Digital Media Artifact: Skype
In today’s technology seeped society we are constantly
looking for more ways to remain connected with people, especially over long
distances. ‘Snail mail’ just doesn’t cut it for most people anymore. We want
instant contact, moment-by-moment updates, and immediate responses. The most
widely used medium for such interaction is the internet. We utilize social
networks such as facebook and twitter to easily get in touch with our loved
ones and have a sense of involvement in their everyday lives. Another such
means of communication is the service Skype. First created in 2003 by Niklas
Zennstrom and Janus Friis, and now owned by Microsoft, this application
software allows users to make phone calls to both mobile phones and landlines,
share files – such as text documents, videos, and pictures - hold
videoconferences, send instant messages and texts, forward or transfer calls,
in addition to a variety of other useful features. Calls and messages between
skype users are free, but features beyond that require various fees with
options to pay as you go, subscribe, or buy the premium package and pay a
reasonable monthly fee. (Skype
Official Website)
Manovich stated that new media had to
meet certain criteria, such as numerical representation, transcoding, and
modularity (p 20). When making a call using Skype, we begin with an analog
voice stream that is picked up by a microphone. This is then transcoded into a
digital format and broken into pieces that will be sent through the network and
put back together on the other side of the call (Neagu).
We can see then how from a technical standpoint, Skype falls into the category
of digital media.
It is also interesting to see how
Baudrillard’s concepts of hypereality and simulations are demonstrated through
Skype. For example, during a videoconference, Skype users can have
face-to-face as well as audio communication. However, are these not merely
digitized versions of real, physical interaction? A simulation? Users are only
seeing and hearing representations of their contacts, yet they accept and
treat it as entirely real, thus making it a reality (Baudrillard). We don’t
even have to think twice about it. It is so natural for us to communicate and
work through digital mediums. We rely on them every day, to the extent that
they have become ingrained into our reality.
“All media are extensions of some
human faculty – psychic or physical. The wheel…is an extension of the foot”
(McLuhan pp.26,31,32). We can see this concept played out in the case of Skype
as well. Visuals such as video, documents, pictures and messages received would
be an extension of the eye. Speaking audibly over a phone call or sending a
text message would be considered extensions of the voice. Hearing audio stream
would be an extension of the ear, and so forth. We expect to have the ability
to access these means of communication. If that access, that extension, was
taken away, we would feel somewhat lost and out of touch with the world around
us.
Anyone with computer and internet
access can utilize Skype with relative ease. You can even forward calls to your
phone when you’re out and about without your computer. Skype is especially
great for avid travelers or college students, to help them keep in touch with
people back home – I’m sure the parents love it even more than we do. I find it
fascinating that maintaining some form of instantaneous contact has become so
nearly effortless in our day and age. Skype allows people to keep in touch and
up to date with one another in a way that, not too long ago, was impossible. Digital media technology has redefined how we
interact with our world. Though we may be but simulations to one another from a
digital standpoint, the thoughts expressed and the emotions felt are still very
much human and very much real; and I am grateful to live in an era in which
this kind of communication is readily accessible.
Works Cited:
Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and simulation. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1994. Print.
Manovich, Lev. "Chapter 1 What is new media?" Web. 26 Sept 2012. <http://www.manovich.net/new_media_images.html>.
McLuhan, Marshall, Quentin Fiore, and Jerome Agel. The medium is the massage: an inventory of effects. Corte Madera, CA: Gingko Press, 2001. Print.
Neagu, Stefan. "How Does Skype Work? [Technology Explained]." Cool Websites, Software and Internet Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/technology-explained-how-does-skype-work/>.
Skype Official Website. "Free Skype internet calls and cheap calls to phones online - Skype." Free Skype internet calls and cheap calls to phones online - Skype. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home>.
