Digital Prestidigitation

Larry Lessig and Hans Rosling could not have made stronger cases for their arguments than through their magical media demonstrations. Rosling’s colorful migrating statistical bubbles made for better understanding of the Third World, but that was really no more than a magician’s diversion. Out from that sleight of hand, like a rabbit drawn from a hat, came the real message about the full use of data sources through their ‘liberation.’ Lessig, in his own raconteur style, used his three stories to also address liberation but in a sense that prescribes the democratization of digital technology as a path to reach freedom of creativity through the removal of exclusive and constraining legal strictures. In his case Lessig pulls a second rabbit from his hat by recommending a ‘third path,’ that of balance: letting the artists decide for themselves. The cruel 'truth' is however the real rabbit and that truth warns us to forestall the coming of a digital Silent Spring (apologies to Rachel Carson) when the pesticides and poisons of control stifle the music of innovation and creativity. Will it be too late then as Carson predicted to recover those freedoms from the deadening blanket of overzealous protectionism and again find the magic of creativity? We should proceed cautiously.

 

The sort of digital prestidigitation employed by Lessig and Rosling also carries a momentum that traces an arc from skillful use to prove a point to an enraptured ticket-holding audience to engaging a digital media audience on the Web. The one difference is that Lessig and Rosling have a captured audience, fixed in place, and the creators of web pages have six seconds (according to Carole Guevin) to nab and stab the interest of a visitor. This places greater pressure on the web designer to develop a platform that engages, maintains interest, conveys a message, and guides a visitor. Learning to manipulate the tools, acquire the skills, and pull off the trick leaves most of us feeling like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, wand in hand trying to conduct a maelstrom of colors, fonts, design, structure, presentation, and information. But if we can pull it off with a bit of our own sleight of hand then we will finally see real magic.

Comments

[Rwany Sibaja]

Always enjoy reading your posts John.

You do hit a good point: if you don't have a built-in audience, how do you build one in 6 seconds? If it weren't for assigned Clio viewing, would Lessig and Rosling hold my attention beyond the 30 seconds we give to commercials? (there's a reason why video commercials are 30 seconds, right?) I am not sure in their case, but would lean more to Rosling, and his visual displays of data, as a viewing that would have kept my attention regardless.

You magic analogy went right up there with a successful golf swing example this week: to be effective, a web designer has to juggle quite a list. But I guess anything worth its while requires patience, hard work, and a love for it.

[Laszlo]

John,

This is going to sound strange, but your post reminded me that Lessing had a new media presentation. I remember the substance of his talk, but, for some reason, the images completely blended into the discussion. Thanks for the comparison.

Now, I'm thinking about which presentation, then, was more successful in terms of media. Rosling's graphic was very interesting, and I kept thinking about it after I finished watching. It also was good at demonstrating the points he was making.

Lessing's media was good, only because it blended so well with his discussion. I need to go back, but, now that I think about it, some of the images were clever and funny. I remember smiling at times as I watched.

Which media presentation was better? It depends on what you want to do. Rosling wants to present data in a new way, and that is difficult to do in an ordinary speech, without visual aids. Lessing's graphics were a great compliment for his speech.