The Use of Symbols to Ensure Confidential Communication :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Since the industrial revolution, communications technology has improved at an alarming rate. From the invention of the printing press to the rapidly expanding internet, it becomes easier to communicate with others every day. One downfall of this revolution is that it is much more difficult to keep confidential papers documents secure. In such a volatile environment a document can be stolen, scanned, and sent to the rest of the world within a span of five minutes. Once a person gets a hold of this information they can read it if it is in their own language or get it translated if it is in a foreign language. If a picture, symbol, or badge, is exploited in the same manner through the internet, it will not have such a crippling effect. Although viewers will be able to see the illustration, they will only derive from it whatever values or characteristics they associate the symbols with. However, the people who are affiliated with the image derive more important facts from it. The y might associate the illustration with historical meaning, personal stories, or how the image was created. Literate means of communication are imply universal understanding while symbols have the ability to convey different levels of meaning and comprehension to different groups of viewers. This dichotomy creates different niches for literate and visual means of communication to be used in. If material is meant to be understood universally and to convey the same meaning to all viewers than literate means of communication should be employed. If certain details are to be communicated to a select group of individuals, then symbols are a more effective way of ensuring secrecy. Symbols indicate the need for communication and yet conceal the details and innermost aspects of its contents (Religious). Unlike literature, symbols can be associated with various tangible or intangible objects to different people. This is because symbols are not comprehensible to the general public. I propose that symbols have four different levels of understanding while literate means on communication can only convey one level. The deeper connections associated with symbols cause informed viewers to experience a wide array of emotions when they see a symbol they are affiliated with. Organizations such as businesses, fraternities, and athletic clubs use symbols to invigorate their members with emotion that is not supposed to be acquired by the rest of society.