In the writing ‘In Defense of the Poor Image’, the author wishes to point out that images that we have come to describe as “low-quality” may not necessarily be bad images. She points out that many images are made low-quality on purpose to send a message, or just come to be that way after being reformatted, redistributed, or otherwise edited many times.
I think the way she shows how image and sound quality are connected to social hierarchy is very interesting. Basically, high quality videos, music, and images are associated with an upper class. This can be seen both in how higher quality things tend to cost more or are harder to get access to (such as choosing between and HD or SD movie on iTunes), but also in how we as a culture tend to disregard things we deem to be of low quality because it is harder to see or understand.
The author also mentions how some people see a “low-quality” video as compromising the integrity of the original work. However, the means needed to view a video in the highest possible quality are not always readily available or practical. Also, it’s much easier to stream lower quality videos on the internet, and if you really wanted to watch or listen to something without paying for it, you’ll settle for the decrease in quality.
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