Week 3 - The Victorian Internet
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The document explores the historical evolution and societal impact of the telegraph from its inception in the 16th century through the 19th century, highlighting its role in communication, governance, transport, and business. It discusses both the benefits, such as job creation and improved communication, and the downsides, such as regulatory challenges and information overload. Ultimately, it presents the telegraph as a precursor to modern communication technology, raising questions about the future of innovation and its societal implications.
Week 3 - The Victorian Internet
- 1. The Telegraph: How Innovation caused Social Change - Annteresa Lubrano,1997 Week 3: How revolutionary is IT ? The Victorian Internet : The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century’s On-line Pioneers - Tom Standage, 1998 Insights from Presentation By: Ravishankar (Student @ IIIT-B) Subject: Economics and Social Impacts of IT
- 2. The Telegraph Story Origin The need for communication The invention and refinements Diffusion into society, culture, literature.... Impact on government, transport and business Economic and Social Impacts of I.T.
- 3. ORIGIN: Motivation: -16 th century rumour on sympathetic needles -Jean Nollet’s experiment in 1746 -1753- C.M (anonymous) proposed an electric telegraph -Claude Chappe’s optical telegraph in 1791 -George Murray’s shutter telegraph in 1793 -1816-Francis Ronald’s first woking electric model Further innovation: -Early 1800s- batteries, electromagnetism, galvanometer -1830s- Cooke’s 3 and 5 needle telegraphs in England and Morse’s telegraph in Washington Economic and Social Impacts of I.T.
- 4. DIFFUSION: Prototyping =easy ; People =difficult Initially regarded as black magic 1840s –First line from Washington to Baltimore with funds from the congress 1850s-Gradually expansions (intra-continent) as it gained acceptance into the society.Hailed as the modern invention of science. Too much traffic Steam powered pneumatic tubes Undersea telegraphy- London to Paris, 1852 Exploring Trans-atlantic telegraph- 4 failures later, America finally connected with Europe in Aug. 1858- BUT ONLY FOR A MONTH ! 1866- Permanent link re-establised under able guidance of William Thompson Economic and Social Impacts of I.T.
- 5. DIFFUSION: Telgraph and the common man : The good side: New employment avenues -->skilled jobs Technology Feminization (Ms.Sara Bagley,1846) Social Networking –chatting, playing games, love affairs, online weddings Manuals and pamplets and literature published on telegraphy-words like semaphore, teletype, telegraphery (an office) enter vocabulary The bad side: Hackers and cryptoanalysts: bank frauds, horse racing,stock price Int’l Telegraph Union (ITU) formed in 1865- futile regulatory measures Information overload Economic and Social Impacts of I.T.
- 6. IMPACT: Government and Telegraphy: Initially sceptic about the technology French: Primarily a defense aid British: integrated into the postal service after the technolgy matured America: Predominantly a private enterprise dominated by Western Union Transportation : Formed a partnership with the railway industry- fostered monopoly in a sense, especially in Britain 1851-Pony Express closed due to the Transcontinental line from New York to California Railway telegraph invented in 1887 by Granville Woods Economic and Social Impacts of I.T.
- 7. IMPACT: Business Telegraph gave birth to the pneumatic tube industy-which later proved a cheaper way to communicate locally. Merchants started living in the fast lane- Quality and price more important than geographical proximity 1872-Western Union monopolises controls of 80% of telegraph traffic- makes huge profits and sets a modern business model Stock Tickers redefine the way the stock prices were transmitted Telegraph and the press: One of the key drivers of news paper industry. International coverage, feeling of belonging to a global community Economic and Social Impacts of I.T.
- 8. IMPACT: Gave rise to a new industry of info-sellers ->The Assoicated Press of New York and Reuters in Europe- synonymous even today ! 1870s- The stage is set for the Victorian Internet- telegraph, submarine cables, pneumatic tubes and messengers. Economic and Social Impacts of I.T.
- 9. The vicious cycle ends (or does it ?) Economic and Social Impacts of I.T. 1870s- Telegraph is glorified.Improved features like quadruplex transmissions gave more for less. Automatic / Harmonic telegraph systems makes skilled operators redundant.Wages are cut. Becomes a semi-skilled worker’s profession 1876- Alexander Bell patents the telephone.Instant hit. 30,000 telehones world wide by end of 1880. 1900s-The telegraph is dead,long live telegraph !
- 10. Issues raised: Is the internet really the fore runner in bridging the geographic divide ? CAN we bridge the divide at all ? Under what social context does technolgy become successful ? Is success permanent or does it fall prey to the very nature of humans dealing with it ? Can you regulate technology ? Do you think internet has an end ? Economic and Social Impacts of I.T.
- 11. THANK YOU Economic and Social Impacts of I.T.