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

[Jeremy Depauw]

Some French researchers I met during a conference have suggested that
Internet could be seen as an hypermedia, which is characterized by its
ability to always create new media. I think it is a bit reductive but bring
some intermediary position to this question

Kind Regards,

Jeremy

2007/4/9, Barry Saunders <b.saunders at qut.edu.au>:
>
> 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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> >
> > Join the Association of Internet Researchers:
> > http://www.aoir.org/
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Barry Saunders
> http://investigativeblog.net
> ---------------------
> PhD Candidate // sessional academic
> http://creativeindustries.qut.edu.au
> ph: 07 3138 0155
> (CRICOS No. 00213J)
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-- 
Jeremy Depauw

The Power of Knoweldge Sharing and Skills Synegism
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