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• Information


  comes from the Latin word informare —to give form, shape, or character to something.

  -basic of all communications

  -destined to be communicated to someone or something

  -conveyed representation of reality
• Structure of information


  • Involves three (3) essential attributes: agent, sign, and thing
  • The agent is informed by a sign about a thing
• Johannes Gutenberg


  German craftsman, inventor of printing press (printing press allowed the mass distribution of information)
• Pre-Gutenberg Era


  • Information is hard to replicate and distribute
  • Transmission of information is mostly by word-of-mouth
  • Only the elite can access information
  • Most books are handwritten
• Gutenberg Era


  • Mass distribution of information (such as books) is possible but the cost is expensive
  • Birthed the rise of information mediation institutions: news, bank, music industries
  • These institutions produce traditional media (e.g. books, newspapers, music CDs, radio, and TV news)
• Post-Gutenberg Era


  • Mass distribution of information is easy through the use of online media (i.e. social media to access social networks)
  • With the rise of social networks and crowd sourcing, traditional media became less necessary
• Impacts on Science and Technology


  -research advances in physics, chemistry, and biology (led to the betterment of our daily lives—these advancements further enhance current technology).

  -technological advances: driverless cars, internet glasses, VR, AR

  -however, due to the advances of technology, people became too dependent on it.
• Impacts on Society


  -convenient and efficient communication through social media.