The document discusses different models of communication and media using database relations analogies: 1) One to one communications include individual conversations like phone calls or instant messages. 2) One to many is broadcast media like newspapers, magazines, TV where a few creators share content with many consumers. 3) Many to one enables feedback like surveys, comments, or letters to the editor from many users to a single creator/organization. 4) Many to many includes group discussions online through chat rooms or forums. However, these are not as scalable or long-lasting as other models. The document goes on to analyze online news sites that incorporate elements of the different models and to discuss how the internet

1. Understanding Media
for Techies
Human communications expressed using database
relations
Kiran Jonnalagadda <jace@seacrow.com>
http://jace.seacrow.com/

2. One to One
All communications between individuals. Friends
talking on the phone or over instant messenger, a
couple over a dinner table, a doctor and a patient, etc.

3. One to Many
The broadcast model. Weblogs, magazines, television,
newspapers; the traditional mass media.

4. Many to One
The feedback model. Market research, customer service,
product registration forms, letters to the editor,
comments on a weblog posting.

5. Many to Many
Group discussions. IRC, mailing lists, in some sense,
even LiveJournal. Not advertiser friendly except for
word-of-mouth. Not scalable, not long lived.

6. Many to One to Many
Moderated discussion group. Left group (contributors)
cannot scale or moderator is overloaded. Examples are
Slashdot (top level posts), Boing Boing.

7. Delving Deeper
Is “many” really many?
Should we distinguish between a few and many?

8. Let’s look at this by media category...

9. Newspapers,
Magazines & TV

10. The Consumer’s Perspective
A few contributors submit to the newspaper,
magazine or TV channel, which presents their
work in a unified voice to several readers.

11. Feedback Loop #1
A few readers write letters to the editor (print
media only, not TV), which the editor selects from
and publishes for everyone to read.

12. Feedback Loop #2
Readers/Viewers write directly to contributors,
who may feature this feedback in their next
contribution.

13. Feedback Loop #3
Readers/Viewers talk to an independent polling
agency, which creates a report and shares it with
media and advertising organisations.

14. Online News &
Discussion Sites
(Like Slashdot or Kuro5hin)

15. Top-level News Posting
The same as before: a few contributors, a
moderator, several readers. But: lower costs, lower
revenues, more contributors, fewer consumers.

16. Feedback Loop (Discussion)
Read Unmoderated
Prefer
Moderated
This is where it gets interesting. Unlike
traditional media, the Web is not a linear flow.

17. What is a Group?
Is a “group” really a group, or just individuals
bunched together for convenience? What happens
when they are treated as individuals?

18. Individual Treatment
Traditional media crafts a common message that
appears to be addressed to the individual.

19. Individual Treatment
But on the Web, you really are having a conversation
between individuals.

20. Lots of Individuals
People rightfully worry about how public their
conversations are, who is reading them.

21. Advertisers Didn’t Understand
If you can’t bunch them into a group, how do you
advertise to a mass audience?

22. Advertising on the Web
On the Web, even ads have to be individualised.
Advertisers have to accept that people talk to each other.

23. To be Continued...

24. The End