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- Introduction to Computer-Mediated Communications
- Email Instructor
- Create an Account
- Post welcome message to EZBoard.
- Begin research for online communities project.
Computer-mediated communication and its relationship to distributed networks is possibly one of the major technological innovations of the late 20th century. We see the powerful effects of digital technologies on education, business, politics and culture. The ubiquitous PC is transforming the way professionals work, and the kinds of work they do.
Critics of these developments point to disruptive shifts in the workforce and lost efficiencies, new patterns of exploitation, poor software design, wasteful hardware upgrades, and new versions of social alienation. At the same time, there is an active campaign in the media to promote the digital revolution as good for the economy, and it is sometimes difficult to gain a perspective on how one should navigate these transformations.
Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) have made computing more user-friendly, and have converted the word processor from an intelligent typewriter into a multi-tasking, multimedia production centre capable of importing charts, graphs, spreadsheets, images, photographs and maps into our reports. Simultaneously, the layout options which come as standard features in most contemporary word-processors have raised the general standards of document design and production. These technologically-supported competencies mean that graduates, even for entry-level jobs, are required to demonstrate skills that were only recently the province of specialists like statisticians and graphic designers.
Electronic mail has had an equally powerful and widespread impact on communication within and among organizations and businesses. As Don Tapscott documents in his 1995 book The Digital Economy, distributed networks with e-mail at their core are revolutionizing how corporations and organizations are doing business. In trades and technologies, e-mail is routinely used for joint international research projects as well as for problem-solving. Businesses, organizations, and professionals of all stripes increasingly use international listservs (a form of e-mail) to discuss current developments in their fields. New applications for working collaboratively on the internet are being developed for both work and play. Access to the Internet is rapidly becoming the norm in business, technology and the professions, and with that access comes a demand for new research and communications skills. Prospective employees will need to know not just how to find information on the internet, but also how to discriminate among competing masses of information. And as businesses and services flock to the newest version of the internet--the multimedia World Wide Web--graduates will need the skills to produce electronic documents which are both informative and persuasive for that medium.
There are also some troubling social effects associated with these changes that continue to pose problems for individuals, employers, and governments. Surveillance, censorship, and increasing intrusions into what were formerly private spaces will have unforseen social impacts. New demands on accessibility and time--for example with cell phones and email--are placing additional stresses at home and in the workplace. As new social hierarchies and patterns of power evolve, the digital revolution will require new interpersonal communication skills and ways of managing conflict and change.
The ability to use these new applications is not a simple matter of adding on discrete skills to an existing knowledge base. These new media alter the messages they deliver. They have created a new rhetoric and workplace demand for highly-focused writing and research abilities. In addition to the practical skills needed to use these applications, graduates need a strong theoretical base enabling them to understand the potential and applicability of these systems so they can make appropriate use of them. This course, consequently, is built on a strong foundation of writing, research and critical thinking skills students have developed in their first year English courses.
Send an e-mail to the instructor with contact information: how you can reliably be reached by email and phone for the semester. If you already have an email account, you should use that for the course. If you do not have an existing email account, you can create one easily at Hotmail, Yahoo!, Excite, or other web-based email servers. Since I will be making a distribution list with your email addresses, try not to change your address for the semester. If you do, let me know so I can update the contact list.
It is necessary for you to have your own internet access on a regular basis, and you can do this either from home (or work!) or in the Malaspina computer labs. As a registrant for the course, you are entitled to a student web account at Malaspina which gives you access to data storage on the Malaspina server for webpages. You can set up your student account on the WWW. Go to http://it.mala.bc.ca/students/Accounts/Account_creation.htm.
Since you are entering a secure sector of the network, you will have to go through a series of security certificates to reach the account creation page. Once there, follow the instructions for establishing your personal profile and web account. You will need your student number. Your password must be between 6 and 32 letters long. Write your password and account name down where you can find them. If you forget your password, you will have to go to the Help Desk on the ground floor of the Library with some picture ID to prove who you are. The people on the Help Desk can't recover your old password, but will help you create a new one.
In creating an account, you are establishing two things: (1) a dedicated storage space and web folder on the Discovery server (8.5 Mb); and (2) a roaming profile (1.5 Mb) that you can log onto from any networked computer on campus. The roaming profile allows you to customize your desktop and settings. The web folder allows you to create a website when you place files in it. You will be using this web account--or its equivalent-- to post your assignments, so it's important that you feel comfortable accessing it. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, remote access to the web folders is not working, so files have to be moved into the web folder in one of the labs. There are also some identified bugs related to file access using the web folder system. If at all possible, I'd recommend that you establish your own server connection with an ISP of choice.
To introduce yourself to the other course participants, go to the Computer-Mediated Communication community I have created on EZBoard. You'll have to create an account and log in the first time, but people tell me it is easier than using the Usenet newsgroup method of discussion. Once you are logged in, select Computer-Mediated Communication, then select Welcome. Select Add Reply to continue the topic thread and continue with your own welcome message. Tell us something about your interests and plans!! Remember: this is a writing course (among other things) so let us hear you.
Your first extended assignment for the course is to write a profile of an online community. Online communities are too numerous to categorize effectively, but you might think of them being organized by a particular interest--gaming, sports, buying and selling (eBay), science, law, writing, art, hacking et al; or by a medium: MSN, ICQ, chat, file sharing, P2P (peer-to-peer), newsgroups, email, MUDs, virtual worlds, linked websites (webrings), blogs, alternate news sources, magazines etc. Most online communities are similar to cultures in that they demonstrate a style, particular uses of language, a repertoire of activities and rituals, jargon and insider references and jokes, a history, famous individuals and leaders, and sometimes an archive of secrets, or at least FAQs (frequently asked questions). Your assignment is to post a 300 to 400 word report on an online community to our own online community at EZBoard under the topic--you guessed it--Online Communities. The due date is January 22nd by 2:30 p.m.
For an excellent early overview of the subject, see Howard Rheingold's The Virtual Community.
For a well-reviewed online gaming community, check out the The Sims Online.
Some Background: Since its early days, the internet has represented a strong vision of community-building: the network of nodes and links which hoped to withstand a nuclear attack connected a community of researchers and scientists, first across the United States, then around the world. In many accounts, email was the killer application of the internet, allowing those with access to large mainframes to share not only research findings, but to communicate about everything from new software to their favorite science fiction stories. Over 30 years later, email continues to be a widespread communication medium reshaping how people communicate and how they spend their time.
The creation of the Usenet hierarchy of newsgroups enabled the whole phenomenon of online discussion groups:
In the world of online communication, a distinction is made between synchronous and asynchronous conferencing. Synchronous conferencing describes applications where the people involved are online at the same time, and includes such technologies as video conferencing, networked games like Quake, MSN Messaging, CHAT, ICQ, and other conferencing systems such as First Class. Asynchronous conferencing allows people to communicate with one another at any time, and does not require that everyone involved in the communication be online simultaneously. These applications include bulletin boards (BBSs), Usenet (newsgroups), Listservs, hypernews, and email. Each of these applications - both synchronous and asynchronous - have their unique characteristics, but we might hazard a few comparisons: - Synchronous conferencing requires that everyone involved in the communication be online at the same time, and this restriction might prevent some from participating. The live-action of synchronous conferencing encourages spontaneous, informal, and improvised communication styles. Since the communication is live, it is sometimes vulnerable to networking conditions: system crashes, software conflicts, restricted bandwidth slowing response time etc. These performance aspects of the hardware are particularly relevant to networked gaming.
- Asynchronous conferencing allows people to "time-shift," to participate in a dialogue at a time that is convenient. It is thus considered more inclusive in some applications, especially in distance education. The delayed-action of asynchronous conferencing allows for greater deliberation in message composition, so spontaneity, improvisation, and informality are not as evident in these forums. Asynchronous conferencing is also less vulnerable to network conditions.
Various synchronous and asynchronous applications support one-to-one or one-to-many communications, and this distinction will certainly have a bearing on the nature of the message. If we know that many people will read a newsgroup posting, for example, we might take more care in our preparation of it. The ability to respond quickly in either model often leads to ill-advised communications - resulting in "flame wars" - and different expectations regarding response time. For example, if you post a message to a newsgroup, you might anticipate an immediate response, and you might feel disappointment when it is not forthcoming. It is in this respect that online communication forces us to rethink our notions of performance. Since both synchronous and asynchronous media are "computer-mediated," your identity and appearance are often open to interpretation. Much has been written about the nature of identity on the Internet, about avatars (digital substitutes or representatives), and impersonators. (For example, see
Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community, Judith S. Donath.
In Kollock, P. and Smith M. (eds). Communities in Cyberspace.
London: Routledge, 1996.) 
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