February 2002 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Re: [Air-l] Re: Lurking
by Uwe Matzat 08 Feb '02

08 Feb '02

Dear Ben & others, you asked what 'personal goals' like getting status and making contacts have to do with structural properties of e-groups: the point is that structural properties of electronic groups can influence whether active participation in electronic discussions can be a successful means for a researcher to obtain status or to make new contacts. We do not have to regard a researcher's goal to make new contacts or to gain reputation as personal in nature. These are social goals that are induced by the research system and its career system. If we assume that obtaining reputation and making contacts, to some extent, are intrumental for every researcher's career advancement, the question is which properties of electronic groups link the pursuing of these goals to active participation in e- discussions. An example: Let's assume that a researcher's active participation in e-discussions is driven by the wish to obtain reputation in the academic system. We could then expect that academic mailing lists that are embedded in well-integrated research communities with face-to-face meetings stimulate active participation more than academic mailing list consisting of a less integrated community of researchers, since in the latter you cannot obtain much reputation that is helpful for your career advancement. The idea that a hope for reciprocity may stimulate participation in discussions of electronic group can be traced back to <paraindent><param>out</param><color><param>0100,0100,0100</param><FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>Thorn BK, Connolly T. 1987. "Discretionary Data Bases: A Theory and Some Experimental Findings." <italic>Communication Research</italic> 14(5):512-28</paraindent> <FontFamily><param>Arial</param>We can use different models based on different ideas about what drives participation in e-discussions (reputation, contacts, hope for reciprocity) for deriving hypotheses about which structural properties of electronic groups stimulate active participation. </color>I elaborated and tested a number of like-wise hypotheses in my thesis (see last email). Best wishes, Uwe <color><param>0000,0000,0000</param> > Uwe, > > Sorry if I'm being dense, but you say first that your focus is more on the > significant structural properties of electronic groups (eg their > embeddedness in face-to-face networks), but then go on to outline the > influences on active participation that are very much more personal in > nature - hope for reciprocity, status and contact. > > Could you clarify. > > Thanks, > > ben > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Uwe Matzat" <<u.matzat(a)t-online.de> > To: <<air-l(a)aoir.org> > Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 4:33 PM > Subject: [Air-l] Re: Lurking > > > > I am busy wading through my saved emails - that's the reason I > > react so lately to the thread on lurking in electronic group > > discussions. > > > > In December I finished my Ph.D. thesis at the Department of > > Sociology, University of Groningen (the Netherlands) which is of > > interest for those analyzing 'lurking' or active participation in > > electronic discussions. > > > > The thesis contributes to answering the question under which > > conditions some electronic groups on the Internet reach a high > > degree of active member participation (posting) in group > > discussions while other Internet groups fail to involve many > > members. > > > > The focus is more on structural properties of the electronic group > > (e.g. does it stimulate the discussion if an electronic group is > > embedded in face-to-face networks of researchers?) than on > > properties of individuals (e.g. does it stimulate the discussion if a > > member is an altruist?) that faciliate the involvement of members in > > group discussions. > > > > You don't have to read the whole book. In chapters 5 and 6 of the > > book, three models for explaining the active participation of > > researchers in discussions of academic mailing lists are presented > > and empirically tested. These models rely on three different basic > > arguments about which incentives influence the provision of help > > and information in discussions of electronic groups: > > > > 1. a hope for reciprocity > > 2. the goal to obtain some status in the research community > > 3. the goal to make new contacts to other researchers > > > > Since these models are instruments for finding out what are crucial > > structural properties, they leave out ideas about altruistic > > motivations, like group attachment etc, that could stimulate group > > discussions. > > > > Matzat, U. (2001). Social Networks and Cooperation in Electronic > > Communities. A theoretical-empirical Analysis of Academic > > Communication and Internet Discussion Groups. Amsterdam: > > Thela Publishers (ISBN 90-367-1541-5) > > > > The models make use of economic price-theory in a very simple > > way, so that the reasoning and results are understandable for > > Internet researcher who may not be familiar with micro-economics. > > > > By the way, the book is also online available at the university > > library of the University of Groningen :-): > > > > http://www.ub.rug.nl/eldoc/dis/ppsw/u.matzat/ > > > > Best wishes, > > Uwe > > PS: The project information on my web-site is not yet up-dated. I > > am sorry! > > <nofill> -------------------------------------------------- Uwe Matzat ICS / Department of Sociology University of Groningen Grote Rozenstr. 31 NL-9712 TG Groningen Tel: (+31)/(0)50/363-6237 Fax: (+31)/(0)50/363-6226 EMail: U.Matzat(a)PPSW.RUG.NL Social Networks & academic Internet Discussion Groups: http://www.ppsw.rug.nl/~matzat --------------------------------------------------

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RE: [Air-l] Have you received something like this?
by Steve Fox (NLG) 07 Feb '02

07 Feb '02

I would definitely be interested in seeing these. One of my interests is on-line healthcare communities. Thanks, Steve -----Original Message----- From: Gina Neff [mailto:ginasue@panix.com] Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 8:24 AM To: AIR (E-mail) Subject: re: [Air-l] Have you received something like this? Indeed this is making the rounds online, and I received a hard copy via old-fashioned post about six years ago. CMC is quite good a mediating older scams. BTW, the breast cancer site and the hungersite--while not scams, per se--encourage people to solict by email traffic for their websites, ostensibly to help raise money for those causes. However, both sites are run by a for-profit company with dubious accounting practices. I can send my clips on it if anyone is interested. --g. Gina Neff Department of Sociology Columbia University ginasue(a)panix.com 212.568.0965 _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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re: [Air-l] Have you received something like this?
by Gina Neff 07 Feb '02

07 Feb '02

Indeed this is making the rounds online, and I received a hard copy via old-fashioned post about six years ago. CMC is quite good a mediating older scams. BTW, the breast cancer site and the hungersite--while not scams, per se--encourage people to solict by email traffic for their websites, ostensibly to help raise money for those causes. However, both sites are run by a for-profit company with dubious accounting practices. I can send my clips on it if anyone is interested. --g. Gina Neff Department of Sociology Columbia University ginasue(a)panix.com 212.568.0965

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Subscribe FREE to Design Research News
by Ken Friedman 07 Feb '02

07 Feb '02

Dear Colleagues, Many scholars involved in Internet studies, multimedia, or communication also research in design and related issues. I am sending you an invitation to subscribe to a useful resource. Subscriptions are free. Full information appears below. Please share this invitation with your students and your colleagues. Best regards, Ken Friedman -- The Design Research Society invites you and your colleagues to sign up for a free subscription to the international monthly newsletter, Design Research News. Please copy this invitation and pass it on to your colleagues. Design Research News is a free, monthly email newsletter with information on design and design research. DRS publishes the newsletter as a professional and educational service. It is edited by Dr. David Durling, director of the Advanced Research Institute of the Staffordshire University School of Art and Design. It is distributed through the UK academic email facility, JISCMAIL. Design Research News publishes information on: * projects, * exhibitions, * conferences, * funding, * competitions, * articles, * books for an international audience of experts in design research, design practice, and design education. DRN covers all areas of design. Fields and subject areas include: * industrial design, * architecture, * systems design, * sustainable design, * product design, * information design, * graphic design, * design management, * psychology, * CAD, * ergonomics, * design history, * philosophy of design, * design theory, * computer science, * engineering, * art, * informatics, and * related subjects 4,800 subscribers around the world now receive Design Research News on the first of every month. Design Research News is NOT a discussion list. Only the newsletter is sent. To subscribe simply go to this URL: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/design-research.html Back issues of DRN are archived at URL: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/design-research.html Ken Friedman, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Leadership and Strategic Design Department of Knowledge Management Norwegian School of Management Visiting Professor Advanced Research Institute School of Art and Design Staffordshire University

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Re: Outreach Working Group Charge, with a minor tweak
by Lachlan Brown 07 Feb '02

07 Feb '02

This is a very welcome and an important statement concerning social inclusion and particpation, taking into account r+d in our universities, in industry as well as, obviously, the public sector. It is a helpfully misaddressed email. One that surely should not in any case have been confined to the executive of Aoir. I would be extremely interested to know the present demographics of AoIR, if these are known. Even a rough estimate will do. Lachlan Brown >The purpose of this working group is to >recommend an "external relations" >plan that considers how we might raise awareness of AoIR in the world, and assesses what "worlds" to reach. WE ARE ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN FINDING, HEARING FROM, AND WORKING WITH SCHOLARS INTERESTED IN RESEARCH AND TEACHING THAT EXPLORES THE MANY CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC ELEMENTS -- RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, SEXUALITY, CLASS, AND DISABILITY -- THAT INTERSECT WITH THE NET AND NET USE. The goal is not to target particular people or institutions, but to assess where there are internet researchers are not aware of, or not participating in, AoIR and to develop a strategy for letting those sectors know that we exist and welcome their participation. david -- _______________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup Win a ski trip! http://www.nowcode.com/register.asp?affiliate=1net2phone3a

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origin/meaning of CMC
by Barry Wellman 07 Feb '02

07 Feb '02

Joao Vieira da Cunha enquired Feb 5 about the term "computer mediated communication". My guess is that there are multiple origins of the term. I coined the term in the mid 1970s in EIES computerized conferencing [that's a term that didn't stick] that led, among other things, to Roxanne Hiltz's and Murray Turoff's first ed. of The Network Nation. Peter & Trudy Johnson-Lenz were active discussants too, I recall. We played with a lot of terms but liked mediated because the computer network intermediary did more than just Assist or Support Communication (we considered CAC and CSC also), but had a mediating role in affecting how communication took place. On the other hand, whatever Marshall thought, the medium is not the dominating message, and technological determinism has rarely been shown to be operating. Hence I've come to like Erin Bradner's "social affordances" discussion of the impact of CMC. Opportunities and constraints, but not determinants YMMV. Barry ___________________________________________________________________ Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 fax:+1-416-978-7162 ___________________________________________________________________

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Research on discussion forums and intranets
by Hyldegaard Jette 06 Feb '02

06 Feb '02

Dear list-members As part of a ph.d.-project on information seeking and social interaction in an Internet context I am going to study/investigate why discussion forums, e.g on intranets, are not used as intended by the sw-developers and -suppliers. Does anyone know of similar work on this subject or could help with suggestions to relevant references or resources - I should be very pleased, Regards, Jette Hyldegård --------------------------------------------------------------------- Jette Hyldegård, Lektor, Cand.scient.bibl. Institut for Informationsstudier Danmarks Biblioteksskole Birketinget 6, 2300 Kbh. S. E-post: jh(a)db.dk Hjemmeside: www.db.dk/jh tlf. 3258 6066 Jette Hyldegård, Associate Professor, MLiSc Dept. of Information Studies Royal School of Library and Information Science Birketinget 6, DK - 2300 Kbh. S. E-mail: jh(a)db.dk Homepage: www.db.dk/jh Phone: +45 3258 6066

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Job announcement (PLEASE DISTRIBUTE)
by Mary L. Gray 06 Feb '02

06 Feb '02

FYI (Please distribute this announcement to others who may know of potential applicants): The Department of Communication at the University of Louisville is looking for three tenure-track assistant professors to conduct research and teach courses in the following areas: (1) computer mediated communication, (2) electronic journalism, and (3) advertising and public relations. Ph.D. required. Successful applicants will be expected to teach undergraduates and graduate students and to utilize instructional computer facilities. Ability to teach research methods a plus. We also seek a tenure-track assistant professor to coordinate our oral competency program, conduct research, and teach such courses as argument, conflict resolution/management, and persuasive movements. Ph.D. required. Send letter, cv, official transcript, and three letters of recommendation to John P. Ferré, Search Committee Chair, Department of Communication, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292. Candidate review will begin March 1, 2002. AA/EOE. For more information about the position, call 502-852-6976 or fax 502-852-8166. African-Americans, Women, and minorities are encouraged to apply.

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RE: [Air-l] Computer-Mediated-Communication
by Steve Fox (NLG) 06 Feb '02

06 Feb '02

Joao, -> Are computers, PDA's, etc...only mediating communication? I think I agree with where you're going...That is, within the realm of cybercultural studies, one might argue that there is much more going on that just the mediation of communication. For example, PDAs, current messaging and cellular technology, and so on, do much more than mediate conversations. They are effectively changing the way we live and behave, which has some serious implications for the way we interact on a social and cultural level - you'll need to divorce savvy marketing from actual usability, but I still think you'll find individuals creating a slightly different cultural practice through the use of CMC-type devices. I believe the general computer industry is trying to make the experience as human and as everyday as possible as well...it's very interesting to see the field of computing positioning itself in the 'everyday' of modern society and culture. So much so that it becomes as important, or mundane, as opening the fridge or putting on your shoes. Steve PS Please note that my postings are not representative of the company for which I work. Being a part-time student, I am wholly interested in pursuing the academic challenges of how society and culture are embracing technology. -----Original Message----- From: Joao Vieira da Cunha [mailto:jvc@MIT.EDU] Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 1:55 PM To: air-l(a)aoir.org Subject: Re: [Air-l] Computer-Mediated-Communication I am puzzled by the use of 'computer mediated communication'. Is IT really 'mediating'? I cannot help but to remember McLuhan's motto 'the medium is the message'. Are computers, PDA's, etc... only mediating communication? Perhaps their role is more encompassing. If we take seriously the role of material artifacts in cognition and representation of reality it is hard to limit computers to the role of mediators. There's a qualitative difference between web-enabled computers and the telephone, at least in the sense that we have a wide margin to represent our identities on-line and very little if any over the phone or other 'mediating' tools. I don't want to quabble around words, although I do like computer-aided communication more than computer-mediated communication, what I am interested in is in being rigorous around the role of IT in communication and find out if it's more than that of a mediator. Any thoughts? Joao Joao Vieira da Cunha PhD Student MIT Sloan School of Management At 01:12 PM 2/5/2002 -0500, you wrote: >Hi all, > >Sandeep Krishnamurthy asked about the use of the term computer-mediated >communication. First, in response to your friend's suggestions: > >>screen-mediated-communication > >The screen on any device is not the system that controls the mediation - >the 'computer' and,software do that, while is where the mediated >interaction occurs. To call CMC 'screen-mediated-communication' might be >akin to calling letter writing 'page-mediated-interaction' - it doesn't >really get to the sense of the mediation. To continue with that analogy, >'pen and paper-mediated-interaction' might be better for letter-writing - >if one writes in pen, but what if one writes a letter on a computer, >prints it out and sends it? 'page-mediated-communication' brings us, >ironically, closer to a generalized representation of the literal 'display >of mediation' , but in fact it still does not really get to what the >mediation is. We 'writing a letter' is a gloss for a form of mediated >interaction between (at least) two people that involves one doing some >kind of writing 'onto' (we can include printing) some kind of physical >paper, then physical postage of the physical paper in such a way as the >written material produced in one time is physically made available to >another person. So I think the lesson from that is that the 'name' of any >medium somehow captures the 'sense of interaction' of the medium... > >>device-mediated communication? > >This is probably too general - a telephone could be device-mediated, as >could, indeed, face-to-face interaction (the device being organic but a >mechanical contrivance of a sort). > >So, on to CMC. Like, 'device', 'computer' has certainly become a term that >is now almost too general. However, by the same token most 'CMC systems', >or 'CMC media' have their own names - 'email', IRC' etc. So in some ways >it doesn't matter that 'computer' is so general because (a) we have >specific names when we need them and (b) CMC is a good enough >superordinate category to differentiate it from at least face-to-face >interaction, letter writing and telephone interaction in the sense that we >understand those as not involving computers as we now know them. On the >other hand, when the actual stuff occuring via CMC systems is discussed, >it is referred to by names that are more general, and different, than the >names of the CMC system. So, people talk about 'interaction' in chat >rooms, or 'reading' a web page. What I am very confusingly getting at is >that the term 'CMC' is situated within realm of discourse about >communication, and that it, at least, fulfils a task of differentiation >from some other forms of communication. It is not necessary for it to do >duty on every level, though, hence other names. > >This brings me to your point: > >>me. I argued that, starting with the Internet, connectivity with others (or >>community, if you like) had to be a component of CMC, but not other forms of >>screen-based-communication. By this standard, communicating through PDAs or >>e-mail devices such as Blackberry was, indeed, CMC. But, checking out the >>weather on a kiosk was not. >> >>What do you think? Is the term CMC too restrictive? > >I would disagree that CMC actually has to involve interaction at all. To >me CMC could be a checking out the weather on a kiosk webpage because CMC >covers the notion that I'm looking at communication on a computer. If I >want to talk about some kind of interaction happening via a computer, I >could also use CMC. But, as I said above, CMC doesn't have to do the duty >of specifically referring to every possible form of CMC. Checking out the >weather on a kiosk is patently not the same kind of interactive >communication as talking about the weather via email, but to differentiate >those we would want other terms anyway. If we were serious about >delineating interaction systems withing CMC, we might alter the *last* >term to make the kind of communication more specific, e.g. >'Computer-Mediated Interaction' or 'Computer-Mediated Webcasting' etc. > >On a practical level, CMC has also served very nicely to indicate what >many people are researching, and there is something to be said for that, >too. Then again, people have mooted lots of other terms to more >specifically delineate what they are doing, such as 'online-ethnography' >or 'cyber-sociology'. > >I wish my computer had mediated this email to improve its intelligability. ;) > >Until anon, > >Sean > >-- > >E. Sean Rintel >Communication Department >University at Albany >State University of New York >1400 Washington Avenue >Albany, NY, USA, 12222-0001 >http://www.albany.edu/~er8430/ > > >_______________________________________________ >Air-l mailing list >Air-l(a)aoir.org >http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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Subscribe FREE to Design Research News
by Ken Friedman 06 Feb '02

06 Feb '02

Dear Colleagues, This will interest those of you who follow design and design-related issues. Best regards, Ken Friedman -- The Design Research Society invites you and your colleagues to sign up for a free subscription to the international monthly newsletter, Design Research News. Please copy this invitation and pass it on to your colleagues. Design Research News is a free, monthly email newsletter with information on design and design research. DRS publishes the newsletter as a professional and educational service. It is edited by Dr. David Durling, director of the Advanced Research Institute of the Staffordshire University School of Art and Design. It is distributed through the UK academic email facility, JISCMAIL. Design Research News publishes information on: * projects, * exhibitions, * conferences, * funding, * competitions, * articles, * books for an international audience of experts in design research, design practice, and design education. DRN covers all areas of design. Fields and subject areas include: * industrial design, * design history, * philosophy of design, * design theory, * computer science, * information design, * graphic design, * product design, * engineering, * architecture, * systems design, * design management, * CAD, * ergonomics, * psychology, * art, * informatics, and * related subjects 4,700 subscribers around the world now receive Design Research News on the first of every month. Design Research News is NOT a discussion list. Only the newsletter is sent. To subscribe simply go to this URL: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/design-research.html Back issues of DRN are archived at URL: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/design-research.html Ken Friedman, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Leadership and Strategic Design Department of Knowledge Management Norwegian School of Management Visiting Professor Advanced Research Institute School of Art and Design Staffordshire University

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