Sunday, February 25, 2018

Medium, Message, Binary Language

McLuhan's formulation, "The Medium is the Message", has three different meanings: 1. The significant dimension of any Medium of Communication is its Form, not its Content; 2. Any Content is itself a Form of further Content; and 3. A Medium of Communication exerts a Formal Causality on society.  Of these, #1 has had the widest popular recognition, while #3 has been receiving attention here.  Now, #2 is exemplified by the Internet.  For, the ultimate Content of that Medium is the universal language envisioned centuries ago by Leibniz--a binary code.  But, a binary code, e. g. the 0s and 1s of the World Wide Web, is a Form.  So, McLuhan could argue that this common Form complements that of the Medium which is currently transforming the structure of human society.

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