Digital Renaissance: Convergence? I Diverge.

June 17, 2001 8:28 AM

Digital Renaissance: Convergence? I Diverge. MIT's Director of the Program in Comparative Media Studies, Henry Jenkins, speaks about the different aspects of "Convergence." Working at a large multinational company who is banking on "convergence" for future success, and yet skeptical about "convergence" personally, I welcome MeFiers to post their opinions on Jenkins' differentiation of "convergence" and what you think will be powerful or popular in the near future. Taken from Tomalak's Realm.
posted by gen (4 comments total)

It's obvious that media convergence is not only imminent, but when it arrives, it'll be through video games.

Haven't you seen the PlayStation(tm) 9 commercials?
posted by precocious at 12:09 PM on June 17, 2001

Well, if you buy the launch issue of eDesign magazine, you'll be able to read an article on "convergence devices" that I co-authored ;)

The conclusion, if you pardon the extended quotation:

With the divergence of consumer preference set to take precedence over the convergence of technologies, appliance makers are now having to target specific psychographic markets with customisible modules, personalised downloads -- and yes, with color faceplates, LEDs and stickers. The key to acceptance in designing future generations of appliances, then, is to covet that kind of user-driven functionality, rather than to lock users into a manufacturer's agenda.

In short, convergence may be a back-office aspiration, achieved through syndication and other protocols for content management, but end-user delivery will be about discrimination. The "one big black box" won't be in the home, but the server room.
posted by holgate at 12:37 PM on June 17, 2001

Holgate- is eDesign going to be readily available in the USA?
posted by gen at 8:24 PM on June 17, 2001

gen: it's based out of New York, so you're more likely to see a copy of it than me. ;)
posted by holgate at 5:59 AM on June 18, 2001