Transparency

Transparency can be defined as, of or relating to the ability to see through a particular medium whether this be metaphorical or literal.
Transparency in the media would refer to the ability of the general consuming faction to "get it" on their own. A media that had little transparency could be considered hard to figure out, contains poor documentation, is closed source, or closed information that only a handful of people have access to.
===Wikipedia Definition===
Aspects of transparent media include open source documentation, open meetings, financial disclosure statements, the freedom of information legislation, budgetary review, audit, peer review, etc.
Some organizations and networks insist that not only the ordinary information of interest to the community is made freely available, but that all (or nearly all) meta-levels of organising and decision-making are themselves also published. This is known as radical transparency. These organizations include: Wikipedia, the GNU/Linux community, and Indymedia.
For instance, I believe that by this definition an article that had footnotes, references to sources, or documented opinions of professionals in whatever field the article was referring would be more transparent and forthcoming than an article composed strictly of opinion.
===Examples of Transparency===
*"Wow, that piece of paper is almost transparent!"
*"This is a great looking piece of transparency film!"
*"I could totally see through that movies transparent message. There was clearly an anti-gun message in there."
===More Specific Examples of Transparency===
As a platform for digital media, the Apple Macintosh Operating System 10+ (OSX) can widely be considered transparent. Its success can be accredited to many things, including its beauty. Mainly though, people worldwide have found OSX very user friendly, and easier to understand/operate than its main competitor - the Windows. OSX is, brick by brick, emphatically more complex. However, the complexities of its architecture are what power its user-friendliness on the front end.
The interface is very "natural" in its responses to user input - from dragging and dropping, to file management. It was built with the intention of catering to all users, from the savvy to the.. not so savvy, and initially presents a very low inclined learning curve. As the user becomes more proficient, and as their needs become more complex, the operating system grows with them - unfolding and blossoming in tandem with their level of engagement. 
===Transparency with Transparency===
When looking at the success of a certain media, transparency is a key factor. In order for a media/medium to be successful, people have to be using it frequently and allow for its growth in the culture. To accomplish this people have to know how to use it, what it's for, and why they should use it. Media forms that have an obvious advantage over others are more successful, and people don't think twice about using it. 
Category:Concepts & Terms