[Air-l] Computer-Mediated-Communication.

[Steve Fox (NLG)]

Interesting...I want to say I agree, but then I hesitate. I tend to associate community with CMC, maybe because much of what I've read on the subject relates to virtual/online community studies. More household technological innovations, however, will allow one to communicate via a host of devices that go beyond the PC. For example, smart device technology such as refridgerator inventory tracking systems that prompt you to buy (or order for you) food supplies when they are running low. While it might be argued that a computer chip stores the applications that drive this technology, it can also be argued that the hardware (fridge) is not a computer - assuming our household devices don't all fall under the general classification of a 'computer'. Is there community here? And what communication is being exchanged - other than pure inventory data? 

-----Original Message-----
From: Sandeep Krishnamurthy [mailto:sandeep at u.washington.edu]
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 4:04 PM
To: air-l at aoir.org
Subject: [Air-l] Computer-Mediated-Communication.


Friends,

All of you have seen the term computer-mediated-communication(e.g.
http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/).  A friend recently asked me about the
PC-centric nature of this definition.  "Why is this not
screen-mediated-communication or device-mediated communication?", he asked
me.  I argued that, starting with the Internet, connectivity with others (or
community, if you like) had to be a component of CMC, but not other forms of
screen-based-communication.  By this standard, communicating through PDAs or
e-mail devices such as Blackberry was, indeed, CMC.  But, checking out the
weather on a kiosk was not.

What do you think?  Is the term CMC too restrictive?

Best,
Sandeep

--
To learn more about me, visit-http://faculty.washington.edu/sandeep


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