Module 5

1-how might the metaphor of an ‘ecology’ impact on the way you think about, understand or use the Internet?

The metaphor simply states a crisis on information we receive from different media outlets.
The internet can be described as an 'ecology', given the overloading and superabundant varieties of presenting information, often creates more difficulty than one would expect.

Hence, one is reminded that in using internet wherein information is overflowing and infinite, the need to be picky and critical on choosing information should always be considered.

Other messages can be considered “pollution” to the atmospheric condition of the mind, leading to disintegration of compacted and unified understanding of concepts, theories and principles directly connected with reality.

Moreover, since internet is a 'grand highway of information', it could be necessary and beneficial to keep abreast of information that is reliable and warrants a useful application to knowledge formation.

2-how are the concepts ‘information’ and ‘communication’ understood within the framework of an ‘information ecology’?

Within the framework of ‘information ecology’ information is interpreted in a categorical sense, using some of characteristics attributed to the information phenomenon: the social, linguistic and historical dimensions. Information is vital in the socio-political process and formation of a society.

Moreover, whatever information conveyed and gathered cannot be understood without the use of language. Its historical dimension leaves us an understanding on its evolution wherein time will come due to digital technology wherein we live in a paperless society.

Moreover, communication inevitably uses different channels or mediums; it can be human verbal and non-verbal acts or using media and internet. Under the framework of ‘information ecology’ communication is not “just an object for technical manipulation nor it is something mystical.” Information is not necessarily a pollution instrument nor is it an ideal artificial limb.

Its potentialities can be profitable if we are able to integrate it within the complexity of human communication. “If we develop one-sided media, then we should not forget that human communication is double-tracked. No isolation of messages, information and knowledge can escape within the cloud of communication.

3-why don’t we talk of a ‘communication ecology’?

Such intriguing question may raise allot of argumentation and interpolation. Yet, it is quite interesting to ask why not ‘communication ecology’? It possibly has a simple reason why there is no attempt to study the ecology of communication. It may be because there is no one that can articulately, elaborately, and exhaustively explain the nature of communication. Although we can argue about what is communication, to talk about something of a one-dimensional aspect of communication can be difficult to express and theorize.

The more one deals with the concept of communication, the more complexities and hardships evolve in one’s intellectual capability.

Moreover, communication can be an enticing topic to explore, it is not yet in any way prepared to be studied from an ecological standpoint. Although information is abundant to support such a topic, whatever are the processes played within communication one cannot grasp the ecological dimension of it.