Transcript CMC

Flemming Schneider Rhode, 21st March 2010
“A process of human communication
via computers, involving people, situated in
particular contexts, engaging in processes to
shape media for a variety of purposes”
(December, 1997)
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Asynchronous Communication
 People Communicating do not have the same
time availability
 Examples: Email, Blackboard

Synchronous Communication
 Interaction happening in real time
 Examples: IMing, NetMeeting, Skype
Canary et al. on Online Self Presentation (p. 175)
 Poorer Channels create ambiguity
 Threats to self presentation are often mediated
 Hyperpersonality
 CMC content is characterized by core rather
than peripheral topics
 CMC is assumed deliberate and purposeful
 We get to know each other faster, but also more
narrowly online
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60 Minutes Report
Career implications (Canary et al., 2006, p.
154-5)
The typical user spends about 20 minutes a
day on the site, and two-thirds of users log in
at least once a day (Cassidy, 2006; Needham
& Company, 2007).
Metaperceptions often inaccurate (Canary et
al. ,2006, p. 139)

Individuals are recognized by (Stewart, 2009, p.
120):
1) Personal Markers (e.g. writing style, avatars)
2) Online social conduct
3) Contribution to the cooperative narrative

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Issues of reliability and trust
Issues of anonymity
 Informative Aspects (credibility and expertise of the
author)
 Group Pressure Aspects (Unpopular opinions vs. blind
attacks)
 Freedom of Speech

What Is an Author (Foucault)
 Authorship is an idea, a not a given
 Texts and discourses transition from an act to a
product
 Author “function”
 Implications for how we see CMC such as Wikipedia,
blogs, and Open Source coding