While discussing remediation in this week’s class, the opinion was expressed that not everyone has the privilege to remediate. I disagree. While economic structure does play a role in the extent of one’s ability to remediate, I don’t believe it is the sole factor. Although the conditions may vary, both information rich and information poor countries are given the opportunity to remediate. As stated in one of my earlier posts, remediation is defined as, “…the representation of one medium in another…” (Bolter and Grusin 45). A medium can be anything that expresses a message or creates a specific environment, such as a tie or the structure of a room. Although economic struggle may prevent some from engaging in technological remediation, I believe that they remediate in other ways. For example, those living in information poor countries take part in the process of remediation through sewing torn clothes together to make new garments.
As a result of Nicholas Negroponte, an MIT professor, children in Cambodia and Brazil are currently being exposed to technological remediation. Negroponte’s goal is to distribute a laptop to every child in order to enhance educational success. His team’s creation of a $100 laptop, capable of withstanding third world conditions, features access to the Web, a camera and a program for composing music. For children who live in places with no running water or electricity, this laptop will change their perspective on life. Negroponte claims of his computer, “…families loved it because it was the brightest light source in the house.” Further distribution of this laptop will help to narrow the division between the information rich and information poor in terms of technological remediation. The media of light and power illuminate from the laptop screen where a wealth of knowledge awaits.
Click here for the 60 Minutes interview with Nicholas Negroponte:
http://http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3564316n?source=search_video
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3 comments:
great post! your writing is very clear and your position is clearly articulated. i'm pleased you took issue with this question of the growing information rich/information poor divide. and yes, you're right: remediation isn't the exclusive province of digital technology/culture. i still thinks that a lot of work needs to be done to democratize the flow of information - even in our own country.
nice to see all of your posts up,
i.
That's a good point about everyone being able to remediate. I hadn't thought of that but I agree with you.
The OLPC initiative is great and really laudable, but I'd kind of like to see this kind of action taken to enrich the info-poor in our own country, (as Ian mentioned) first. I haven't looked into it in a lot of detail, so I don't know who exactly is being given these things, but I guess it must be to people who can at least take full advantage of the machines.
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