Are “the semantic aspects” actually “irrelevant to the engineering problem”?

At the beginning of his famous “Mathematical Theory of Communication” (MTC), Shannon removes the semantic questions from the technical task, and such exoneration seems to be commonly accepted, even for those who certainly care for ‘semantic questions’. However, the MTC communication model itself is...

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Main Authors: José María Díaz Nafría, Basil M. Al Hadithi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Paderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research Group 2009-11-01
Series:tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/107
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author José María Díaz Nafría
Basil M. Al Hadithi
author_facet José María Díaz Nafría
Basil M. Al Hadithi
author_sort José María Díaz Nafría
collection DOAJ
description At the beginning of his famous “Mathematical Theory of Communication” (MTC), Shannon removes the semantic questions from the technical task, and such exoneration seems to be commonly accepted, even for those who certainly care for ‘semantic questions’. However, the MTC communication model itself is built upon this fundamental assumption, which at the same time is used in other information theories and –even with wider practical consequences– as a design pattern for the Information Technologies. When the human communication is more and more dependant with respect to information technologies, the suitability of the communication model used to design the technological systems has to be put into scope. Non essential element needed to establish a proper human communication should be omitted; otherwise this technology could isolate people, betraying its hypothetical purpose. Comparing the technological model to other based on several pragmatic theories of communication (emerged in linguistics, semiotic, psychology and anthropology) is shown the insufficiency of the technological model, pointing out some elements that a new model should not forget.
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publisher Paderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research Group
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series tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique
spelling doaj-art-8ba12f4d0d5642f4b17ff68c73cb76702025-08-20T04:02:22ZengPaderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research GrouptripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique1726-670X2009-11-017210.31269/triplec.v7i2.107107Are “the semantic aspects” actually “irrelevant to the engineering problem”?José María Díaz NafríaBasil M. Al HadithiAt the beginning of his famous “Mathematical Theory of Communication” (MTC), Shannon removes the semantic questions from the technical task, and such exoneration seems to be commonly accepted, even for those who certainly care for ‘semantic questions’. However, the MTC communication model itself is built upon this fundamental assumption, which at the same time is used in other information theories and –even with wider practical consequences– as a design pattern for the Information Technologies. When the human communication is more and more dependant with respect to information technologies, the suitability of the communication model used to design the technological systems has to be put into scope. Non essential element needed to establish a proper human communication should be omitted; otherwise this technology could isolate people, betraying its hypothetical purpose. Comparing the technological model to other based on several pragmatic theories of communication (emerged in linguistics, semiotic, psychology and anthropology) is shown the insufficiency of the technological model, pointing out some elements that a new model should not forget.https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/107Mathematical Theory of CommunicationCommunication modelPragmaticsCommunications and Information Technologies
spellingShingle José María Díaz Nafría
Basil M. Al Hadithi
Are “the semantic aspects” actually “irrelevant to the engineering problem”?
tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique
Mathematical Theory of Communication
Communication model
Pragmatics
Communications and Information Technologies
title Are “the semantic aspects” actually “irrelevant to the engineering problem”?
title_full Are “the semantic aspects” actually “irrelevant to the engineering problem”?
title_fullStr Are “the semantic aspects” actually “irrelevant to the engineering problem”?
title_full_unstemmed Are “the semantic aspects” actually “irrelevant to the engineering problem”?
title_short Are “the semantic aspects” actually “irrelevant to the engineering problem”?
title_sort are the semantic aspects actually irrelevant to the engineering problem
topic Mathematical Theory of Communication
Communication model
Pragmatics
Communications and Information Technologies
url https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/107
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