KNOWLEDGE AND
NEW TECHNOLOGY
Nenad Prelog
Majority of authors like to say that multimedia is a sum of all
revolutions in information processing, i.e. text, picture, film,
sound, etc. processing in the same time, on the same spot, with
the help of the same information machine. Some would emphasize
the connection of audio-visual strength of television with
interactive strength of computer, and publishing strength of
printing industry.
The simplest definition says that we are facing the use of
computers in the goal of enabling multisensual experience (eyes,
ears and touch; text, picture, sound and moving) controlled and
managed by user decisions or actions. Not to forget revolution in
customization: communication is not always mass communication,
more and more programs for specifical users and their needs,
active and dynamic, not passive or static communication. he main
problem is how to create creative public or audience, how to
teach them to use tools which are transparent enough that they do
not feel it as effort.
Why use electronic publications when the good old book give
answers to many questions? In the book we always know where we
are, how we get there, where are we going, and how much more we
expect. In the case of electronic publication the situation is
completely different - very often the only way out is to shut
down the computer. But, book is fixed and done, electronic
publication creates itself in front of the users eyes, it is not
the same for everybody. We live in the world of individuals with
different needs, harmony is in diversity.
Multimedia is a synthesis, but as every other connecting of
elements into new entities it looks for precedent crunching of
information in small pieces because we want to build new
contents. Information machine is in the first phase aiming toward
analysis; information are broken into bytes, pictures into
pixels, texts into characters. After this process we are looking
for synthesis, for integration; media are linked into multimedia,
users and computers are linked into networks, past, present and
future into virtual reality, etc. The user is now building new
entities, very often different ones each time. very soon new
contents are created, or we find new ways of connecting existing
and known facts (interactive novels, musical works, movies,
comics, etc.)
In the field of multimedia it resulted in a very interesting
phenomena: the sale of data in its very raw form, chunks and
pieces of information which have a meaning only in a context.
From data to information is still a long journey.
We can find today on the market:
- different sounds
- pieces of musical works
- pieces of stories
- pieces of movies
- graphics for all situations
- photos
- animated sequences
- facts
- backgrounds, etc.
To cope with the challenge of multimedia is one of the biggest
mission for our generation. This year we have developed a
graduate program in information science which will have a special
multimedia orientation.
Communication science, Presentation of information, Processing of
text and pictures, Design of multimedia systems, Multimedia
systems in organization, Business communication, Computer
graphics, Digital sound in multimedia, Video animation,
Interpersonal communication, Mass media and multimedia
technology, etc. are some of subjects we are going to offer to
our students. This program is offered to people in market
research, in education, journalists and graphical professionals,
and finally, to educators of any level.