To complicate this matter a little more, what about mobility? How can i describe SMSing as CMC? Yet, why on earth would i put it under a different category than IMing? And is SMSing Internet? Not by any mainstream understanding. All too often our definitions are driven by the technologies, the infrastructure and not the practices. And then when technology changes we go uh oh. I really liked Genevieve Bell's discussion of how what some countries call a mobile phone, others call a cell phone and still others call a hand phone. Finally, some countries are starting to talk about phones (i.e. the mobile) and landlines. Think about those different approaches. And why should it not surprise anyone that the only country that talks about cell towers is the US (and the US annex ::wink:: Barry)? That said what interests me most about definitional questions is how it sends everyone into a tizzy. I live between three worlds who are determined to out-termify each other: social computing, social software, CMC/groupware. It's honestly hysterical. I've decided to stop throwing hissy fits that the terms they are using are problematic and actually really consider how the developments that each claim as their own are actually different. Not surprisingly, the answer is not technology but practice (both in design and usage). If we want to talk terms, perhaps we should actually think about the practices instead of the technology or infrastructure because they're going to change more in 10 years than the dominant practices. danah On Sat, 19 Mar 2005, Ulf-Dietrich Reips wrote:
Hi Barry, all, imho we shouldn't attempt to find *one* new word for a conglomerate of different services, concepts, and psycho-socio-technological spheres. The (Inter)net/media/cmc/it world grew out of its formerly somewhat clearly definable pot and became a landscape of interwoven plants and other organisms. Only we're still used to being able to talk about it in terms of "the pot". It is the increasing frequency of moments of experiences like Barry's that suddenly yet steadily make us aware of a changing paradigm...
Let's differentiate, identify, and regroup our terminological entities!
Greetings from Zurich, --u
At 10:44 Uhr -0500 19.3.2005, Barry Wellman wrote:
I was speaking at a seminar for non-techies at MIT yesterday (not a contradiction, as these were community development folks from across the USofA).
And I found myself saying -- and my PPTs reading -- "Internet" -- but then verbally qualifying by saying, "well I really don't mean the traditional email Internet, but also IM, chat, lists, video, etc." (add your favorite including Usenet and BBS).
What to call it? "Computer mediated communication" is a mouthful, jargony and chews up PPT space. "New media" is too indistinct and PoMo: moreover, is email "new media" any more? We should focus on the affordances of the media and not on the newness.
So what to call it. My first thought at the breakfast table was "e-media", but I am open to other suggestions. I also am putting it on the list, because I am confident that others have had similar dilemmas, and that it would be best if we had a standard word.
Barry _____________________________________________________________________
Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman at 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 To network is to live; to live is to network _____________________________________________________________________
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