Joseph, Yes, it is pretty similar, and I can see why the misquote took off... also in part because if you've ever seen the book it came from, it's largely an exercise in paper waste. I think Marshal McLuhan fancied himself a kind of Andy Warhol for communication arts, but he had a couple ideas that have stood up amidst the confusion. For amusement, here's a link to bn.com showing two of the books by McLuhan that relates to the saying ... and even BN lists the second one incorrectly. Look at the cover art and you can see the proper "massage". ;-) http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=medium+is+the+massage&userid=51HQ4VHTE1 (watch the wrap)
As for web programs, I agree. A few years back now I was just getting into web (only to make a website for myself at first) and I used Net Objects Fusion when it was in it's 2&3 version, and I knew right away it wasn't going to teach me anything about doing it right. I went back and took classes on hand coding, *then* got dreamweaver, which nicely doesn't meddle with code most of the time. Programs can help you do things more easily, but they can't make you good at something you don't understand how to do on your own. I know some beginners go straight to using dreamweaver, but they'd be far better served if they learned the code underneath. Even the best of programs can glitch or steer you wrong, eh? Ali Joseph Harris wrote: >Ali, > >*Massage* is very interesting. I never heard that. The actual meaning >is much the same, of course. When I first heard it I was puce with >disgust; now I understand it fully and doff my cap to his perception. >Information is all about selection; the written word is intellectual (in >emphasis), the visual is emotional - the spoken word may be eitherl. At >the same time from steam radio on the electronic gadgetry is increasingly an >isolating force. > >I very briefly used (a free version of) the serif web program, but found the >need to tweak without the knowledge almost immediately. Hot Dog 5 (and >Hmpro4) saves a lot of writing but makes one do it oneself. With all the >talk about Dreamweaver I used to think it was a whole new world like CSS or >SSI; now I get the impression that it is claimed to be the Photoshop of web >writing. > >Joseph > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Alida Saxon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>Joseph, >> >>True, some things have been lost in the tech rush - and a lot of people >>seem to think that because they have a typsetting program, they're >>suddenly capable commerical artists. Like thinking dreamweaver >>ownership makes you a good webmaster, for comparison. I've got >>dreamweaver, but I know I'm not at the top of the game. Pity some people >>don't realize the same with their layout programs. >> >>Ali >> >>P.S. Curious note, "the medium is the message" is actually a wide spread >>misquote. The actual quote is "the medium is the *massage*". Father's >>got the book on the shelf in his office, and would you believe the back >>cover has the misquote! Even the editor wasn't on the ball. Hopefully >>caught in the next reprinting. >> > > ____ • The WDVL Discussion List from WDVL.COM • ____ To Join wdvltalk, Send An Email To: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Send Your Posts To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change subscription settings to the wdvltalk digest version: http://wdvl.internet.com/WDVL/Forum/#sub ________________ http://www.wdvl.com _______________________ You are currently subscribed to wdvltalk as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
