[Air-l] we need a new word?

Ulf-Dietrich Reips ureips at genpsy.unizh.ch
Sat Mar 19 11:32:59 PST 2005


Hi Barry, all,
imho we shouldn't attempt to find *one* new word 
for a conglomerate of different services, 
concepts, and psycho-socio-technological spheres. 
The (Inter)net/media/cmc/it world grew out of its 
formerly somewhat clearly definable pot and 
became a landscape of interwoven plants and other 
organisms. Only we're still used to being able to 
talk about it in terms of "the pot". It is the 
increasing frequency of moments of experiences 
like Barry's that suddenly yet steadily make us 
aware of a changing paradigm...

Let's differentiate, identify, and regroup our terminological entities!

Greetings from Zurich, --u

At 10:44 Uhr -0500 19.3.2005, Barry Wellman wrote:
>I was speaking at a seminar for non-techies at MIT yesterday (not a
>contradiction, as these were community development folks from across the
>USofA).
>
>And I found myself saying -- and my PPTs reading -- "Internet" -- but then
>verbally qualifying by saying, "well I really don't mean the traditional
>email Internet, but also IM, chat, lists, video, etc." (add your favorite
>including Usenet and BBS).
>
>What to call it? "Computer mediated communication" is a mouthful, jargony
>and chews up PPT space. "New media" is too indistinct and PoMo: moreover,
>is email "new media" any more? We should focus on the affordances of
>the media and not on the newness.
>
>So what to call it. My first thought at the breakfast table was "e-media",
>but I am open to other suggestions. I also am putting it on the list,
>because I am confident that others have had similar dilemmas, and that it
>would be best if we had a standard word.
>
>  Barry
>  _____________________________________________________________________
>
>   Barry Wellman         Professor of Sociology        NetLab Director
>   wellman at chass.utoronto.ca  http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman
>
>   Centre for Urban & Community Studies          University of Toronto
>   455 Spadina Avenue    Toronto Canada M5S 2G8    fax:+1-416-978-7162
>	     To network is to live; to live is to network
>  _____________________________________________________________________
>
>
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-- 
--------------------------------------------------------
   PD Dr. Ulf-Dietrich Reips
     
                     Universität Zürich
	    Psychologisches Institut		 
                     Rämistr. 62
	    CH-8001 Zürich, Switzerland

http://www.psychologie.unizh.ch/sowi/team/#Reips

Zürich in March: GOR'05 
http://www.psychologie.unizh.ch/sowi/conferences/gor05/index_e.html



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