Group Three.

In the Bias of Communications & Monopolies of Power, Innis discusses a few basic and very interesting facts about the history of International Communication.  The mediums through which humanity has communicated have constantly changed through time and a switching of mediums can have a profound affect on a civilization or culture.  For example, Innis points out that the Christian Catholic Church that held a monopoly over Europe was pushed out by secular vernaculars written on paper.  Paper was cheaper to make and therefore more available than the traditional and expensive parchment, made of animal hide. Suddenly, everyone had an idea and opinion that they could brandish in front of the public eye.  This also when the Catholic Church had to deal with the Protestant revolution.  Today, a similar situation is occurring with the use of the internet.  Suddenly, anyone, not just the government or religious institutions or the military have the ability to reach out to millions of people at once through websites, blogs, email list serves, Facebook, etc.  

Marc Raboy discusses a consequence of this new readily available commutative style of today's world through his discussion of the growing and increasingly legitimized global civil sphere.  Organizations like the UN are beginning to stand up and take notice of the blogs, the websites and online groups that are making themselves known.  Just like the pamphlet and vernacular bible makers of the 1500's that threatened the power of the Catholic Church, this global civil society is threatening and changing the power of the traditional 'government'.  It makes me wonder how humanity will look back on this age 500 years from now.

Of course, Innis also discusses how the history of past empires come largely from time-based documents that have survived.  Of course there will be the buildings with inscriptions etc. But, an increasing amount of our culture and knowledge is wrapped up electronically.  What if there is nothing to plug our laptops into 500 years from now?  How will future generations learn from their ancestors if it is all lost in decaying mother boards?  Are we doing them a disservice?