Typeface in the digital age

(Picture: Hangeul (Korean alphabet) is gradually taking importance in the design sector both from on and off-line world market of Korea)

Preface to this post:

The following post under this preface does not require you any extra knowledge in Hangeul (한글, Korean writing system) and understanding of the Korean web culture. It is posted purely because it is one of the ‘issued’ phenomena arose in and out of the web culture of Korea, where my home is based, and the place known as one of the ‘leading edge’ industrial countries with the highest proportion of Internet usage (80% of the whole population, according to the provided source from a news agency). I believe you will find the content of this post very interesting. : )

Here we go!

Digital age made us not to learn how to write a letter (English Alphabet for English language users) in a legible format, but instead allowed us simply learn how to type the keyboard in order to communicate with others. However, the ease of communication via the technology piece (computer) eventually resulted in the birth of a market that is sometimes necessary but sometimes unwanted. Observing a recent phenomenon arose in the web culture of South Korea does reveal about this very clearly. Today, I want to talk about the story of the typeface and its raison d´ tre in this digital age by introducing a case of South Korea.

SK Communication, one of the largest media conglomerates in South Korea responsible for servicing Cyworld*, launched a service of selling a ‘purchasable typeface’ (유료 글꼴, indicates not those genreally known and used typefaces like Arials and Times New Roman, but which are rather intentionally produced under SK Communication and other subcontractors working in this sector of business. See below)

(Picture: this is a screen capture of some 'purchasable typefaces' provided by Cyworld Blog service. The total number of 'purchasable typefaces' is close to few hundreds)

that is only applicable to their blog service since the dawn of the new millennium. Although in inception of this service was a little breakthrough to a blog culture of Korea (because there had been no case of categorizing ‘typeface’ as the purchasable item in a public use level), however, what SK’s got back from launching this unexpected project was an unexpected success; users soon enthusiastically embraced this commercial stratagem and became the most faithful consumer of it. According to a recent statistic reported about the tremendous success of Cyworld Blog service, the estimated profit earned by selling of the typefaces is now reaching close to one million dollar (US) every month, and a cumulative number of the download service up to the present day is approximately over 3.5 millions...

When typefaces were partly became purchasable in a Cyworld Blog service, it was more of less issued between Koreans (since typeface was not recognized as an important sector than other graphic formats of computer software), and this at least revealed one thing very clear to them; that the typeface as the most popular and freely used ‘language’ in the web culture is now requesting a credit card number in order to use it, and thereby typeface in on-line world is no more an essential part of a web language input through a key board, but rather a fashionized item of expressing yourself, your mood on time, and your uniqueness from others. The real problem here was that in the year 2000 when this service was opend to Korean general public, they were hardly believed the success of this business sector and had a great skepticism over the more and more commercialized web culture..

However, looking back in the history of mankind does reveal us about the fact that it is undeniable that human being has been spending money on purchasing clothing, music and diaries to express or emphasize their moods and selves. In this sense, some people are advocating that it is no a surprise that typeface must be recognized as one of the businesses that makes money under the idea of capitalism.

But as an opposition this idea, some says that the process of merchandising ‘what had been prohibited to be purchasable’ has always been regarded as a great shock too, just like the contradiction of selling and buying a bottle of water in the modern society; same way applies to the issue of purchasable typeface to our web culture (along with the bulletin board and blog sectors). Typeface to the web culture is as fundamental as the water to our physical bodies, simply because it is not just a piece of graphic format for fansy users but rather it is the representative writing format that governs the way of 'speaking out' (more precisely, typing out) our sayings and ideas to the others. You don't really pay a license fee to those ancestors contributed in creation of the English alphabets, simply because it is not only representing your uniqueness from others through a manner of usage but it is the basic requirement of you and others for communication.

Despite all these debates on going, sadly we are now facing the era where these necessities are already became purchasable. (although not all typefaces are became purchasable yet) But above all, it is very important to notice that the advent of purchasable typeface is something more than issuing the effort input by those typeface creators who contributed weeks to do this; what is the most important to recognize is that the complete commercialization of our web culture is on going its process, and this typeface issue is just a starting point preface to the prediction. First it was just a typeface, but who would guarantee that all other essential formats of today will become not useable unless you are purchasing a license fee?

Regarding this point lefts us a moot point that whether the developmental phase of our web culture is becoming too faithful to the theory of commercialism, or is it must be recognized as one of the rising phenomena in the true space of liberty and freedom.

So, here I ask you for your opinion. What do you think?

Extra source:

Here is the direct link to the Cyworld Korea, selling font service as one of the main profit earners: http://www.cyworld.com/mall/mall5_decoration_index.asp?effect_cd=35&decodir=edititem

Those who are interested in Cyworld rather than MySpace can also join to Cyworld USA! : http://us.cyworld.com/

* Cyworld is the most popular Blog service in Korea that almost half of the Korean population (that’s almost 22,000,000 people!!) is registered as a member. I will bring this issue in my next post!

ps. I've checked a comment left to my post and as a result, some contents and words are corrected now. Thanks for your advice!