My second day of reading in the Introduction to Communication helped me understand in identifying if the symbol you see is Arbitrary.
I had to describe and comment on a sign that I noticed in the media (online,
on TV, in advertising, in a book or newspaper or magazine, etc.). And answer questions:
Was
the sign a symbol, an icon, an index, or some combination? What was the sign's
signifier? What was its signified?
So I was in
the middle of completing my online research for work and had trouble loading a
particular webpage then I noticed a pop-up window with a “red shield”. The sign
was a symbol because it has no direct connection to the referent; it could be a
McAffee Virus Scan Shield. The signifier (elements of the red shield – color,
shield, & the letter x in the shield).
It signified a warning to internet users that it is not safe to open the
website; it may indicate an attempt to fool you or intercept any data you send
to the server.
Not all internet users are
knowledgeable or highly oriented about the world of internet and because of
this lack of knowledge some signs found while browsing the net would imply
different meanings to users. The “red shield” is arbitrary in such a way that
other internet users such as kids would possibly look at it as a game button;
it could be a logo used by an organization or to an event like The Salvation
Army’s annual fund raising campaign.
More questions I answered:
How would subjectivity, negotiation,
and/or culture
(all described in chapter 3) affect how you and other people might
differently interpret the sign you discussed? What possible
miscommunications (or other communication or interpretation problems) might
come about as a result? How might these communication problems be prevented or
minimized?--or could they be?
NEGOTIATION
As internet users learn the
outcome of not receiving the sign’s message correctly, or as the sign appears
on a webpage repeatedly while surfing the net, some of internet users would
take part in learning the primary meaning of the sign.
CULTURE
The more the “red shield” appears
to internet users while browsing the net, some internet users would take part
in learning the message of the sign is trying to deliver, as a result of
negotiation, I and other internet users would develop a common meaning to the
sign. Or the more time an individual spends using the internet, the more
chances of encountering the “red shield” sign which will eventually make you
understand the message it’s trying to send.
COMMUNICATION
PROBLEM
A communication problem may
occur, for instance, when some internet users do not understand the message of
the sign (red shield) created by webmasters/programmers to send a warning to
the internet users.
PREVENT
COMMUNICATION PROBLEM
For the example I illustrated,
the message of the sign needs to be re-sent for internet users to understand
the message. Or the webmasters/programmers need to say it loud in the context
of re-designing the sign (clear & big; add words) to add more meaning.
