[Air-l] Re: Computer-Mediated-Communication

[Wendy Robinson]

I think Sandeep asks a very important question, well borne out by recent 
research on STS/cell phone communities, IM, Blackberry, wireless-enabled 
PDAs, et al.  CMC harkens back to a more US-centric time, well before the 
proliferation of Net-enabled gadgets that we have today and that are 
emerging, if slowed down by the global tech recession.  Such a 
reconsideration may return us to an earlier time of the first networks 
(electricity, telephony, broadcast) before stationary systems, necessitated 
by a plug, were institutionalized.  And it could take us forward to cyborg 
studies.  Thus, IMHO, the question connects CMC to the larger issues and 
theory of technoculture, opening up and amplifying Internet studies as well 
as making the topic more inclusive -- if perhaps too much so, as Steve 
brought out.

Thanks, Sandeep!

Wendy Robinson
Duke University