Everything Old is New Again

With all the hype surrounding technology and the things it allows us to do, there is a tendency to assume that everything it permits us to do is brand new, never been seen before, and deserving of awe and/or praise and/or fear. However, little that we see online is as groundbreaking as it seems. Certainly, the technology is new, but much of what we do with computers is nothing more than teaching an old pony a new way to do the same tricks. The Google library, crowdsourcing, and photoshop are innovative concepts, but none of them are based on new ideas. Reading more about digital history has shown that while the internet and technology offer endless possibilities for the collection, distribution, and creation of information, all of these things were being done well before computers even existed. We're so accustomed to the convenience of computers, yet we remain romanced by each new feature and capability, and sometimes forget that before computers existed people did write, they did capture images and share them, they did read and assemble libraries, and they did assemble in groups to share knowledge and find answers. Understanding technology from the perspective that it offers us new ways to do old things, makes every new advance easier to comprehend and accept.

Technology's capabilities concerning the manipulation of images receives constant attention, simultaneously as one of technology's most valuable assets and greatest evils. I think this has to do with the impact images have upon human beings, and the idea that "seeing is believing." Images are powerful and convincing, and strike the senses in such a way that it is difficult to resist their message. We are accustomed to questioning the written word, or doubting what someone tells us, but our brains are wired to believe that what we see is real. Herein lies the power of images, and the foundation to an entire industry of print media. Tabloids present us with stories that aren't true based on doctored photos, magazine covers feature digitally enhanced and altered photos of models and celebrities, and governments and news organizations present us with photos that communicate the desired message more often than the truth. We know we should doubt them, but it's easier said then done.

Since technology allows us to manipulate images, we must now assume that because people lie, images can lie too. Photo Tampering Throughout History by Hany Farid shows us that both people and photos have been lying for a long time. Doctored images are not a product of computer technology, but of human nature. In many ways, it's no different then cavemen discovering fire, or that spears made hunting a lot easier - computers are just another tool that humans have adopted to make things we were going to do anyway, easier and more efficient. Looking at it this way, we can humanize technology, and subsequently, become more comfortable with it.