conversely how computers are adapting in order to display new media.  Sound, images, and text can be transcoded into digital representations that appear on a new media device. An example of this transcoding would be a band playing a live song, but recording it digitally to be played back on a computer or ipod. The song was changed (or “transcoded”) from a live acoustic version to a digital new media version.

The preceding terms make up Lev Manovich’s five main principles of new media. He also refers to these as key differences between old and new media (27). The descriptions and examples provided are my own interpretations of his terms and hopefully provide clear, user-friendly (and somewhat correct :-) ) explanations. This list is broad, yet it provides a good basis for any student learning about new media, digital media, and all of their related categories.

Manovich, Lev. Principles of New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001. Print.