Communication is...

Communication is the process of transferring any kind of message from one person, place or, thing to another.  When conversating, a message is vocalized, recieved and (supposibly) responded to with another message.  When an atom loses an electron, it communicates to neighboring atoms that it wishes to have that electron replaced, and bonds are created.  When dark clouds roll over, it can be presumed that rain or a thunderstorm is impending.  An image is processed, a thought is sparked and perhaps shelter is taken.


Many of the images shared for the Cyber Communication discussion involved this send-->medium-->recieve, model.  People input information onto the internet, the internet acts as a medium, and others recieve the message, i.e; facebook comment, e-mail, news article, etc.  The class also discussed the inequalities between individual internet users and organizations.  The difference being that less is put out and more is recieved by the individual and vice versa for the organizations, establishments, or whatever large group of individuals is responsible.  In this way, Cyber Communication resembles Mass Communication.


 I thought a good summarization for Hardt's definition of contemporary "Mass Communication," is the final paragraph on page 16 where he writes that it is "aural and visual, free and controlled-- through a process of industrialization and within a system of material and intellectual cultures that is fully developed in industrial societies.  The result is a commodity form that satisifes some human wants and has the power of exchangeability." He says the "public" is "more interested in background noise, moving images, or wrapping-paper" than the message itself. (Hardt 17)


In other words, Mass Communication is a top-->down model of message transmission that boggles up the mind of an individual with commodified ways of thinking, recieving and attempts to communicate.


                                                                                                  Works Cited
Hardt, Hanno. Myths for the Masses. An Essay on Mass Communication. Oxford, England. Blackwell Publishing. 2004