[Air-l] not wishing to start a war . . .

[Christopher J. Richter]

Nathaniel states "Really I think this is interesting, but moot: it just
depends on your definition"  

I would add that your definition depends on your perspective (also, I'll
accept that the issue of definition is moot in the sense of debatable,
but I'll debate whether it's moot in the sense of no practical value!)

In any case, I think I understand Bob's perspective as reflected in his
question "if packet transmission methods are specialized according to
different end needs, then doesn't this argue for the presence of the
internet as a medium, in the sense that its protocols are made to serve
specific expressive functions?"

But another perspective emerges if starting with a different analogy,
i.e. instead of 'news paper is to printing press as IM, e-mail,
whatever, is to internet,' try 'piece of mail is to postal system as IM,
e-mail, whatever, is to internet.'

>From this perspective, I can argue that the mail is the medium, the
postal system is implicated in it and a necessary condition, but in and
of itself, arguably not a medium.  It takes the specific pieces of mail
actually to convey/share meaning.  Without them the system is only an
organization and hardware.

This may not technically be a comparable issue to the internet vs. its
uses, but does reflect a (possibly less tech savvy) user's perspective.

In any case, I echo others in saying that this discussion is
fascinating, useful, and more fun than the grading I'm avoiding.

One more citation for consideration: Susan Douglas, in Inventing
American Broadcasting: 1899-1922 (1987, Johns Hopkins UP)traces out the
complex interrelations of institutional, technological, economic and
cultural factors involved in defining a medium when she addresses the
question of when, how and why wireless became radio.

Eagerly waiting for the next contribution to the discussion
Chris

Christopher J Richter, PhD
Assoc. Prof. & Chair, Communication Studies
Hollins University
P.O. Box 9652
Roanoke, VA 24020

Tel. 5403626358
Fax 5403626286
e-mail crichter at hollins.edu
www.hollins.edu

ww.aoir.org/