New Media Reader - Intros

Janet H. Murray's introduction to The New Media Reader entitled "Inventing the Medium" presents "the genealogy of the computer as an expressive medium" in an interesting manner.  She approaches the subject from an interdisciplinary perspective, introducing the complexities of the medium's development and current existence as "the braided interplay of technical invention and cultural expression."  I felt that this phrase really captures the nature and diversity of new media and the paths taken to achieve its current status.  I like that she notes the work of both a storyteller, Borges, and a scientist, Bush, as important essays, clearly exposing the aforementioned "interplay" at work.  As is true for any new medium, diverse creativity goes into its development and fruition.  We would not be where we are today based purely on technological advances.  Without creative expression and foresight, it seems hard to imagine the possibility for such a rapidly advancing status within new media.  As Murray rightly states, "all creativity can be understood as taking in the world as a problem."  Certainly, progress comes with the greatest purpose when all different types of creative minds analyze and seek to solve a similar problem, each with the knowledge and skills derived from varying backgrounds, skillsets, and schools of thought.  

Lev Manovich presents similar feelings about the development of new media in his introduction to The New Media Reader, "New Media from Borges to HTML."  Manovich works to define New Media, simplified as "computer-based artistic activities," first observing and discussing the topic from a sociological viewpoint.  Like Murray, Manovich notes the involved development process that brought new media to its current state - it was not a simple journey, taking several years to actually achieve a place in mainstream culture.  I found his point that other countries seem to celebrate and test our (the United States) new technologies before we (Americans) do, extremely poignant.  Why is this? It seems to speak volumes about the nature of our country.