[Air-l] is Internet a '"source" or a "medium"? - ignorant's question

[Barry Saunders]

I'd say it's a medium, that stores numerous sources of information.


Barry



On 4/9/07, Maciej Kos <kos at gnu.univ.gda.pl> wrote:
>
>
> Dear All,
>
> Please excuse my ignorant question about the difference in meanings
> between a
> "source" and a "medium". Even though I would really like to study
> Information
> science or Communications [and with God's help I will], I haven't yet had
> any
> opportunity to do so and what I know is based on papers freely available
> online as well as in Elsevier's database. My background is Economics. To
> make
> things worst, I am not a native speaker.
>
> I was reading a paper written by a colleague of mine and noticed that she
> uses
> two words: a "medium" and a "source" as synonyms. For her the Internet is
> both
> a source and a medium of information.
>
> According to the Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science a
> "medium" is
>
> "information storage and retrieval, the physical substance or material on
> which data is recorded (parchment, paper, film, magnetic tape or disk,
> optical
> disk, etc.) or through which data is transmitted (optical fiber, coaxial
> cable, twisted pair, etc.). In a more general sense, the material or
> technical
> means by which any creative work is expressed or communicated, in print or
> nonprint format (...)".
> http://lu.com/odlis/odlis_m.cfm
>
> while a "source" is
>
> "Any document that provides information sought by a writer, researcher,
> library user, or person searching an online catalog or bibliographic
> database.
> Also refers to a document that provides information copied or reproduced
> in
> another document, for example, a quotation or excerpt."
> http://lu.com/odlis/odlis_s.cfm
>
> The same dictionary states that the "Internet" is a
> "The high-speed fiber-optic network of networks"; so it is not a "document
> that provides information (...)"
>
> However, I came across a lot of publications where the authors seem not to
> distinguish between "medium" and "source".
>
> As I said, I am not a native speaker - could you tell, if these two
> meanings
> have merged and I am simply pedantic or shall I follow the above
> definitions?
> Or perhaps there is a reason for using these to words as synonyms? Could
> you
> explain it to me, please ?
>
> Kind regards,
> Maciej
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ____________________________________
> I am looking for an academic mentor.
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-- 
Barry Saunders
http://investigativeblog.net
---------------------
PhD Candidate // sessional academic
http://creativeindustries.qut.edu.au
ph: 07 3138 0155
(CRICOS No. 00213J)