Ambivalence Towards Convergence: Digitalization and Media Change

摘要

Ambivalence Towards Convergence offers a practical assessment of various theories about convergence. Convergence as a field of interest is a very broad topic, ranging from network convergence to software convergence, along with hardware convergence, media convergence, regulatory convergence, and market convergence, among other types of convergence. For example, the software installed on a cell phone permits the user to use the device as a phone, as a personal assistant complete with notes and a calendar, listen to MP3s, record video, shoot pictures, and much more. Instead of the software being designed for one function, as it was originally developed, it is now capable of a variety of tasks, having adopted software features from other applications and having integrated them. This is an example of software convergence. Additionally, the physical design of the cell phone (a piece of hardware) has changed to better facilitate these additional tasks, featuring larger screens and QWERTY keyboards. The computer's keyboard has been in many instances miniaturized and integrated into a mobile device, an example of hardware convergence.