Midterm Keyword Project
Information
History
The word information is my keyword. Information derives from the Latin and Greek history. The understanding and true definition of this word took many years until it was established. The root of the word “information” trails all the way back to the 1920s.
Not until the 1920s did this word gain so much value and importance. The research behind this word started in the mathematical and scientific category. Growing over the years, in the reading Information by Geogehagan, it says in 1948 Claude E. Shannon defined the word as “manageable in terms of coding schemas” (p.173). From there the word changed naturally in many aspects ranging from philosophy and science industries.
Looking at other definitions of the word “information,” it was used very differently in the earlier years. Looking at this website Online Etymology Dictionary, it says, “the word was used in reference to television broadcast signals from 1937; to punch-card operating systems from 1944; to DNA from 1953” (Harper 2001–2020). Once this word was discovered or created, people did not know where it could be applied. That’s why depending on which category the word was used in, it determined the meaning of it.
These many definitions were not just word based, but also mathematically used. In 1928, Ralph Hartley created a mathematical definition, “H=n log s” (Geogehan, pg. 178). Researchers started to find ways that this word could have a meaning and make sense. It took many years for anyone to believe or accept the definitions that these researchers were creating, until the 1950s.
People finally started accepting one researcher’s definition, Claude Shannon. It states they had “privileged Shannon’s methods as the heir apparent to the information for the emerging information age” (Geogehagan, p. 180). Shannon worked on researching to find an understanding for this word. It took many years for researchers to agree with others definitions but Shannon somehow made it possible.
Information is such an important word. Every fact, source, news report, scientific method comes from information. Without the word information, there would be no understanding of anything. No one would believe facts or proof because information is the base of that. We are created and understood because of the word information. My definition of information is facts to learn about something, whether it’s people or a certain topic.
Surveillance, Platforms, Algorithms
During week 4 of my Digital Media and Society course, we talked about surveillance, platforms and algorithms. This is only one concept example where my keyword, information applies. Discussing the power that companies now have over users, this all came about because of social media. Now, companies can track their users, see what they like by their clicks and then promote their users likings. Companies have the power to advertise each and every users favorite things without having to know the individual personally, this is all due to algorithms. In one of our readings, The new surveillance capitalism, Naughton 2018, it says, “the company provides free services in return for unlimited access to users’ personal information and data trails, which are then refined, packaged and sold to advertisers.” Once users sign up for a social media platform, they are required to provide their personal information to the public. Although, not everyone may be able to see all the information, the owners of the page can. Not only can people track their friends by their personal information, but once you share or retweet something, all of your friends plus their friends can see it. The virtual world is a huge, un-private place where everyone’s information is shared.
Consequently, in the reading Politics of Platform, Gillespie talks about discursive work. Using YouTube as an example, it says “intermediaries like YouTube must present themselves strategically to each of their audiences, carve out a role and a set of expectations that is acceptable to each…” (p. 353). YouTube is only one example of a platform that has a set of rules that every user must abide by in-order to stay on the site. Although he did not make a clear definition of discursive work, my professor wrote in class that he refers to it by saying “the ways that companies strategically speak, talk, or communicate about themselves” (Weber Feb. 20). This is also a perfect definition for information. There are many definitions out there for the word information but depending on how the term is used, each variation can apply.
Public Sphere
Another key concept where information applies is public spheres. Public Spheres are created by individuals however are operated from the information they provide about themselves. There are groups made via social media platforms by users who share the same interests. Each user knows who shares the same thoughts and opinions as they do because of the information they share about themselves. Also, people may share information they agree/disagree with via social media and others can share and retweet it if they also agree/disagree. Social media allows people to form groups like Black Lives Matter or LGBTQ+ communities. In one of our class readings Online Identities, it says “thinking of identity as static makes it possible to group people based on characteristics such as race, class, and gender, whether for demographic or political purposes” (Marwick, pg. 356). Despite what differences these groups may have, they are created by their similarities. Social media allows people to create friendships, relationships, or groups based off the information they provide on their profiles. Social media is filled with information about others, which keeps it operating perfectly.
In a scholarly article from the Rutgers Library Database, DHS Uses Social Media To Enhance Information Sharing and Mission Operations, But Additional Oversight and Guidance Are Needed (2013), they have researched the effectiveness of their company. It says, “these pages are used to disseminate information and provide users a structure to post their responses. In September 2012, Facebook reportedly had more than 1 billion active users” (pg. 2). Facebook is made for people to post information so it can be shared. This information is what these platforms make their money off of, allowing them to gather personal information to gain more accounts. Public spheres are made up of people who have the same information as them.
Social Media Identities
Continuing talking about social media, not only does it help create public spheres, it also allows people to create different identities. From a scholarly article, Multiple transcripts as political strategy: social media and conflicting identities of the Moro liberation movement in the Philippines (2012), Screekumar says “the exchange of contested identities and postings creates multiple and divergent representations depending on when one views the page.” Social media allows people to have different identities every time they use it. They can also become a different person online rather than showing who they are offline. Information can be taken down or changed anytime a user logs onto their profile. People have the power of changing themselves to whomever they want to be via social media. No one will know if their account is truly them unless someone knows the person personally offline.
Keyword in News
Back in September 2018, there was a Facebook security breach. The owner of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg was questioned about the breach. The New York Times posted an article, Facebook Security Breach Exposes Accounts of 50 Million Users discussing this breach. Facebook is one of the most popular and most used social media platform to exist. There were three software mistakes in the system that caused this breach. Rohit Chopra, commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission said, “breaches don’t just violate our privacy. They create enormous risks for our economy and national security.” Previously said, social media is filled with information, whether it is personal or public information. Despite the users knowing their personal information is out there on a website, they do believe there is some type of privacy when trying to get all their information.
The definition of information varies to me, depending on what I am talking about. For example, social media information is private, not everyone should have access to it. Whereas the information news outlets may post or talk about is public. This is why we have rules for what can and cannot be shared. I do not think there is one specific definition for information, it all depends on the topic of discussion.
Conclusion
The word information is a very broad word. Starting this project, I believed information was facts to learn about something, whether it’s people or a certain topic. Talking about public spheres, social media identities, or surveillance, information is used within every single one of these. Information is what makes the world work. We share, receive, question, and learn information. Tracking back all the way to the 1920s, information has always been around, there just hasn’t been a clear definition for it. The definition for information changes everyday, depending on how we are talking about it.
Information allows everything to work; social media platforms, companies, how algorithms are created, information is the root of it all. Since there are so many ways information is received, I do not believe there could be one specific definition.
Information is based off what you know, learn, see and gather!
Citations
Boland, S. (2018, January 26). The new surveillance capitalism. Retrieved from https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/how-the-internet-controls-you
DHS uses social media to enhance information sharing and mission operations, but additional oversight and guidance are needed . (2013). Washington, District of Columbia: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General. Retrieved from https://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2013/OIG_13-115_Sep13.pdf
Gillespie, T. (n.d.). The politics of ‘platforms.’ Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/dopey/Downloads/[Gillespie]-The_politics_of_platforms%20(3).pdf
information (n.). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.etymonline.com/word/information
Isaac, M., & Frenkel, S. (2018, September 28). Facebook Security Breach Exposes Accounts of 50 Million Users. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/28/technology/facebook-hack-data-breach.html
Soriano, C., & Sreekumar, T. (2012). Multiple transcripts as political strategy: social media and conflicting identities of the Moro liberation movement in the Philippines. Media, Culture & Society, 34(8), 1028–1039. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443712454262
\Users\\Documents\File Folder name refers to a location that is unavailable. It could be on a hard drive on this computer, or on a network…”. (n.d.). Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/dopey/Downloads/[Peters]-Digital_Keywords.pdf
