Communications

A look back

Background

• Communications is the act of conveying

information using exchange of thoughts,

messages or information, using speech,

visuals, signals, writing or behavior.

• This presentation traces communications

from the past to about 2000. Our class will

take it from there.

Cave paintings

• Prior to about 3500 BC

Hieroglyphic writing

• Around 3500 BC

• Egyptians and Sumerians

On foot

• 490 BC, Phidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to

warm the Athenians of the approaching Persian army.

Apparently, he died from the strain.

• Foot would remain important for communication, using

horses during Roman times (14AD), Kublai Khan times

(1280 AD) and our Pony Express (1861 AD)

Metal mirrors & the Sun

• Around 26-37 AD, Roman Emperor

Tiberius rules empire by signaling with

polished metal to reflect the sun.

Paper!

• In 751, Paper is introduced, using wood

pulp.

• In 1844, Charles Fenerty produces paper

from wood pulp.

Printing

• 1305 Chinese develop wooden block

movable type printing

• 1450 Johannes Gutenberg creates metal

moveable type printing press

Telegraph from tower to electric

• 1792 Claude Chappe establishes first long distance

semaphore telegraph line (uses towers to send

visual signals)

• 1831 Joseph Henry builds electric telegraph

Morse code and long distance

• 1835 Samuel Morse develops Morse Code

• 1843 Morse builds long distance electric

telegraph

Electric telephone

• 1876 Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas

Watson create electric telephone line

Phonograph

• 1877 Thomas Edison patents phonograph

Radio signals for communication

• 1901 Guglielmo Marconi transmits radio

signals

First television signal

• 1925 John Logie Baird transmits first

television signal. During World War 2, he

developed the first color picture tube.

Beginning of cell phone technology

• 1947 Douglas H. Ring and W. Rae Young

of Bell Labs proposed a cell based approach

to technology which would lead to cell

phones.

First copying machine

• 1958 Chester Carlson presents first

photocopier suitable for office use

Internet ancestors

• 1969 First hosts of ARPANET (Internet

ancestors) are connected

WWW (World Wide Web)

• 1989 Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailiau

build prototype for World Wide Web at

CERN

First Text Message

• 1992 Neil Papworth sends first SMS (or text

message)

Digital Satellite

• 2001 first digital cinema transmission by

satellite

Communication Technology today:

• Websites

• Blogs

• Email

• Discussion groups

• Chat

• Instant messaging

• SMS (Text messaging)

• Social networks

• Tweeting

• Video conferencing

• Voice messaging

Discussion questions

• Which type of communication mentioned

do you feel is the most important for

personal use? Business use?

• What are some of the advantages of the

increasing types of communication

available?

• What are some disadvantages of these

options?