1

A Book Report

on

BEING DIGITAL

by

Nicholas Negroponte

New York, U.S.A.: by Vintage Books, 1996. 240

Submitted for partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Bachelor of Science in Professional Engineering

by

Rolando L. Estomaguio

Student

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

1997

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Thesis Statement

An enormous transformation is beginning to emerge brought by digitization and the

effect of information age. It is creating chaotic state, a metamorphosis of our society

where time and distance are no longer a barrier to communicate, mobilize and function as

we usually do traditionally. We are now adapting and interacting to these changes as our

environment evolves to becoming more digital.

OUTLINE

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I. Digital Age

A. Atom to Bits

1. Information

2. Entertainment

1. Environment

II. Multimedia

A. Forms

1. Data

2. Video

3. Voice

B. Technology

1. Material

1. Compression

a. Ratio

b. Speed

c. Identification

d. Correction

3. Protocols

III. Interface Evolution

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A. Application

B. Sensory

C. Resolution

D. Accuracy

IV. Mass Media

A. Internet

B. TV Broadcast

V. Future of Digitization

A. Composition

B. Characteristic

1. Size

2. Speed

3. Power

C. Personality

1. Robot

2. Human

A. Interaction

1. Singular

2. Collective

VI. Consequences

The Body
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We are now in a state where time and space interacts together and continue from

shrinking. Where it will end remains a question to each one of us. Perhaps, a new

beginning will emerge in the near future as we reach the limits of miniaturization.

It all started from the very basic block of knowledge, digitization, using 0 and 1 to

convert anything into bits. The two numbers that exist in a binary world and the

dominant figures that are manipulated deep in the heart of a computer. Tremendous

technology over the years have existed to harness the benifits, capabilities and

applications of converting to digital. It is now beyond our imagination what the future

world would be in the digital age as explained in the book “being digital “ written by

Nicholas Negroponte.

Nicholas Negroponte is a Professor of Media Technology at MIT and a Founding

Director of the Media Lab. He is also a regular columnist in Wired magazine. A

visionary of some sort and a researcher. His book “being digital” is about the future, a

foresight of what our civilization would be in a digital world.

The book “being digital” is arranged in a thematic manner and formatted in a main

topic and sub-topical order with no regards to chronological framework. Each topic in

the the book represents an advancement in technology, how our society interacts with

the environment run and controlled mostly by microprocessors. A digital world where

people depends on the power of computers to do a certain tasks. Where time and space is

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no longer a barrier and where reality can be simulated and manipulated. These is what

the book is all about.

Some of us might have a second taught about the author’s prophecies in his book

“being digital” because of the futuristic nature of the book. Is the book an example of a

fiction? Perhaps, few would agree that it is. We are now in a stage of awareness, where

fictions of the past is now a reality. We already seen so much of the technology of today

and had brief a knowledge about the future. However, we cannot avoid to question and

argue some of the critical issues covered in the book “being digital”. Several of these

critical issues will truly attracts criticism and might even consider it blasphemy.

First, it is about the obsolescence of the copper wires. As the author says in the

book “The only real advantage of copper wire is the ability to deliver power”. In my

point of view I wonder why because telecommunication companies has been using

copper wires for more than half a century to my knowledge while I have first heard about

fiber only in 1980’s. Does the real advantage of copper wire is the ability to deliver

power? Who else will agree? However, the author have a valid reason to believe that

fiber will replace copper wires in the telecommunication industry because of several

advantages and features that the fiber communication had to offer, but how many years

from now? Is the fiber the ultimate medium as envisioned by the author that will

replaced the copper wires? I would say maybe but I am not optimistic because if we

compare the fiber technology to the development of computers, there is a very big gap

between the two. In the next millenium we might discover something new or different

way we can transmit and receive digital signals.

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Another critical issue which I think very interesting is about a computer that can

sense. Todays computers can be considered dumb because it still relies on human

intervention to function effectively. It lacks of what we called “Artificial Intellegence” or

AI for short. The author described the computer that can function independently. A

computer capable of recognition, knowing where it is and the environment. Understand

the status and analyse the requirements of the user. Even suggest what is best or councel

and decide base on its observation. This is how the author described the future computer

will look like. Present technology is on its way to achieve such capabilities and AI

application is already in the field. Few more years and what the author of book “being

digital” envisioned will soon become a reality. What the author is trying to say on this

issue is to create an intellegent computer that will give more benefits to mankind not only

in terms of time and entertainment that we usually get. A computer that can understand,

learn human behavior and make of good judgements.

There is nothing more futuristic in the entirety of the book than the issue covered

in the sub-topic “wearable media”. The author mentioned a computing corduroy,

memory muslin and solar silk. What is this all about? I have never thought of this before

even on my imagination! As one reader of the book might say. The integrety and

credibility of the author perhaps is at stake in covering these topic or mentioning those

words, but I dont think so as a well informed reader. Maybe the “oldies” or the

technology phobic people would laugh or think the author as a “daydreamer “. I honestly

believe I am on the author side. Such things as “wearable media” might not happen soon

but maybe in the next 30 or 50 years. The author described the kind of clothings we

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wear in the future will function more than a dress. It will posses the capability of

computer, a communication center and also a power source. What the author of the

book is trying to say here that we don’t need to carry a laptop, a mobile phone and a

battery these thing will be incorporated miniaturely in our clothings. Perhaps the

clothings of the future will also be temperature controlled and configurable depending on

the requirements of the wearer.

The author is optimistic about the future primarily because he is actively involved

in several projects and research in the field of technology. Aside from his professional

career he is one of the founder of Media Lab, a research laboratory. He has got a solid

background and experience to justify and to support his point of view. However, I find

that the author is acting like a salesman promoting his product. He is biased and always

referring to Media Lab on which he is the founding director. It appears that no other

laboratory in the world exist doing research in the similar field.

In terms of evidence that we may find in the book, I consider that the author use a

primary evidence because some of the products and ideas mention on the book are still

in existence today and gone through further development. I am knowledgeable and even

utilized some of the computer products that the author mention in the book. However

the book “being digital” has so much information and subjects that we cannot verify and

confirm like the founder of the Internet. It is up to the reader whether to believe or not.

The book “being digital is written and intended for general public, a book for the

mass and for those people who wants to have an idea about the future and the current

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technology. Each topic in the book can be clearly understand because of a direct and

newspaper like style of presentation by the author. It enables the reader to visualize the

subjects despite the absence of pictorial presentation. The book “being digital” proves

that a book need not have a picture to be interesting to read. Conclusively, because of

the clarity of the materials and readability of its content made the book a bestseller..

Glossary
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adroitly - frowns -

anathema - frivolous -

ascetic - gimbals -

axes - gratuitous -

banal - grimaces -

grotesquely-

baud - hologram -

brag - impromptu-

coarser - omnipresent-

conundrum-` oblivious -

cyberspace- oxymoron -

pundits -

cull - plurality -

charlatans - pixel -

cynical - pleonasm -

construed - prosody -

decorum - paranoia -

devoid - protocol -

doable - perspective-

dogma - pejorative -

dyslexic -

premise -

eloquently - permutation-

ethos - proliferate -

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ramification-

savvy-

foibles - serendipity-

stymied -

synergy -

subtle -

squirt -

stoic -

schlep -

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