Communication and Control

The shift from analog to digital is about much more than efficiency, precision, and progress. As MacDougall points out, it is a dramatic shift in what it is to be human and how we relate to the world. Computers are enveloping areas of expertise that were once the sole domain of human creativity and are transforming the relationship of humans to those domains. Such a shift is difficult to see and discuss, but MacDougall gets the conversation started. -- Michael Wesch, Kansas State University
Almost no part of life stays untouched by technology and media. Yet our everyday understanding of technological systems, media dynamics, and data networks is still relatively low-key in comparison. This powerful collection of essays comes to offer timely guidance by creatively and critically mapping the media ecologies of a rich array of systems, networks, and fields. A must-read for anyone who wants to probe the extent to which “control” controls. -- Yoni Van Den Eede, Free University of Brussels
MacDougall has assembled a satisfying spectrum of voices to track how the pulsing, global spray of electrons we stubbornly call "media" continues to transform us. From theory to case study, Communication and Control is truly cutting-edge stuff that will put you in the feedback loop. -- Roger Stahl, University of Georgia
This fine edited volume covers a broad spectrum of theoretical and applied topics. For the theorist, there are stimulating reinterpretations of Norbert Wiener and Marshall McLuhan. For those more intrigued by case studies, behold the chapters on push buttons, pagers, call centers, and chatbots. By consolidating so much varied work on emerging communication systems, this collection does exactly what a good anthology is supposed to do. -- Graham Harman, Southern California Institute of Architecture