Seven Key Concepts (lesson 3)

If we want to build a rich understanding of how media influence personal connection, we need to stop talking about media in overly simplistic terms. We can not talk about consequences if we cannot articulate capabilities. What is about these media that can change interaction and potentially relationship? 

Seven Key concepts, that can be used to productivity compare different media to an another as well as to face to face communication are: 

1- Interactivity

2- Temporal structure

3- Social cues

4- Storage

5- Replicability

6- Reach

7- Mobility 

1-Interactivity

 The many modes of communication on the internet and mobile phone vary in the degrees and kinds of interactivity they offer. Consider, for example, the difference between using your phone to select a new ringtone and using that phone to argue with a romantic partner, or using a website to buy new shoes rather than to discuss the current events. 

"Social interactivity", is the ability of a medium to enable social interaction between groups or individuals. this is what we are almost interested in this semester.

Other kind, include technical interactivity: A medium's capability to letting human users manipulate the machine via the interface and Textual interactivity: the creative and interpretive interaction between users (readers, listeners) and the texts. 

Unlike television, online communication technologies allow you to talk back. You can talk back to a big company of you can talk back to individual citizens. 

2- Temporal structure

Synchronous communication, such as is found in face to face conversations, phone calls, and instant messages, occurs in real time. Asynchronous communication media, such as email and voice mail, have time delay between the messages. 

In practice, the distinction cannot always be tied to specific media. Poor connections may lead to tome delays in a seemingly synchronous online medium such as Instant message. Text messaging via telephone is often asynchronous, but needn't be. 

Ostensibly asynchronous email maybe sent and received so rapidly that it  functions as a synchronous mode of communication. The beauty of synchronous media is that they allow for the very rapid transmission of message, even across distance.

As we will see, synchronicity can enhance the sense of placelessness that digital media can encourage and make people feel more together when they are apart. Synchronicity can make messages feel more immediate and personal and encourage playfulness in interaction. The price of synchronicity is that the interactions mist be able to align their schedules in order to me simultaneously engaged. 

Real-time media are also poorly suited to hosting interaction in large groups, as the rapid-fire succession of message that comes from having many people involved is nearly impossible to sort through and comprehend, let alone answer. 

With asynchronous media, the cast and benefits are reserved. Asynchronous communication allows very large groups to sustain interaction, As seen in the social network sites and online groups like fan pages, support groups. Asynchronous also gives people tome to manage their self-presentations more strategically. however word may filter more slowly through such groups and amongst individuals. one of the biggest changes happened by digital media is that even asynchronous communication can happen faster than before.  

3- Social Cues

Social cues is a term used to describe the non-verbal hints to guide conversation. 

Body-to-body, people have a full range of communicative resources available for them. They share a physical context which they can refer to non-verbally as well as verbally (for instance, by pointing to a chair). They are subject to the same environmental influences and distractions. They see one another's body movements, including the facial expressions through which to some meaning is conveyed. They can use each other's eye gaze to gauge attention. They can see one another's appearance. They can hear the sound of one another's voice. All these are important to interpreting message and creating a social context within which message are meaningful. 

To varying degrees, digital media provide fewer social cues. In mobile and online interactions, we may have few if any cues to our partner's location. This is no doubt why so many mobile phone calls start with "where are you"? and also helps to explain some people's desire to use GPS. 

People communicating in personal relationship share relational context, knowledge and some history. People in online groups often develop rich in-group social environments that those who are participated for any length of time will recognize. 

Some media convey very little information about the identities of those who we are communicating. In some circumstances, this renders people anonymous, leading both for opportunity and terror. 

to be continued...