The Birth of Techno

The Birth of Techno-Iconism
Slavko Bucifal
Icons have long since been a part of our culture dating back to the origins
of religious iconography. They are universal in their representation transcending traditional language systems but their interpretation is dependent
on prior knowledge. Understanding icons is a system of cognitive development taught through enculturation. Technology has adopted the use of
icons to represent universal ideas and concepts related to use, control and function. This new
form of techo-iconographic literacy has permeated our present day language systems.
In my first commentary, I challenged the theoretical assumption that the use of human memory is declining due to
the reliance of technological storage devices (Ong,W.
2003. p.79)(Bush, V. 1945. p.6)(Plato, Phaedrus; The
Judgement of Thamus). I suggested that we have replaced
pure knowledge with knowledge of systems. Our memory
acts as a portal to other systems which contain massive
amounts of information. Douglas Engelbart's (1963) A
Conceptual Framework for the Augmentation of Man's Intellect affirms the idea that we live in a more complex society where the systems of operation are more important
than knowledge. Someone "who possesses all of our basic
sensory-mental-motor capabilities, but does not possess our background of indirect knowledge
and procedure, cannot organize the proper direct actions necessary to drive a car through traffic,
request a book from the library, call a committee meeting to discuss a tentative plan, call someone on the telephone, or compose a letter on the typewriter" (p.8). Persons without the foundational knowledge of these systems do not posses the ability to build upon their prior knowledge
and function within these new systems. Certain systems are similar and can be learned quickly
while others are completely opposite of one another. Learning a system is dependent on the
knowledge of other systems which are networked and interdependent. "Indeed this process characterizes the sort of evolution that our intellect-augmentation means have been undergoing since
the first human brain appeared" (Engelbart, 1963, p.14).
Language is a system which is evolving to encompass several modes of techno-iconism, which is
simply the acceptance of the inclusion of technological icons in language. This system of writing
and communicating is reliant on other systems for its development and our understanding. The
redesign of literacy which includes techno-iconography cannot be learned easily if one has no
knowledge of the systems of technology. Technology Icons have become part of everyday literacy, but the evolution of language to encompass techno-iconographic Literacy has not been
adopted by the majority of the middle to older aged population. Most struggle to understand
techno-iconography and the systems behind the icons.
The best and simplest example I can give is the VCR or
DVD. On the front of either unit one will find a series of
symbols which relate to the function of the equipment. If
one is literate in present day technological iconography,
they will understand that the triangle represents the 'play'
function which will control the unit to perform a particular
action. The 'stop' symbol is represented by a square while
the navigational controls are indicated by double arrows.
The language of techno-iconography is somewhat universal (in the technological world). One
can travel to many different places and operate any VCR, DVD or similar equipment because
they can read and comprehend the language of technology regardless of their native language.
In our modern writing space, techno-iconography is a form of reading and writing that is taught
through enculturation; It is a slow process that passes itself over generations. As a result, there
still exists a large percentage of the population that are techno-iconographically illiterate. For
them technologies, such as the computer, represent a new from of language that is incomprehensible. Engelbart might see this as a cognitive process that cannot occur without other foundational cognitive processes. "If we then ask ourselves where that intelligence is embodied, we are
forced to concede that it is elusively distributed throughout a hierarchy of functional processes"
(et al, p.18).
Computers are a prevalent example of the complexity and hierarchy of techno-iconographic literacy and techno-iconism. If a person is techno-iconographically literate, they will be able to operate the computer with some success regardless of what platform they are familiar with. They
will understand the concepts behind the symbols and icons displayed throughout the computer's
operating hierarchy. Students in my grade 6/7 classroom, for example, are, for the most part,
techno-iconographically literate.
I have set up a small computer lab at the back of the class featuring a flavour of the Linux operating system. While the great majority of students are familiar with the Windows environment,
there was little or no adjustment period to Linux. The students understood the symbolic concept
of a log-in screen, the resulting applications and their functions even though their names were
not familiar. I recall the first day the new mini lab was used. A student could not independently
locate the the internet icon
after their log-in. I responded
by asking which one they
thought it might be. The student picked the Firefox icon
featuring a globe as its iconic representation. I asked the student why they thought it was that
particular icon and their response surprised me at the time. They said something to the extent that
the internet allows you to connect with people all over the world and so it was the only icon on
the desktop that made any sense because it featured a picture of the world. I then asked the student which icon she thought represented the word processing program and again she picked the
right one because it featured a piece of paper with text and drawings on it. This is a prime of example of what Engelbart calls the complex structuring of concept processes (et al, p.39). The
student had prior experience and knowledge of systems to make the educated guess on the meaning of the icons. Someone who has never seen a computer and does not understand the function
of the internet would be totally lost. The same process occurs with written techno-iconography.
Emoticons (see appendix 1) represent the techno-iconism in written language. They are used extensively in chat rooms and personal digital communications. They are slowly making their way
in to the business vernacular as well. Emoticons can either be displayed as text only symbols or
graphically designed icons. They represent a host of emotions from the sender which allows the
digital written communication to be put in context (Bolter. 2001. p.72). I recently sent an e-mail
statement to my bank asking them to cancel my Visa card simply because I did not have any
need for it. I received a response which indicated that the bank felt my comments were harsh and
unnecessary. A quick Emoticon may have changed the entire mood and tone of that message.
One might argue that Emoticons are a start to the end of good writing and that my message
should have communicated its purpose clearly. I would argue that with certain correspondence,
an icon is a perfect choice to include as part of the language because it communicates complex
emotions very efficiently. Techno-iconism is illustrated in my personal example by the belief that
techno-iconic language is necessary and useful in digital communication. "The use of icons in email and newsgroups suggests that contemporary electronic writers are not interested in the distancing and ambiguity that prose offers and instead want to give their prose the immediacy of a
single voice and if possible a face" (Bolter. 2001. p.72).
Techno-iconography is also in use in the way we publish our writing. The
Portable Document Format (PDF), for example, has a recognizable desktop
icon on any computer platform and technology has made available the ability to create and edit PDF documents such as this one. Technoiconographically literate people will understand that a PDF icon requires a
specific software for viewing and editing and will be able to do so. As well,
those literate in techno-iconic language will understand that a PDF will look
exactly the same on any computer including font, layout and appearance.
Techno-iconographically illiterate users will not know what to do with the
file and will hope the computer will act on their behalf. The same can be said of the various digital text publishing formats including proprietary extensions (.doc,.swx etc) and cross platform
(.txt, .rtf etc). Each of these files will be represented in the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the
computer by a certain graphically designed icon and those literate in techno-iconography will
have the knowledge about what kind of writing and formatting each file may contain and how to
go about changing it.
Navigating through the GUI and its various windows is in itself an example of technoiconography’s influence on language. "...Windows may contain graphics or video, so that the
whole electronic writing space is constituted by a
collection of tiled or stacked windows, each a
view into a verbal or graphical space" (et al.
p.67). The very understanding that the user can
move and change the content of the windows is
an example of the techno-iconism prevalent in
our cognitive processes and, in turn, in our language.
They key to techno-iconism's success is the internet and the efficiency with which icons communicate information. The web has given rise to the transcendence of technology icons above everyday written language because of the need for universality. A PDF icon will look the same on a
Japanese computer as it will on an English one (provided the user did not change the default assigned icon). The same can be said regarding Emoticons and other technology icons. The internet
has brought together various computer platforms and operating systems and standardized communication and information exchange. Technology icons can represent a universal complex set
of ideas within a single graphic. I have over a
hundred web-sites bookmarked in my
browser and each of them has been supplied
and is represented with its own icon. I no
longer look for the words or address of the
particular site, but rather quickly scan for the
icon. This process happens much faster than
having to scan for the arrangement of words
because the icon features colours and symbols
which are easier to remember by association.
The universality comes in to play knowing
that another user who has bookmarked the
same site will have the same icon on their
computer.
From the Chinese character symbols to the hearts drawn at the end of love letters, iconography
has always been a part of the literate world. Techno-iconic symbols form the foundation of much
of the new language system. GUIs on computer screens communicate to the user the type of programs and files in memory. Symbols on electronic equipment represent the function and control
of the mechanism. Emoticons help convey mood and emotion with a click of a button. These
icons are a new vernacular and part of a system which future generations will commit to their
memories. Techno-iconography is a natural progression of language since our culture has been
inundated with iconic systems which Potts and Murphy (2003) agree are universal in their ma-
chine transformations (p.148). The change is evident with the majority of the population who
struggle with programming their VCRs or only use the computer for basic functions. It is clear
that as our system of language continues to evolve, so does the literacy required to be a functioning member of society and we are slowly becoming accustomed to the new techo-iconographical
language
Appendix 1
Bibliography
Bolter, J.D. (2001). Writing Space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Bush, V. (1945). As we may think. The Atlantic Monthly, 176(1), 101-108. Available:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/194507/bush
Englebart, Douglas. (1963). "A conceptual framework for the augmentation of man’s intellect."
In Hawerton, P.W. and Weeks, D.C. (Eds), Vistas in information handling, Volume I: The augmentation of man’s intellect by machine. Washington, DC: Spartan Books. Available (as "Augmentation of human intellect: A conceptual framework"):
http://www.bootstrap.org/augdocs/friedewald030402/augmentinghumanintellect/ahi62index.html
Ong, Walter J. (2002). Orality and Literacy. London: Routledge.
Murhpie, Andrew. Potts, John. (2003). Culture and Technology. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Credits
“Virgin and Child” by George Guirguis
Coptic Art Studio
courtesy of http://www.iconsexplained.com/
“No Brainer” courtesy of Appleworks Clipart
VCR buttons courtesy of www.wm.edu
Emoticons courtesy of http://www.ker95.com/chat101