From Kaleidoscomaniac to Cybernerd: Notes toward an Archaeology of the Media

The author explains his proposed archaeology of the media. This practice draws on the work of scholars such as Walter Benjamin and Michel Foucault in its embrace of all forms of cultural artifacts as material for theory and its view of history in terms of discursive production. Where it differs from existing approaches is in its particular focus on historically recurring discursive patterns. The author offers examples of such patterns and proposes further examination of their implications as a means of countering ideas of technological and historical progress.