Digital
When hearing the word “digital” I have a certain image in my head. Something that is computerized in some way. An electronic, device of some kind, codes, data, circuit, motherboard, and so on. However, Douglas Eyman discusses something I never considered to be digital. Our fingers. I knew they were called digits, but I never thought of something so fleshy as digital. In my head I never pictured fingers. It was always something that needed to be charged. But the mind-melting news doesn’t stop there.
There are more “examples of non-computer-based examples of digital systems” including “writing, Morse code, and the Braille alphabet”. It doesn’t make sense. Digital is something involving computers, yet here are examples where that doesn’t apply. It breaks the entire image in my head. I was so sure I knew what digital was, but there are at least four examples of things that are digital that don’t include computerized stuff at all. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t really know much about this world.
Texts
Texts are another example of something I thought I understood. I always pictured it as strings of words in print or computer. Books, newspapers, blogs, articles, things like that. As I am writing this blog I realized I never really thought of texts between people on phones when initially hearing the word “texts”. It was always something to read in school to get more information about the subject. Apparently, that isn’t the full story. Texts can be “any object, collection of objects, or contexts can be ‘read’ by tracing and retracing the slipping, contradictory net-work of connections, disconnections, presences, absences, and assemblages that occupy problematic spaces”.
Oh how wrong I can be. You can read body language, the layout of a room, facial expressions, maps, artwork, and more and all get more context on a situation. I knew the expression “read the room”. I just never considered how much stuff can be considered texts that don’t involve printed words. Videos, music, and sound in general can also be some sort of text that you can get more information from. My head is already melting and we are just getting into things. Just how complicated can the world get? Is it possible to ever fully know something anymore? Every time I think I know about a subject I am proven wrong. Things are always way more complicated and advanced than I will ever realize.
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