Calling for help: forms of communication
I am trying to compile a list of forms of communication throughout history. The reason for this is to have a single stop resource for authors.
Here’s my problem: while I can research many forms of communication, my experience and education is limited – I just won’t think of everything. So I am asking, please, help me compile a list of communication forms. Please be inventive: fog horn, smoke signal, Morse code, pony express, bullroarer (or rhombus or turndun), bell tower, pneumatic air tube, or whatever comes to mind.
Here are some examples of what I am looking for:
Calling Card: Notes left on entry tables in the 1800s to let people know they had been called on. Mostly used by women (and maybe for women). More info at: http://www.jamesfordmuseum.org/e_nineteen_cent_life.php
Signal Flag: Use of signal flags started sometime around late 1600s or early 1700s for communication between vessels. These codes are still used, but at not as much now as other forms of communication are more effient. More info at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Code_of_Signals and http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/xf~sfh.html
I would like, as complete as possible, to list all forms of communication with information about when and where it is used and by whom. I am hoping this will help writes place their time periods more accurately while researching projects.
Related post: Modes of Communication in Character Development
Music – For centuries, music has been used as a form of communication. While you could argue that the lyrics sung or spoken is simply “verbal” communication, the tone, temp, etc. of the music invokes feelings in the listener, therefore communication thoughts, emotions, and feelings.
I tried to find a nice, comprehensive definition of this online to post a link, but found only long, drawn out theories and explanations.
Thanks!! I play in a band and that didn’t even come to mind… I such a dork!
Here’s some that I can think of (I will have to add descriptions):
Bell tower
Blogs
Bullroarer (or rhombus or turndun)
Calling Cards
Car horn
CBs
Cell pones
Drawings
E-Mail
Fog horns
Hand Written Mail
Home Phone
In Person Visits
Instant Messaging
Journals
Morse code
Pagers
Pneumatic air tube
Pony express
Sexting
Signal Flag
Smoke signals
Social (online) games
Social Networks
Text
vidBlogs
Video Calls
Walkie-talkies
Hum… There was the telegraph… thing.
Also, I know you have a lot of aspects of the internet on you list, but what about simply the internet? People communicate a lot with basic web pages (not even social or blogging pages). Furthermore, the internet was conceived to share information between researchers – even if NOW it’s kinda unreliable and hard to navigate, that doesn’t change that at one point it was used for that purpose.
Very true, I could just have the internet. And I don’t have books or libraries – which somehow I thought of because of your comment.
Just to get started, I don’t see the simple telephone on your list.
Sign language (as used by the deaf)
Signal fires were used to tell of advancing armies (china and rome)
Ships used signal flags
As seen in the movies, flaming arrows may be signals to attack
Some armies used horns to communicate over great distances
Carrier pidgeons or other birds
Deliveries by mail or other services
The obvious would be verbal communication (in person or through others)
I believe that all of these are self explanitory and don’t need elaboration. I can’t think of any others off the top of my head, but I will give it additional thought.
Please keep your list current so that we don’t duplicate one another.
lol, thanks Jim. I don’t know how I missed the phone.
Jim thought of everything I was going to say, but Robyn says I should put down art as a form of communication.
This is a great idea. If I think of anything else, I’ll be back.
Thanks Myrna and Robyn. Looking forward to any other ideas.
I have a few more:
PA system
Megaphone
Speaking Trumpet
Cave Paintings
Petroglyphs
Pictograms
Ideograms
Writing on Clay Tablets
Writing on Papyrus
Writing on Parchment
Dinner bell
Phonautograph
Phonographs
Records/Record Players
Audio Cassettes
CDs
Film
8-Tracks
Enigma machine
Song
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_sound_recording
http://www.recording-history.org/HTML/musictech1.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_communication
http://www.archaeologyexpert.co.uk/TheMeansOfAncientCommunicationPart2.html
I’ll have to organize them and add appropriate info to make these useful, but I thought I would get the ideas out.
Street signs?
Street sign, absolutely, going to add that to my list.
Strangely, I added hand wrote a few items last night that are related, but I didn’t get street signs themselves. Here are some of the new ones:
Messenger/Runner
Scrolls with Wax Seal
Telegraph
Billboards
Signs (these were general; your street signs adds a little dimension)
Mile Stones
Markers (Mile)
Markers (Historic)
Telepathy
I have futuristic form of communication, but it is related to a friend’s story and I am hoping he will put it up here himself.
You can add:
Mirrors
Spotlights
Lighthouses
Runes
Didgeridoo
Hey everyone, thanks for all the help. I’m still taking suggestions, but I want to thank you all for getting me started. I have added a new page, Forms of Communication. I will fill it out in more detail when I get a chance, but right now it gives my master list. I will update it as more info rolls in.
iphone 4
I’ll add smart phones to the list on my next edit