Critique of the Information Revolution

Invention of Printing

Conceptualising the information revolution in the context of an information explosion in contemporary societies might indicate that there are no such parallel developments, that the information revolution is unique and unparalleled. However, critics have argued that this is not the case. Peter Drucker (1997) sees the current information revolution as the 'second information revolution'. Gutenberg's invention of the printing machine in 1444 sparked the first information revolution. Prior to the invention of printing, sources of written information were the manuscripts monopolised by noblemen. The invention of printing revolutionised the spread of information. Drucker (1997: 20) notes that "by 1465, the number of printed books was six to ten times as great as the number of manuscripts, it was that fast. By the end of the century, the handwritten manuscript was obsolete". The printing revolution gave people the incentive to read. People could afford texts, which previously only a great nobleman could afford. The critical book was the Bible, the first book to be printed. As Drucker (1997: 20) notes, prior to printing, "the illuminated manuscript of the Bible cost three years rents on a fair-sized estate. The reprinted Bible came along, costing a week's wages". The printing press was responsible for making information accessible to people.

Gutenberg's invention of the printing machine in 1444 sparked the first information revolution

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Historical Perspective of the Information Revolution

Another argument against the information revolution is that information creation, usage and transmission are not peculiar to present day societies. Every society creates information to suit the needs of that particular epoch in human civilisation. The history of civilisation points to various levels and usages of information in everyday life. This argument points to the fact that the 'explosion' in information today is apt for present day society. Douglas Robertson (1990) distinguishes five broad categories of civilization that differ largely by the method they use to store, handle and transmit information:

• Level 0 ---- Pre-language
• Level 1 ---- Language
• Level 2 ---- Writing
• Level 3 ---- Printing
• Level 4 ---- Computers

These levels are further expanded and redefined as:

• Level 1 ---- Prehistoric
• Level 2 ---- Ancient
• Level 3 ---- Medieval
• Level 4 ---- Modern

In a Level 1 Society, the amount of information available to an individual is limited. Individuals have in their own minds information contents in relation to kin, clan, tribe and rest of the village. A Level 2 society witnessed an increase in the amount of information available. Information was written in scrolls and stored in libraries. The age of printing, in Level 3, provides a vast pool of information beyond the comprehension of a single individual. Thousands of books are published in a year, with numerous years of shelf life. The printing invention revolutionised information creation and dissemination. This period has often been regarded as the epoch of the first information revolution (Cf Drucker 1997). A Level 4 civilisation is the epoch of computer technology. This period marks the rapid acceleration in the quantity of information produced. This is the age of computerised typesetting machines, word processors, and computerised measurement and control devices. Computer software, such as desktop publishing, graphics and word processing software enables us to create and manipulate information. We are currently living in the Level 4 society. The amount of information in this epoch surpasses that of any level of the previous societies. The contributing factor to this explosion in information is the development in telecommunications technologies. These technologies exploit the potential of computers to search through and analyse large quantities of information. Today, due to the developments in telecommunication transmission capacities we have access to a massive pool of information: a complete encyclopaedia, stock market and business information, educational materials, newspapers, mathematical and chemical abstracts and many more.

The argument in this section is that Level 4 is commonly referred to as the information revolution age, due to the fact that it has the highest quantity of information created. However, the amount of information generated in this period suits the needs of contemporary individuals to actualise their social and economic activities, just as the amount of information in the previous levels fitted the needs of individuals in those societies.