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COMPUTER MEDIATED COMMUNICATION(CMC)

Computer-mediated communication?

Virtual community?

Social software?
TechnologyMediated Social Participation?

Information and Communications Technology?

Types of Computer Mediated Communication

Electronic mail (Email) SMS chat IRC chat Video chat VoIP phones Social networks Discussion forums Newsgroups.

Email
The

most common method of communication via the computer is email. Email is simple; you write a letter in a text editor provided by the email service, type in the email address of the recipient and click "Send." The letter is delivered almost instantaneously to the digital mailbox of the recipient. The most popular email providers are Yahoo, Gmail and Rediffmail.

SMS, IRC and Video Chat

SMS (Short Messaging Service) chat is the kind of chat sent from cellphones It uses chat software like Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger or GoogleTalk. IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is quite different. We have to use an IRC "client" like Chatzilla or XChat to access an IRC channel. Video chat is a mixture of SMS and VoIP technology. Using software like Skype, GoogleTalk We can actually see the person via webcam so we can actually talk face to face. With a good high-speed connection and a quality webcam, video chat brings an element of nearness to the traditional phone conversation.

VoIP Phones
VoIP

(Voice over Internet Protocol) phones are those that utilize the Internet to transmit phone calls. Instead of the traditional phone that plugs into the wall, a VoIP phone plugs into the computer and uses software to use the networks worldwide that we call the "Internet." It is cost savings

Discussion Forums
Discussion

forums are places where you can go to find answers. Usually, there are "moderators" for these forums, and we can find them for almost any topic. We have to register a new account at the forum, create a new "thread" or topic and wait for a response. If it is an active forum, you will sometimes receive a response (or responses) within minutes.

Newsgroups

A newsgroup is like an electronic public notice board on a particular subject. Newsgroups are a mixture of forum and chat room. People access newsgroups to post information, pictures, files and discussion topics. We can use Outlook to access newsgroup servers, or we can use a newsgroup client. Newsgroups are now less popular but they are still available

Virtual communities
Virtual communities are social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on those public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace.

Computer Mediated Communication

Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) is any form of communication between two or more individuals who interact and/or influence each other via separate computers through the Internet or a network connection - using social software. CMC does not include the methods by which two computers communicate, but rather how people communicate via computers.

CONCERNS WITH THE USE OF CMC:

1) Loss of cues: body-language/eye contact etc. may be reduced, affecting the communicator's ability to understand what parties truly mean. 2) Misunderstanding/misattribution: parties may misconstrue a gesture or statement, leading to erroneous conclusions about the other's actions 4) Parties differing expertise with technology: this may shift power differentials in unanticipated ways.

TYPES?

Asynchronous Communication
Asynchronous activities are independent of realtime and are comprised of activities, such as, viewing a web page, composing an Electronic Mail (e-mail), watching a video clip, or dowloading a file.

Asyncronous CMC
CMC can include anything that is text -based, uses ICT as a technological base and can be used for two way transmission of ideas. Examples of CMC can include: Emails shared network group folders discussion boards (forums) frequently updated hyperlinked webpages.

Asyncronous CMC

Benefits of asynchronous discussions include opportunities to think about the content and to address a diverse set of topics in more depth allowing individuals to conceptualize a topic from multiple viewpoints and to contribute to each others understanding

Synchronous Communication

Synchronous activities occur concurrently between two or more users including such realtime applications as chat rooms or instant messaging which allow users to interact simultaneously through text, audio, and video with other users located anywhere in the world.

Syncronous CMC includes:

Chat Instant messaging

Problems with asynchronous CMC?


The levels of participation are usually very poor with CMC for the following reasons: Posts to the discussion boards need to be frequent for people to maintain an interest in the boards. Checking the discussion board for posts requires learning to incorporate an additional activity to one's routine, which often means people dont take part. The asynchronous nature encourages people to give participation a lower priority.

Problems with synchronous CMC

Multiple threads of discussion are created which become too difficult to follow for, particularly true of those who are communicating in another language other than their first language. Individuals on a slow connection always lag slightly behind in the discussion.

The discussion tends to lose focus because of many side discussions. Some individuals cannot jump in because they are slow typists. Responses get out of sequence.

Which CMC should we use?

Can all of the participants meet at the same time? Is the activity time -then a synchronous medium is most appropriate.

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