Intro

What is the contextual definition of Computer Mediated Communication? Simply enough, it is talking to other humans over computers. As stated in the primary introduction, CMC is much more than just Electronic Mail and Instant Messaging, though it encompasses those as well. When asked for an asked for an explanation of what they would tell an individual who believed that CMC was only composed of E-mail and IM, here is what a panel of experts in the field had to say.

  • "It is impossible for a large group to have a complex problem solving discussion unless there is a structure that organizes the content and the process so the group can understand, as a group, what has been done. By being asynchronous and having this structure each individual can concentrate on the ideas they have at a given moment and make those contributions unrestricted by having to respond to anyone person or the group at any one time. People with different talents can focus on what they can do best in the group activity. Until you experience such an effort most people using E-mail or IM have no clue to what is possible. Imagine an ability to vote which tells people immediately what items they already agree to and which they currently agree and that vote is used to let them know where more discussion is needed in the underlying content structure. Based upon the discussion any one at any time can change their vote so the system can let them know when new agreements have been reached. Voting is a continuous dynamic process guiding the discussion..."
    - Murray Turoff

  • "True CMC allows for collaborative work and archival of previous efforts, whereas IM is designed as a low or zero archival instant (disposable) communication, and email a short time one. Additionally, integration of other group communications (voting, marketplaces) are also possible since the CMC environment is designed as a "commons" to allow true interaction of those in the community."
    - Martin Lyons

  • "Computer Mediated Communications is an environment where all the tools are designed to enable efficient communications. It works with mature communicators, people who care about the society and want to learn or help other or have a purpose. Yes that is it, it is a society where people have a serious purpose, a common goal. You visit chat rooms and the goals are to build up egos, meet chicks, etc. Those goals are self centered, CMC can only exist when there is a common goal for the improvement of the society."
    - Thomas Moulton

  • "Organizations are human processes which computers can only facilitate with groupware. CMC is the science of groupware. Redundant processes may be automated, which is the domain of most of information systems science. However, the real power of computers is not just reducing repetition, but in optimizing human productivity. This is the domain of CMC. CMC is multidisciplanary; crossing the lines of computer science, psychology, sociology, behavioral sciences, and begs important questions in the philosophy of science. It should be noted that email plus IM are complete in that any group process may be facilitated with just those tools. A CMC system might be no more than a set of norms (scripts) for using those tools. CMC systems facilitate and (minimally in my view) restrict communications to obey those norms to encourage maximal group productivity in a user environment that maximizes individual productivity."
    - James Whitescarver

  • "CMC was a true collaborative environment that facilitated group discussion, sharing of ideas, dynamic interaction, and software tools that enabled research development and the leading edge of communication."
    - Ellen Lieberman

Analysis

There you have it, the difference between what many take to be CMC, and what the state actually is. Taking these concurrent quotes, we can extract the similar themes running through each to continue our definition.

  • 1. CMC is synonymous with collaboration. Simply enough, if a user is part of a group, that user has to participate in any group functions. No level of technology can facilitate a group that does not interact with each other. The system must help the user, and the user must interact with the system and other users.
  • 3. As the quotes and examples demonstrate, there are a multitude of tools available to the user that go beyond the typical modes of communication, Instant Messaging and Electronic Mail. The darling of the '70s and '80s was Computerized Conferencing, which is explored in-depth in the Specific Systems area. These systems facilitated many of the advanced functions mentioned above, voting being among the many user activities possible.
  • 4. CMC exists in two modes: synchronous (with relation to time) and asynchronous (without a relation to time). Synchronous communication requires that the two parties be connected simultaneously, as in Instant Messaging. Asynchronous communication is a bit more flexible, in that the user can log on and read communiques at their convenience. The principle of asynchronous communication is the foundation of computerized conferencing.
  • 5. A group must exhibit some measure of responsibility. After all, an organization forms for some stated purpose, so there is some measure of rules for that organization to follow. Typically, CMC follows a set of pseudo-Robert's Rules of Order for a structure, combined with any additional reinforcement rules can provide at the group level. Having some methodology of order allows for the most efficient communication.
  • 6. There was no number two. You can go back and check, if you missed that detail. CMC demands a distinguishable attention to detail because of the medium. All parts considered, plain text does not typically convey emotion well. There are subtle nuances that a writer can use to convey a feeling, though the point is moot if the reader does not pick up this detail.

There are a multitude of names for CMC, and keeping them straight does tend to become confusing over time. The names used to reference the field change as differeing papers are published. To ensure we had an accurate representation, we enlisted James Whitescarver to assits us in ordering. According to his representation, the early papers defined the state as Computerized Conferencing (CC). This rapidly progressed to Computer Mediated Communication (CMC), Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW), Collaborative Systems, Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS)... the list could go on for quite a while, given the three and a half decades of CMC development.

To properly close this topic, I believe that a quote from the interview of Murray Turoff may be appropriate. Though Turoff's exploits will be explained in full detail in later pages, one could suffice to say that he is qualified to make this statement as the "Father of Computer Mediated Communication".

The current generation of wikis and bulletin boards do not come anywhere near the abilities that the original INTERACT provided in EIES 1, and most people today do not yet understand what is fully possible in this area with respect to building highly tailorable communication structures. There is still a great deal to be done and much opportunity. Every five years there are new names for the same things, but they are really the same and need the same technology. Much of the problems reside with very limited capabilities of operating systems for true collaborations and the usually privileges of things like read, write are meager compared to what humans do in communications and there are something like 30-40 privilege such as being able to link things to someone else's material or being able to file things in someone else's space without seeing what is there.

The words that imply CMC over the years are:

Collaborative Systems, Organizational Memory, Lore Systems, Collaborative Knowledge Systems, e-mail, Teamware, Groupware, Message systems, Cooperative systems, Collaborative systems, Coordination systems, Bulletin Board systems, Group Communications, Teleconferencing systems, Computer Conferencing (CC), Group Support Systems (GSS), Electronic Mail Systems (EMS), Electronic Meeting Systems (EMS), Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS), Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), Wikis, Blogs, Asynchronous Learning Networks, Learning Networks.

CMC just keeps being rediscovered under different names.

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