Thesis and argument
While these attributes of generating new media objects provide a higher level of efficiency and give end-users some creative license to make choices, this model of authorship is not mutually exclusive to new media. A historical perspective of artistic creation, cultural changes, and the dynamic influence of electronic and digital media properties help us to understand how we have developed this logic of selection.
Source of evidence
Manovich traces the historical evolution of art, music, and video creation to provide evidence of how electronic and digital mediums allow for the generation of new objects through the synthesis of pre-existing ones. For example, Manovich describes how the electronic music synthesizers became devices that gave the operator the ability to generate new sounds through the modification of the frequency and amplitude of an existing signal. He goes on to provide further proof of this by examining how digital images, video, and web pages have followed a similar path.

Analytical/Research Methodology
Manovich has used this historical perspective to support the notion that the substantial reduction in the ability to create new objects from scratch is a natural logic of selection, resulting in a new form of control for the end user. He supports this argument by giving evidence of how this approach was used with old media in the production of magic lantern slide shows where the authors selected pre-existing slides in order to put together a presentation. Further, Manovich gives examples of numerous archives of analog old media such as photographs, movie clips and audio recordings. The characteristics of new media technology has allowed this to be standardized, automated, made modular, and integrated into our computer-based culture.

Discursive context
In essence, Manovich is providing practical examples of how the unique characteristics of new media have contributed to the rapid evolution of the logic of selection in the creation of objects. He helps us to understand that so much of our existing media is based upon the modification of an existing signal.

For example, something as simple as having a telephone conversation is grounded in the conversion of our analog voice wave signal into an electronic object, which in turn may be converted into a digital object and then resulting in a reversal of the process on the listener’s end. While we may not fully appreciate the richness of these qualities on a superficial level, these examples help us understand one very important characteristic of electronic media - it does not have a singular identity. We can quickly see how this helps us recognize the relationship to the variability characteristic of new media, allowing “users” to become “authors” when a listener chooses to adjust the volume buttons on their phone. When we take into consideration the introduction of digital media, the level of variability is increased exponentially. This increase provides more choices. A new media object can now be represented in numerous versions and incarnations. These representations are determined by the choices and devices the users select.

It is fitting that Manovich selected the modern DJ as a representative example of an author in our current culture that embodies the characteristics of selecting and varying existing elements into new and rich artistic forms.

While Manovich has focused his attention on the positive characteristics and rewards of the logic of selection, there are many new factors for consideration and greater degrees of complexity that challenge those who are responsible for producing new media such as website content and software applications because of the newly generated power of authorship that is attributed the end-users. Many leaders and organizations do not understand the existence of these characteristics found in new media. As a result they struggle in their efforts because they have not included the logic of selection into their old methods and processes.

These examples given by Manovich in this section of his book provide a contextual understanding of the historical and natural development process that has led us to the logic of selection in our current new media culture.