Media, Information and Technoculture 2000F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Semaphore Line, Western Union, Electrical Telegraph
Document Summary
Osborne & pike, loweing the walls of oblivion": the revolution in postal. Services were extended to areas of new settlement, and improved in areas where services already existed. Key concept mass referred to the fact that it was made available to the general public, because it had once only been usable by rulers and elites. Use of the postal system proliferated due to: developed network of mail routes, increased number of post offices, increased frequency of the service, greater variety of postal and financial services. The decreased need for face-to-face interaction had important ramifications for traditional functions, agencies and usages. Society had to develop a literacy for the use of postal services, similar to the development of literacy for electronic communications. Revolution occurred due to: facilitated private interpersonal communications, seen as a necessary amenity of every day life. Prior to 1851, the postal service operated primarily to earn profit for britain.