Showing posts with label Task 1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Task 1. Show all posts

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Media and Text in context of Semiotics

What is semiotics?
The shortest definition is that it is the study of signs.The word 'semiotics' comes from the Greek word semeion meaning 'sign'.In a semiotic sense, signs take the form of words, images, sounds, gestures and objects. The study of signs is revealing as the ways in which signs are used, accepted and rejected.

A text, within literary theory, is a coherent set of symbols that transmits some kind of informative message.In context of semiotics a 'text' (such as a printed advertisement, an animated cartoon or a radio news bulletin) is in itself a complex sign containing other signs
For example,look the image below and what it tell you?

If you see someone
DROWNING

lol

CALL 911
In the old days, the image would have been interpreted semiotically as a swimmer's head and two arms waving for help and it seems just like a regular sign which telling people to call for help but nowdays initialisms are created through text message communication which lol means laughing out loud, or laugh out loud.Because of the simple text created by people today,this sign just look like a comment that suggests people should "laugh out loud" at the sight of a drowning person.

For me,i myself have see a lot of signs using text until today and sometime used it  too through text communication like after write something nice or to express my feeling for example,i ending it with text symbol like this "(^.^) " which it show the sign that i'm happy .

reference -www.history.ac.uk/1807commemorated/media/methods/semiotics.html
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