Unit Seven: Contemporary Communication

Introduction
Some people belonging to various social groups may go for the idea of some NASA
scientists, which says “Better, faster, cheaper!” This describes the newer means of
communication that we have in the world today. Indeed, the transmission and recording
of ideas have never been better, faster, and cheaper. In this module, some of the widely
utilized methods will be briefly discussed. We’ll attempt to talk about these technologies
and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.

Objectives
After completing this module, you should be able to:
1. Define contemporary communication.
2. Apply and use the current communication techniques in our daily life.
3. Understand the importance of contemporary communication.
4. Understand the different kinds of contemporary communication technologies.

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The Photocopier
At the start of the 20th century, reproducing a document required the use of inefficient
and messy methods. One of which is the mimeograph machine, which was slow and
could not make single copies of documents. Another is the copy photography, which
could be very expensive. And then, we have the wet photocopiers, which made use of
inky and messy liquid chemicals.
The photocopier began its popularity in the early 1800’s. Common projection copiers
include the copy camera and the Photostat machine. A copy camera takes a
photograph of the original material and then developed the captured image by
producing a negative to make a positive copy. Copy cameras, like all projection
cameras, can enlarge or reduce the size of the copy made from the original. This
feature makes them valuable in commercial art and many other fields.
Chester F. Carlson, an American, invented the Electrostatic photocopying in 1938.
Unlike the earlier methods, which require liquid chemicals, photocopiers are completely
dry. This type of photocopying is known as Xerography. “Xeros” in Greek means dry
and “graphy” means writing.
After patenting his invention and making improvements in the design, Carlson
presented his invention to IBM, RCA, Remington Rand, General Electric, Eastman
Kodak, the U.S. Army Signal Corps, and many other companies, but none were
interested. It was only in 1946 that Carlson found a company to manufacture his
electrostatic photocopiers, the Haloid Company, which became Xerox Corporation. In
1949, Xerox machines became commercially available. The Model A was large,
complex, and required the user to perform several steps by hand in order to create a
single copy.

The Fax Machine

Fax is the shorter term for facsimile transmission. It can be used to communicate with
people across the globe. Photocopies of pictures or letters can be transmitted to
different places in the world in a matter of seconds. The earlier models of the fax
machine took approximately five to six minutes to send a document the size of a
standard short bond paper. The newer models which came right after the first one,
reduced the transmission time to three minutes. Now, fax machines can transmit
documents in four or five seconds.
The fax machine is connected to a telephone system. Its transmission costs the same
as an ordinary telephone call but this is deemed much cheaper and efficient.
So how does a fax machine work? To send photograph or a document, the document is
placed on the machine through its feed. Then the receiver’s number is dialed on the fax
machine by keypad. The sender hears a signal when the connection to the number
dialed has been made.

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The photograph or document being sent passes through a light source. Light is
reflected on the document being copied, which is then passed by mirrors through a lens
to a position on the Charged Coupled Device (CCD). The CCD consists of tiny cells
that transform light into electric current. The voltage of the current changes according
to the light detected by each cell.
Most of these fax machines use heat to print a document. This is called thermal
printing. Machines that use thermal printing have a warm print head composed of
hundreds of extremely accurate heaters that operate in patterns. They print onto
thermal recording paper coated with a chemical that changes to a black image when
heated.
Personal computers can also do the same functions like that of a fax machine.
Computer-based faxing transmits electronic computer files as faxes to another
computer or to a fax machine. The computer must be equipped with fixing software and
a fax modem, and it has to be connected to a telephone line.
In the mid-90s, Internet fax services became very popular. These services provide the
ability to receive and send faxes. There are websites that can provide a user with
his/her own fax number, which allows him/her to receive faxes as if they were sending
and receiving e-mails. These faxes soon became known as the fax mail.

The Cellular Phone (Cell phone)

A cellular phone or cell phone is a mobile radio telephone transmission that has an
area which is divided into “cells.” A smaller transmitter inside the gadget primarily
serves each unit.
The cell phone operates on the principle of the two-way radio communication and is
named after the unit “cell” into which an area is divided. Each cell has a radius of 1.5 to
2.4 km (1 to 2.5 miles) and is equipped with a radio transmitter that employs its own
range of radio frequencies. The same range is then repeated several times across a
landmass. As a cell phone moves through this pattern of cells, its user’s cells, made as
on an ordinary telephone, are switched from one cell to the next computerized system.
(Scott, 2013).
A cell phone is not the same as a cordless phone. A cordless phone is a household or
an office appliance with a very short wireless connection to a local phone outlet. Note
that mobile communication is not a very recent technology. It has been around since
1921 when two-way radios were installed in the cars of the Detroit Police Department.
But in was only in 1962 when the first commercial radio telephone service was
introduced to the public in St. Louis, USA. By 1977, AT&T Bell Labs operated a
prototype cellular system.
Like other gadgets, the cell phone has different parts. It has its own Microphone,
Speaker, LCD Display, Keypad, Battery Meter, LED Lights, Digital Signal Processor,

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CODEC, RF Unit, SIM Card Reader, External Connectors, On Board Memory and
Antenna System.
Cell phone users make use of features, which may include having their own digital
phone book, calculator, selected games, and clock. Users can also modify their own
incoming call alert, ring tone, ring volume, message alert tone, warning and game tone,
vibrating alert, call settings, speed dial, and call waiting options.
Instant accessibility is the cell phone’s primary advantage. This is especially helpful if
there is no land phone available and an urgent call has to be made. As the years went
by, cell phone manufacturers enhanced its features with additional tools such as text
messaging and e-text. In 2004, another feature that was added to the cell phone
technology is the WAP (Wireless Access Protocol). This enables the cell phone users
to have instant access to the Internet (Scott, 2013).

The Internet (World Wide Web)

Internet is the interconnection of computer networks that enables connected machines
to communicate directly. It is difficult to remember what the world looked like before the
emergence of the Internet. The term “internet” popularly refers to a particular global
interconnection of government, education and business computer networks that is
available to the public. There are also smaller Internets, usually for the private use of a
single organization called intranets. (Colteryahn, et al: 2008)
Internet technology is a precursor of the so-called Information Superhighway - a
theoretical goal of computer communication to provide to schools, libraries, businesses,
and homes universal access to quality information that will educate, inform, and
entertain. In early 1996, the Internet interconnected more than 25 million computers in
over 180 countries. It continues to grow at a dramatic rate. (Colteryahn)

History
In its early years, The Internet was only a system of local computer networks in several
universities and research laboratories in the United States. In 1973, American computer
scientist Vinton Cerf developed the Internet and Transmission Control Protocols as
part of a project sponsored by the United States Department of Defense Advanced
Research Project Agency (ARPA). American engineer Robert Kahn also directed this
initial project. The idea World Wide Web, on the other hand, was developed in 1989 by
English computer scientist Timothy Berners-Lee for the European Organization for
Nuclear Research.

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Knowing how the Internet Works

Internets are formed by connecting local networks through special computers in each
network known as gateways. Gateway interconnections are made through various
communication paths, including telephone lines, optical fibers, and radio links.
Additional networks can be added by linking to new gateways. Information to be
delivered to a remote machine is tagged with the computerized address of that
particular machine.
Different types of addressing formats are used by the various services provided by
internets. One format is known as dotted decimal, for example: 125.45.67.89. Another
format describes the name of the destination computer and other routing information,
such as “machine.dept.univ.edu.” The suffix at the end of the internet address
designates the type of organization that owns the particular computer network, for
example, educational institutions (.edu), military location (.mil), government offices
(.gov), and non-profit organizations (.org). Networks outside the United States use
suffixes that indicate the country, for example (.ca) for Canada.
Once addressed, the information leaves its home network through a gateway. It is
routed from gateway to gateway until it reaches the local network containing the
destination machine. Internets have no central control, that is, no single computer
directs the flow of information. This differentiates internet from other types of on-line
computer services, such as CompuServe, American Online, and the Microsoft Network.

World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (also known as the Web or WWW) is a collection of files, called
web sites or web pages, which includes textual, graphic, sound and video information,
as well as links to other files. In the recent years, web browsers had to be specially
programmed to handle each new type of file. New programming languages, such as
Java from Sun Microsystems, enable browsers to download helper programs that can
manipulate these types of information.

E-MAIL
Electronic mail is a communication tool that consists of a network of wires and digital-
electronic signals. E-mail changes the way the message is delivered, but it does not
change the message. A message can be sent to an individual or a group, and when the
recipients sign on to their computers, they are notified that a message is writing for
them. They can then display the full text of the message, read it, and respond directly in
seconds.
Though e-mail may be a new communication mode, it still carries the importance of
knowing and making your readers understand your messages. Some would say that an
e-mail is the most informal method of business communication, but it is still best to put

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your best foot forward when composing an email, especially when coming up with an e-
mail message.
Satterwhite and Sutton (2010) advise that sharing and discussing announcements are
all appropriate for e-mail. If you need to address a serious situation or to address a
situation diplomatically, you should not use e-mail.
Further, Satterwhite and Sutton exemplify that e-mail can be used for the following
purposes:
 To exchange ideas
 To place orders or requests
 To provide concise information
 To leave messages when people are not available by phone
 To keep in touch with co-workers and customers
 To do routine tasks
However, Satterwhite and Sutton also reminded that e-mail should not be used in the
following situations:
 To avoid confrontation and uncomfortable situations
 To make negative comments
 To discipline an individual
 To send long, complex information without authorization
 To discuss personal, confidential or sensitive issues
 To respond to someone when you are angry or upset

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There are various e-mail formats and they may differ according to your organization
and/or cultures. However, for purposes of providing an example, here is a basic
example of an e-mail:

CHAT
Chat, as an online term, describes the way people communicate in real time. The term
“chat” is actually a misnomer. Typically, people in online chat sessions type messages
to each other using their keyboards. The message then appears on the screens of all
the participants. Chats can engage two or more people in a conversation.
The idea of chatting is that when you type a message on your screen, your receiver
receives your message instantly. This way you can carry on a conversation in almost
real-time.
Chatting on the Internet can be fun, and you may make some new friends while you are
at it. As a matter of fact, most Social Media Networks have added this functionality to
enhance the online experience of its users and subscribers. Facebook is one great
example. We send messages through the Facebook chat box to our friends, and even
those who we have are outside our own online network.

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HYPERTEXT
“Hypertext” may be a term that could be unfamiliar to many. This refers to a type of
document structure that is already being used (especially in on-line computer
documentation) and that is being used widely for the online interface.
For you to understand what hypertext is, think about a stack of cards. Each card
contains some information in any of the forms that can be presented upon a computer.
These could be words, pictures, drawings, animations, or sound. The “cards” in the
stack can be of any size. It could be a single sentence, a visual image, a chapter in a
book, or the book itself. Like cards, the modules of information can be shuffled and
viewed in any order, but unlike cards- which are tangible – the modules of information
are not visible unless they are called for.
Suppose you are hungry and decide to look for a restaurant. You can call up a file
called “restaurants” which contains a list of restaurants in the city. In it you find
restaurants arranged by nationality: Chinese food, Japanese food, Filipino food, and so
on. Because you are only interested in, for example, Filipino food, you don’t need to see
any of the other types. So you choose a card relating to Filipino restaurants. There you
find a list of all the Filipino restaurants in the city, along with the general descriptions
and information such as telephone numbers and addresses.
That is why it is easy to say that the Hypertext is a powerful information tool, and
perhaps, the most powerful ever devised. However, using it requires approaching
writing method in an entirely different way. It requires writing “modularly” so that text
elements are self-sufficient and comprehensible. Also, you would need to establish
“links” to allow users to connect modules of different types. Apart from that, hypertexts
also require establishing cues to allow for purposeful searching even when
predetermined links have not been established.

DESKTOP PUBLISHING
Desktop publishing is a recent technology that can do the following:
 Produce a document that looks as if it has been typeset, either creating the
writer’s own design or using prepared format for many basic documents such
as newsletter, flyers, proposals and other types of standard communication.
 Combine text and graphic materials that have been created in separate word
processing and graphic application programs.
 Design text and pictures by editing, resizing, trimming, repositioning or adding
and deleting text and pictures.
 Print a document either as a master copy for printing or as multiple copies for
distribution.

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This new technology has had a huge impact for different organizations by allowing
professionals in all fields to do a lot of things that only typesetters and graphic artists
can do. Even when you are at your own desks, you can create camera-ready copies of
reports, contracts, forms, newsletters, flyers, brochures, articles, warranty cards,
manuals, and many other corporate documents. A very powerful desktop publishing set
up consists of computer, software, laser printer, and optical scanner. With these tools,
documents that are elaborately designed and beautifully printed can be produced
without depending on typesetters, graphic designers, or even secretaries.
Desktop publishing is a very essential contribution to the evolution in corporate
communication.

SATELLITES
Any form of body that orbits around another can be called a satellite. However, for a
more technical purpose, this term is given to small bodies, which orbit around the
planets. The moon, as a natural satellite of the Earth, is a very good example. Just like
the moon, artificial or man-made satellites now orbit the earth, as well as, some of the
other planets in the solar system.
The first man-made object launched into space outside the earth’s atmosphere was
called Sputnik and it was much larger. It weighed half a ton and carried the first
passenger which is a dog named “Laika”. This satellite showed that a warm-blooded
animal could live in space. The satellite also sent back information about space and the
upper atmosphere.
The first American satellite was launched in March, 1958. Vanguard I was the size of
grapefruit and weighed only about 1.5 kg. By tracking its path, scientists discovered
that the earth is very slightly pear-shaped. Since the space age began, about 1.500
satellites have been launched. They are used for radio and TV communications,
weather observation and defense. The first “spy” satellites were launched in 1960.
Their cameras take pictures of the earth’s surface and they can detect rockets being
launched.
COMSATS
Satellites which are used to help people in different parts of the world communicate with
each other are called “comsats.” Short for communication satellites, comsats can feed
a live program from the USA to Manila in real-time.
There are two kinds of comsats that have been launched in the recent years: the
passive comsats (which simply reflect radio messages) and the active comsats
(which increase the strength of the message received). Active comsats are the
standard comsats that we use today.

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One of the most famous communication satellites was Telstar, launched in July 1962.
Telstar sent the first live TV pictures across the Atlantic. It orbited once around the earth
every 158 minutes. When it was in view from two different stations on the ground, they
could exchange visual messages.

Activity 7.1

1. Using the desktop publishing create your own informative brochure to invite more
students to study in AMA.
2. Make your design as creative as you are in making the brochure.

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References

Hemphill, P., & McCormick, D. (1996). Business communication with writing

improvement exercises. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
McMurrey, D. (2002). Power tools for technical communication. New York: Harcourt.
Satterwhite, M. L., & Olson-Sutton, J. (2007). Business communication at work. Boston:
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Scott, S. (2013). Make the connection: Improve your communication at work and at
home. New Brunswick, N.J: Rivergate Books.

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