Survival of the fittest as it applies to non-biological phenomena. Digital longevity using Darwin's theory as the framework. The "fittest" as it applies to digital objects is determined by info pro's who actively or passively in decided the so call "lifespan" by selections making the life or death of object.
The digital objects are understood using the language of computers who "translates" for lack of a better terminology into visual or audio formats for human consumption. This computer and software which characteristic will version 1.0 pass to 2.0. or properties will survive or data survive. We as human have traits just as the digital hardware and software such as, MS Office interconnected of their various products on this platform and how some "traits" from MS Office 2007 are inherited into MS Office 2013. What does this mechanical process imitation of a biological phenomena mean for digital hand me downs? View the digital formats as a living organism that evolves but requires us to create preservation tools that outlive and become evolutionary in application.
As we look at our system think about open source is represented and how this process has basically evolved on various paths by creator, users and how characteristics are directly inherited. Also, many technically advancement mimic organic evolution by (1)creating different designs and (2) existing designed are optimized for competition.
This article posit that an evolution process exist within technology and the strongest applications survive. The ones who make it determine the future just like the victor writes history and gets the spoils which are "econosphere" of consumers and longevity among formats.
Tamara, you have some really interesting points here about the near-biological nature of software development. I hadn't considered it from this perspective before. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic, I love the idea of a technological evolution process. Any time a new version of technology is released, it is tweaked and altered to make it better than the previous version. Slowly (or not so slowly) adding and removing aspects as technology progresses and either is survives (survival of the fittest) or dies out.
ReplyDeleteIt is also interesting that evolution is manifesting itself in our tools (technology) when the use of tools is an evolutionary step within the scope of humanity. However, maybe that is getting too deep. :)
Good post ... like the ecological perspective!!
ReplyDelete-- Dr. MacCall