Starr argues that it is the government and political decisions that mainly influence the development of the post office, telegraph, and telephone during the 19th and early 20th centuries. While accurate in some regards, this view is too narrow-sighted in that it forgets the impact that users (individuals and organizations) had on the development of the various technologies. It also overlooks the fact that the users of the systems are able to influence the government, either through voting or through lobbying, and can therefore be responsible for the very decisions that Starr attributes solely to the government. Starr is probably correct about the political origins of the post office as a technology, mainly because it is the only one of the three socio-technical systems to be owned by the federal government, though there is still an argument to be made as to whether it was purely a political decision or actually a response to the using public for the reason that the legislation passed the way it did. As for the telegraph, though Starr spends a lot of time talking about the influence of the bilateral monopoly with the Associated Press, and to a less extent the interaction with the railroads, he doesn’t seem to make the jump to actually saying that the AP and the railroads influenced the development of the telegraph from a non-political standpoint. Finally, the telephone was highly influenced by its users, both directly through the creation of the independent telephone companies and indirectly through changing government policy.
With regards to the post office, Starr appears to be completely correct. The post office system was very much influenced by the government and political decisions. This is mostly likely due to the fact that...
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...tical decisions that Starr talks so much about. The decision by AT&T and the federal government to regulate AT&T is the most noticeable instance of this, as well as possibly part of the cause for the legislation concerning the post office. We also saw that sometimes organizations could form symbiotic relationships with the socio-technical system where both the user and the system itself greatly benefit from mutual cooperation. The telegraph showcases this principle with its relationships with railroads and, most notably, the Associated Press. In the end though, the point is that it is never a single factor that determines the growth of institutions as influential and as widespread as the post office, telegraph, and telephone. Systems such as these must always be analyzed from multiple perspectives in order to really see why their development occurred the way it did.
...tually break up monopolies when they formed, by specific legislation” (600). They see that the government is letting the business tycoons to own whatever land they want and extend their fortunes. Unlike the first two books, Johnson’s book discussed the history of the book without bias and from a different perception; one that was not came from an American view.
Of particular importance is the deregulation of the telecommunications industry as mentioned in the act (“Implementation of the Telecommunications Act,” NTLA). This reflects a new thinking that service providers should not be limited by artificial and now antique regulatory categories but should be permitted to compete with each other in a robust marketplace that contains many diverse participants. Moreover the Act is evidence of governmental commitment to make sure that all citizens have access to advanced communication services at affordable prices through its “universal service” provisions even as competitive markets for the telecommunications industry expand. Prior to passage of this new Act, U.S. federal and state laws and a judicially established consent decree allowed some competition for certain services, most notably among long distance carriers. Universal service for basic telephony was a national objective, but one developed and shaped through federal and state regulations and case law (“Telecommunications Act of 1996,” Technology Law). The goal of universal service was referred to only in general terms in the Communications Act of 1934, the nation's basic telecommunications statute. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 among other things: (i) opens up competition by local telephone companies, long distance providers, and cable companies ...
The nineteenth century America was a period of history following a number of long lasting wars and also a whole new start to new changes in society. With the collapse of multiple nations that were in contact towards the United States, it paved the way for the growing influence and development for the United States, spurring military imperialism and conflicts, and advances in scientific exploration and technologies. Because of the ideas and resources that were began to spread, develop and flourish in areas of the western hemisphere, the nineteenth century also saw opportunities in construction, communication, and in particular the transportation systems. But as different aspects of society began to improve and that more and more freedom were in the hands of the citizens and government, the competitive market not only expanded in profit and wealth, but simultaneously faced minor conflicts due to the abuse of their rights and property. Because of the rise of new technological advancements and resources, railroads in the 19th century American society quickly boomed cities and came across as the most dominant source of transportation, as it predominantly played a role in the expansion of industry across the United States. Also, it was a movement most efficient in creating their own monopoly and was quickly adopted by many other countries that sought influence.
The United States Post Office in our society today is not the one we used to know, the USPS’s demand of paper mail has declined, they cannot flourish in a dwindling economy, and they have cases flowing in complaining of unwanted mail. In June 1788 the Constitution was ratified, in which gave congress the right to establish the Post Office, and post roads, as seen in Article I, Section 8, Clause 7. The Post Office was expanded and continued until a year later in September of 1789 when President George Washington, directed the first Postmaster General, Samuel Osgood (The Constitution and the Post Office). By this time there were seventy-five Post Offices and over 2000 miles post roads in which already existed.
...ay to the rise of big business. Americas population was increasing, many citizens were employed and making money, and more eager to spend. Some of the businesses got too big and antitrust acts, such as the Sherman anti-trust act, were passed to control the powers of monopolies and their owners. Not only were there monopolistic companies in the corporate world, there were monopolies in the railroad business as well. The control of railroads became an issue in politics over the abuses and operations of the rail systems. Soon, the federal agencies Interstate Commerce Commission was formed as the first regulatory agency to control private businesses in the public?s interest. More and more control was placed upon Americas businesses and corporations and from this grew unions, as well as conflicts between management and labor, all of which exist today.
The way that the author forms his article is by first giving a rather exhaustive history of the telegraph, and reviews the impact that it had when it became a major form of fast communication. He then goes over some factors that are essential to understanding the evolution of society. One, that technology is of the nature of a "joint stock of knowledge for humankind"; two, the role institutions and organizations (like the government) play in the development of the technology; three, a so-called ceremonial encapsulation and path dependency; and four, the unpredictability of technological change and it’s impact on society.
Their expansion brought with them both industry and people, allowing for more people than ever to settle the Midwest quickly and efficiently (T&S 580). The most important thing that came from the creation of railroads was that it made the United States seem significantly smaller. Traveling across states no longer was a journey that would take several days, all it took was a short train ride. The railroad industry itself became a force to be reckoned with, “creating the modern practice of political “lobbying’” (T&S 580). Railroad companies used this practice to essentially buy out congressmen in order to build support for favorable laws. Compared to the relatively small industry that existed in 1865, the railroad business by 1897 had grown by a factor of nearly 6 times (T&S 580). Suddenly business in America was changing, the industry fueling this drastic change was also feeling shifts in the traditional
In 1979 the United States Postal Service had a cash flow of $22.5 Billion and was additionally receiving $176 million from investing(#1, Intro). Even with this added revenue the Postal Service was still greatly under funded on its own (#1, Intro). During this time it was discussed to privatize the postal service and introduce competition because of the extreme losses that the service was experiencing. A positive argument for privatizing the Postal Service was with numerous competitors in the market there would be more efficiency and the public would receive lower prices.
With the telegraph it made it seem like if the world was much smaller. In the 1850s the telegraph would change or arise the business and politics. The telegraph would make it much easier a business for them to contact any other business around the word. The impacts were on the trade centers, society and the government, in a manner. For the trade centers they wouldn't have to wait no more and a week for shipments to come, before the telegraph they had to wait days, weeks and sometimes even months for their shipments to get to them. With the railroads and the telegraph working together and benefiting from each other the railroad would be able to travel faster and get all the good to the location they needed to get to within a couple of days. It made it really helpful for the society because it made it easier for them to be able to catch the criminals and be able to stop crimes much easier. But also for the government, it made it uncomplicated for the government to agree or communicate with the governor. Which made it better for them because they wouldn't have to wait a long time to be able to agree on one thing. THe telegraph was used during the war because they would be able to send secret messages. they would be able to communicate and war others rather than having to take the message by horse.
The world is experiencing a communications revolution. The Internet, e-Commerce and other developments (including the convergence of communication technologies) are profoundly reshaping economic and social life. AT&T must position itself to meet the challenge of this revolution. The strategic development of information-based industries is a key to the future social and economic development of the world.
The authors of both “How The Telephone Made America Rude” and “Is Anything Wrong With This Picture?” persuade us on how iphones, samsungs, tablets, and etc. have made America rude. TO start with “Is Anything Wrong With This Picture?” persuades the readers by explaining how people just don't have manners any more and they should be nice and do something for others instead of just being on their phone. Also, if they put their phones down they will most likely do better in the future. “Good manners-whether refraining from taking a selfie in the middle of a play or simply remembering to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’- can put you ahead in life. Studies show that teens with good manners are more likely to be successful; They get higher grades, are more impressive in job interviews, and are more likely
The gap in price of the ability to communicate with each other using modern technology has considerably lessened to a point where it is no longer a problem in 1st world countries (developed countries). This means that ‘disadvantaged’ people can now communicate cheaply which enviably enables opportunities such as, business, travel and study, which as such would have been otherwise very difficult. However, due the fact that communication has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, telecommunication providers and other businesses have required regulation and large amounts of resources. Such resources could possibly be used elsewhere, however that could result in a huge partially unregulated market which mighty drive up prices. It can be argued that communication is a right and not a privilege to be bought but also requires the question to be asked, “should the communications industry be a public asset/industry like health and
...d how mode of production was replaced by large corporate and government organizations. In short, an institutional pattern as such would not function in society unless somehow society was overpowered by demands or conditions.
Cell phones have become a part of mainstream culture. Recently they have become more affordable and accomplish much more than making and receiving calls. Along with the growing popularity there is also growing concerns about safety and health. In this paper we will address cell phone history and how they have evolved. We will discuss health concerns such as tumors and talking while driving. Finally, we will talk about all of the technology that cell phones can accomplish such as receiving Email and buying stocks.
Farley, Tom. "Telephone History Part 3-1921 to 1984." n.pag. Online. Available: http://privateline.com/TelephoneHistory3/History3.html, Feb. 24, 1999.