Week 1: Media-nature Peters/Lioi
Peters:
Technik and Civilization:
Focus on Structures: Kittler's work often delves into the underlying structures of media rather than
the content they convey. He views content as secondary, considering it an epiphenomenon compared
to the technological and structural aspects of media.
Discourse Networks: Kittler conceptualizes Discourse Networks as amalgamations of various
elements, including human agents, cultural algorithms, and technical media. These networks shape
how information is produced, disseminated, and interpreted within society.
Historical and Existential Possibilities: Media, according to Kittler, open up new historical and
existential possibilities by influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world.
Manipulation of Time Axis: Kittler discusses how manipulation of the time axis disrupts traditional
notions of real-time, challenging established temporal frameworks and regimes.
Distinct Technical and Experiential Regimes: Different media, such as radio, telephone, and
phonograph, create unique technical and experiential environments, influencing human perception and
cognition.
Media as World-Enabling Infrastructures: Kittler sees media not just as conduits for content but as
transformative infrastructures that shape the world and human existence. They enact significant
historical shifts and redefine ontological realities.
Information-Theoretic Materialism: Kittler's perspective emphasizes the primacy of networked and
switchable information, suggesting that existence is contingent on being accessible and manipulable
within information networks.
Importance of Media Studies:Kittler elevates media studies as a foundational discipline, capable of
reorganizing and encompassing other fields due to its critical role in understanding mediated human
experiences.
Technological Determinism: Kittler's views often lean towards technological determinism,
highlighting the profound influence of technology on human thought, culture, and society.
Humanities and Technology: Kittler critiques traditional humanities for neglecting the study of
technology, advocating for a more technologically informed approach to understanding human
culture and history.
Summary:
Kittler's work revolutionizes media studies by prioritizing the underlying structures and technological
aspects of media over their content. He conceptualizes Discourse Networks as intricate systems that shape
information production and interpretation within society. Media, for Kittler, not only convey content but also
open up new historical and existential possibilities by influencing human perception of the world. He
discusses how manipulation of the time axis challenges traditional notions of real-time, and how different
media create distinct technical and experiential environments. Kittler sees media as transformative
infrastructures that redefine ontological realities, emphasizing the primacy of networked information.
Elevating media studies as foundational, he critiques traditional humanities for neglecting technology's role
in shaping human culture and history. Kittler's perspective leans towards technological determinism,
highlighting technology's profound impact on human thought and society.
Infrastructuralism:
Definition of Infrastructures: Infrastructures are large-scale systems that connect people and
institutions across space and time. They include physical systems like highways and electrical grids, as
well as digital networks like the Internet.
Role of States and Markets: Infrastructures are often developed and maintained by states or
public-private partnerships. They are influenced by political and economic forces and can be
subject to central control or manipulation.
Visibility and Invisibility: While infrastructures are essential for societal functioning, they often
remain invisible or unnoticed until they fail or face disruption. Their mundane nature belies their
critical importance.
, Types of Infrastructures: Infrastructures can be categorized as hard (physical) or soft (digital). They
can be fixed or portable, lightweight or heavy. Software, which outlasts hardware, is also considered a
form of infrastructure.
Path-Dependence and Incremental Change: Infrastructures evolve incrementally and are shaped by
previous innovations. They exhibit path-dependence, meaning that current choices are influenced by
past decisions.
Logistical Media: Logistical media, such as calendars, clocks, and maps, are instrumental in
organizing society. They establish standards, coordinates, and reference points, shaping how people
perceive and interact with the world.
Neutrality and Bias: Logistical media may appear neutral, but they often reflect political or religious
biases. They set the terms for societal operations and can influence power dynamics.
Making Environments Visible: Infrastructuralism aligns with the goals of media theory by
emphasizing the importance of making environments visible. It seeks to uncover the hidden
structures that shape human experience.
Ontology and Infrastructure: Infrastructuralism highlights the role of forgotten infrastructures in
shaping our understanding of reality. These underlying structures influence how we perceive and
engage with the world.
Summary:
Infrastructures are expansive systems connecting people and institutions, ranging from physical highways to
digital networks like the Internet. Developed and managed by states or public-private partnerships, they're
influenced by political and economic factors, often remaining unnoticed until disrupted. Categorized as hard
or soft, fixed or portable, infrastructures evolve incrementally, shaped by past innovations. Logistical
media, such as calendars and maps, organize society, setting standards and influencing power dynamics,
despite potential biases. Infrastructuralism aligns with media theory's goal of revealing hidden structures
shaping human experience, emphasizing the significance of making environments visible. By highlighting
forgotten infrastructures, it underscores their role in shaping our understanding of reality and influencing how
we perceive and engage with the world.
Lioi
Fan Worlds as Media Matrices: Fan worlds are described as complex ecosystems akin to a forest,
comprising various elements such as media, attention economies, and creative production. They exist
as interconnected networks of environments rather than isolated works.
Expansion of Ecomedia Studies: The study of ecomedia should extend beyond traditional literary
analysis to encompass various technologies involved in world-building. This includes cinematic,
digital, and augmented environments that shape both perception and lived experiences.
Inhabiting Media Environments: Unlike natural environments, media environments are not
external but are part of our everyday lives. They influence our perceptions of reality and are spaces
that we actively inhabit, blurring the line between fiction and reality.
Reader as Producer: Barthes' concept of the reader as a producer challenges traditional notions of
authorship and cultural consumption. Fans engage with media as prosumers, actively contributing
to the creation and interpretation of texts within fan communities.
Triumphant Plural and Intertextuality: Kristeva's idea of the "triumphant plural" emphasizes the
multiplicity of meanings within a text, reflecting the interconnectedness of media within fan worlds.
Intertextuality allows fans to enter a storyworld through multiple entry points, contributing to its
ongoing expansion.
Materiality of Fan Worlds: Fan worlds encompass both digital and physical spaces, including
online platforms, conventions, and cosplay events. These spaces serve as mesocosms, creating social
environments where fans can engage with fictional worlds in augmented real-life settings.
Perceptual Dimension: The perceptual realm is crucial in understanding fan worlds, as it bridges the
gap between the objective and subjective dimensions of media matrices. Perception shapes how fans
interact with texts and contribute to the ongoing evolution of fan communities.
Summary:
