After watching McLuhan's Wake, and some class discussion, I am still wondering about his second Law. McLuhan's second Law deals with new technology being created and making a pre-existing technology obsolete. This raises an interesting question, because is something ever really obsolete? A new technology may be invented, and sold, but people will still use the old technology because it does work. Just because a new I Pod is released doesn't mean that the old one is rendered useless. The I Pod still works, and does the job that is needed. Furthermore, people may still use the old technology for a sense of nostalgia. For example: what does the flashlight make obsolete? The answer: The candle. However, is a candle obsolete? Most people still use them on a day to day basis, they still serve their purpose, and some people even prefer them to a flashlight. People's first reaction when there is a black out is to get a flashlight, but a candle can serve just as usefull. So did the flashlight make the candle obsolesce? I would have to say no, because it is still a popular item to buy.
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