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This is an early, provocative and vague document full of mistakes.
No academic or other strong knowledge used.
Comments welcome and explanations given!
| Age | modern (..., 60's, 70's, 80's) |
postmodern (90's) |
ultramodern (2000-) |
| Keywords | clarity, hierarchy | deconstruction, diversion, scarcity | reconstruction, "netty" |
| Music and Dance |
rock/pop bands | techno DJ's | interactive dance |
| Politics | united nations, political activity |
boredom, postpolitics, 3rd sector |
networked nations, teledemocracy (active society?) |
| New Media | television | boredom, internet rebels | interactive multimedia |
| Old Media | books, newspapers, magazines | experimental electronic publishing, mostly supporting the paper side |
slowly converging |
| Science, education |
differed science, faculties (dream of unified science) |
boredom, postscience, studywork |
parallel interrelated sciences (theory of information relativeness) |
| Technology in use |
mechanics, paper, computers (idea of Virtual Reality) |
a mixture of technologies, more computer based |
Augmented Reality |
| Reforming technology |
Electronics and computing | Communications | Biotech |
The modern and postmodern, information society and other keyconcepts have lately been discussed thoroughly. Of course there is no sole agreement on anything, but most studies share several common ideas. One interesting point has been made about how suprisingly well current developement around the Internet and its technologies fits the (non)values defined in postmodern theory.
Today, after deconstructive postmodernism, some reconstruction can be seen. To my mind, as a net-head, this developement appears extremely "netty", ie. forming netlike solutions. Many agree that the networking paradigm goes far deeper than just information networks or marketing. Some call the post-postmodern, neomodern time ultramodern. That term fits here well, strongly ironically, since most technoutopistic concepts mentioned on the table have that yucky ultra feel to them.
Modern age rock and pop bands authorative and elitists, playing high above others that are just to hang around and obey, usually in groups.
Techno composers and DJ's not-quite-so-authorative, often anonymous and hidden and of course sampled and mixed together. Dance floor a lot more democratic, people watching and talking to each other. Freedom and space to do whatever, often alone but feeling togetherness.
Interactive dance being discussed as a concept a lot and some experiments have already been made, for example in Ars Electronica '97. Dancers not only free but also active in music, perhaps more together than in individualistic techno culture.
After cold war United Nations and other active political movements. Later world politics USA centered boredom and neglecting, leaving politics to politicians. New networked politics movement truly local/areal/global (instead of local/USA) and a lot more diverse.
Modern age authorative Radio and TV converging with the postmodern rebel Internet to ultramodern interactive multimedia networks. Old non-electronic media, ie. paper newspapers and magazines and especially the knowledge network of books stay longer unaffected but also get involved, at first (rinnakkaisia tukipalveluja) and slowly converging too as electronic paper etc. evolves.
Modern sciency strictly divided and classified, though some dream of unified science. Postmodern needs, however, are so scattered that education rarely meets the needs. New kinds of more semi-high practical schools born and many talented (net)workers skip studying or delay/strech it to be lifelong. Many sciences, even though earlier strictly classified, face common problems and as moving towards the ultra-age parallel methods and cross-scientifical interaction between the sciences must be developed.
Total VR has not developed to be a common tool in everyday work but many new diverse technologies do have changed lives a lot more virtual. People are still strongly connected and depended on the real and the most interesting and promising new applications admit the reality augmenting, insteread of replacing, nature of technology.
Electronics and computing reformed the modern shift from automated industrial society to information and service based everyone-sits-in-front-of-a-pc work culture. In the 90's industry concentrated on communications and even more people started to work with computers. Early new millenium will finally intoduce several new get-rid-of-that-pc technologies, most probably based on biotechnology that will lead us again, towards something diffent.
September 1997,
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