“ The Control Revolution” Presentation by Mindy McAdams Week 13.1 MMC 2265

Increased and continuing digitization of information

Blurs any distinction between communication and processing

Blurs differences between machine and human communication

Increased and continuing digitization of information blurs any distinction between communication and processing , as well as differences between machine and human communication

Does this result in more control or less control?

Technology out of control: A threat to all humanity? (1954)

(1951)

During World War II, improving target accuracy was a top priority

A military need for control Weapons technology improved, and targets also became harder to hit (faster planes, for example) Complex calculations were needed to “program” the operation of the military guns An engineer (John Mauchly) suggested that an electronic calculator could be constructed to do this

Weapons technology improved, and targets also became harder to hit (faster planes, for example)

Complex calculations were needed to “program” the operation of the military guns

An engineer (John Mauchly) suggested that an electronic calculator could be constructed to do this

Bureaucracy Separate from the origin of electronic computers, civilization and governments were also becoming more complex Like the Romans with their roads and written law Like the Sumerians with their need for more efficient records of accounting

Separate from the origin of electronic computers, civilization and governments were also becoming more complex

Like the Romans with their roads and written law

Like the Sumerians with their need for more efficient records of accounting

Max Weber (1864 – 1920) Bureaucratization as one of the leading features of the modern world A leader needs a staff (the bureaucracy ) to help him/her maintain control a keep order The rise of the professional politician (neither king nor general) Beniger calls bureaucracy a technology of control

Bureaucratization as one of the leading features of the modern world

A leader needs a staff (the bureaucracy ) to help him/her maintain control a keep order

The rise of the professional politician (neither king nor general)

Beniger calls bureaucracy a technology of control

Adding new technology Modern bureaucracies developed from the 1800s onward After World War II, computers began to play a larger and larger role in bureaucracy Beniger’s point: The need for control in modern societies existed before the computers came along

Modern bureaucracies developed from the 1800s onward

After World War II, computers began to play a larger and larger role in bureaucracy

Beniger’s point: The need for control in modern societies existed before the computers came along

One thing leads to another Progress toward development of electronic computers was preceded by: Telegraph (1830s) Photography Typewriter (invented in the 1860s) Telephone Motion pictures Radio Television (1920s)

Progress toward development of electronic computers was preceded by:

Telegraph (1830s)

Photography

Typewriter (invented

in the 1860s)

Telephone

Motion pictures

Radio

Television (1920s)

Control and communication Control: “Any purposive influence on behavior, however slight ” Information processing What’s going on? What does it mean? Two-way communication Tell me what happened I will act on that information Book jacket illustration: Caught Short: A Saga of Wailing in Wall Street, 1929.

Control: “Any purposive influence on behavior, however slight ”

Information processing

What’s going on?

What does it mean?

Two-way communication

Tell me what happened

I will act on that information

Example: The Stock Market An investor checks the current stock price Is it moving up or down? Does the investor sell ? Or buy more? The investor’s decision in turn affects the price of the stock Two-way flow Feedback loop

An investor checks the current stock price

Is it moving up or down?

Does the investor sell ? Or buy more?

The investor’s decision in turn affects the price of the stock

Two-way flow

Feedback loop

Information Theory (1948)

Information Theory

Information Theory

“ A society’s ability to maintain control will be directly proportional to the development of its information technologies .” – James R. Beniger

Information Theory Reloaded

Computer technology owes much to the textile industry

Punch cards: 1804 A revolution in weaving (yes, textiles) Joseph Marie Jacquard, a French weaver He combined two other inventors’ ideas with a common treadle loom Earliest use of punched cards programmed to control a manufacturing process Process first used in U.S. about 1826 http:// www.sscnet.ucla.edu/geog/gessler/topics/jacquard.htm

A revolution in weaving (yes, textiles)

Joseph Marie Jacquard, a French weaver

He combined two other inventors’ ideas with a common treadle loom

Earliest use of punched cards programmed to control a manufacturing process

Process first used in U.S. about 1826

Herman Hollerith (1860 – 1929) An engineer, he worked on the 1880 U.S. Census (it took 7 years to complete) Tried to improve the process of tabulating the Census data After trials using paper tape, he was inspired by the Jacquard loom to try punched cards instead His designs won the competition for the 1890 U.S. Census (so he got the contract )

An engineer, he worked on the 1880 U.S. Census (it took 7 years to complete)

Tried to improve the process of tabulating the Census data

After trials using paper tape, he was inspired by the Jacquard loom to try punched cards instead

His designs won the competition for the 1890 U.S. Census (so he got the contract )

The 1890 U.S. Census The results of a tabulation were displayed on 40 clock-like dials Each completed circuit caused an electromagnet to advance a counting dial by one (+1) Source: Hollerith 1890 Census Tabulator

The results of a tabulation were displayed on 40 clock-like dials

Each completed circuit caused an electromagnet to advance a counting dial by one (+1)

Herman Hollerith (1860 – 1929) Reduced a 10-year job to 3 months (different sources disagree : range from 6 weeks to 3 years) Saved the 1890 taxpayers $5 million 1896: He founded the Tabulating Machine Co. (leased equipment and sold punch cards to many countries for their census, and also to insurance companies) 1911: Merged with two other firms to form the Computing Tabulating Recording Corp. 1924: Renamed – IBM

Reduced a 10-year job to 3 months (different sources disagree : range from 6 weeks to 3 years)

Saved the 1890 taxpayers $5 million

1896: He founded the Tabulating Machine Co. (leased equipment and sold punch cards to many countries for their census, and also to insurance companies)

1911: Merged with two other firms to form the Computing Tabulating Recording Corp.

1924: Renamed – IBM

The IBM 29 card punch machine was announced in October 1964. This was a new version of the device first developed 74 years earlier. Along with the “IBM 59 card verifier,” the card punch was used to record and check information in punched cards. These cards were read and processed by a computer or an accounting machine. Source: IBM

Winner: Most Outstanding Book in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1986 (Association of American Publishers) A New York Times Notable Paperback of the Year (1989)

Winner: Most Outstanding Book in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1986 (Association of American Publishers)

A New York Times Notable Paperback of the Year (1989)

“ The Control Revolution” Presentation by Mindy McAdams University of Florida