The growth of digital technology has generated a large number of opinions on the long-term viability of the technological precursors to modern media. In considering the value of the opinions, or the potential for long term viability within the use of digital media, it is important to develop an analysis of previous technology in terms of media as well as what can be conceived of as a media-form to begin with.
The interesting aspect of this consideration is that media itself is similar to a meme in that it is truly an intangible. Media is simply the transfer or conveyance of information from one source to another. The real discussion is over the potential of various mediums, and how those mediums are utilized to support the existence of media.
In the current discourse the transfer of media has been changed from print to digital. The medium involved in the first form would be paper. Over the centuries paper has undergone a variety of changes in order to be adapted for various uses and to make use of improved technologies for its manufacture.
There were numerous mediums used prior to paper including carved wood, engraved stone, systems of braid work, and various uses of beads. However, the true precursor would be vellum. Vellum is a finely processed form of calfskin.
With vellum being the most technologically advanced form of processed leather it can be seen that the earlier form of medium used for the conveyance of information would have been untreated leather. This base form of the medium can then be viewed simply as information emblazoned upon skin.
The earliest form of the same methodology would have been the use of tattoos to convey tribal affiliation, social rank, religious alignment, or other forms of pertinent information. The use of tattoos as a medium to convey information is so ancient that it has been found upon some of the oldest human remains.
To understand the potential for long-term viability in current and new mediums of media distribution we must look at the lifecycle of the earlier mediums. The most specifically relevant factor in this lifecycle would be intent.
Each medium begins its life with minor distribution that is focused on communicating information of specific information that is deemed to be highly important. The second stage for each medium is the expansion of distribution. The interesting fact in each case is that as distribution expands the social importance of the information being communicated decreases.
The final stage in the existence of each medium occurs after the media has transferred to a new methodology of distribution. This stage is art.
Just as tattooing and vellum have transferred to this final state where they are in the singular hands of artists, so we now see paper following the same path. Art stores sell hand-made paper. There are schools that teach the techniques of hand binding books. Even museums maintain displays of items wrought from paper.
With this understanding we can see that artists are a key component to maintaining the heritage of technology and the memory of our species. This also provides a glimpse into the future.
While we cannot yet predict what the next medium of media distribution will be, we can see that the social relevance of information being distributed in digital format has lapsed in importance in conjunction with a small select group of enthusiasts continuing to work with outmoded components of the technology.
Just as all previous mediums have become designated as forms of artistic merit, we can now look forward to seeing the existing digital medium becoming elevated to the same level of creative expression when new forms and mediums come into play.
