Nathaniel states "Really I think this is interesting, but moot: it just depends on your definition" I would add that your definition depends on your perspective (also, I'll accept that the issue of definition is moot in the sense of debatable, but I'll debate whether it's moot in the sense of no practical value!) In any case, I think I understand Bob's perspective as reflected in his question "if packet transmission methods are specialized according to different end needs, then doesn't this argue for the presence of the internet as a medium, in the sense that its protocols are made to serve specific expressive functions?" But another perspective emerges if starting with a different analogy, i.e. instead of 'news paper is to printing press as IM, e-mail, whatever, is to internet,' try 'piece of mail is to postal system as IM, e-mail, whatever, is to internet.'
From this perspective, I can argue that the mail is the medium, the postal system is implicated in it and a necessary condition, but in and of itself, arguably not a medium. It takes the specific pieces of mail actually to convey/share meaning. Without them the system is only an organization and hardware.
This may not technically be a comparable issue to the internet vs. its uses, but does reflect a (possibly less tech savvy) user's perspective. In any case, I echo others in saying that this discussion is fascinating, useful, and more fun than the grading I'm avoiding. One more citation for consideration: Susan Douglas, in Inventing American Broadcasting: 1899-1922 (1987, Johns Hopkins UP)traces out the complex interrelations of institutional, technological, economic and cultural factors involved in defining a medium when she addresses the question of when, how and why wireless became radio. Eagerly waiting for the next contribution to the discussion Chris Christopher J Richter, PhD Assoc. Prof. & Chair, Communication Studies Hollins University P.O. Box 9652 Roanoke, VA 24020 Tel. 5403626358 Fax 5403626286 e-mail crichter@hollins.edu www.hollins.edu ww.aoir.org/