CMC Definition
Most students come to college with CMC experience, such as using electronic mail (e-mail), chat, or instant messenger. Originally, computer-mediated communication was defined as a form of electronic written communication. However, as networking tools advanced, the category of CMC expanded to include new software developments, such as instant messenger and the Web. Today, the term compute-mediated communication (CMC) is used to refer to a wide range of technologies that facilitate both human communication and the interactive sharing of information through computer networks, including e-mail, discussion groups, newsgroups, chat, instant messages, and Web pages.
The driving force behind current changes in communication technologies is the Internet. The Internet is generally defined as a "network of networks" because it consists of many smaller computer networks that are interconnected to each other. Individuals exchange messages and share information through the Internet in a variety of ways. For example, people send e-mail messages, engage in real-time conversations through chat, participate in discussion lists, play games, and send instant messages to their friends. Each of these Internet genres creates its own unique social environment. For instance, instant messages and chat are used for fun and recreation; in contrast, discussion lists are used to talk about serious business, political, and academic topics.
Informatics and Conferencing.
CMC can be divided into the two major categories of informatics and conferencing. Informatics involves using the computer as an information manager and a system for the electronic storage and retrieval of digital data. The Web, for instance, falls into this category. The type of digital information distributed through informatics includes simple text, sound files, graphics, and movies. Advanced computer interfaces add visual elements and sophisticated computer graphics to information exchanges. As a result, visual communication is now playing a larger role in CMC interaction. At present, informatics is used in educational, organizational, recreational, and commercial contexts.
In contrast to informatics, conferencing occurs when the computer is used to connect people. For instance, computers support communication among students, between students and teachers, among employees, between family members, and between producers and consumers of products or services. Much of this communication occurs through the exchange of electronic mail. Additionally, programs such as discussion lists, bulletin board systems (BBS), and newsgroups support conferencing. Online groups are generally organized to discuss a specific topic of interest. People from around the world can read and post messages to electronic discussion groups and engage in a global conversation. CMC genres such as MUDs, chat, and instant messenger also foster social discourse and interaction. Although CMC can be used for both informatics and conferencing, electronic mail is the most popular Internet genre.
CMC as Media Environments.
CMC creates media environments by enabling people to communicate with each other. When talking about CMC, a distinction needs to be made between using computers as a technology and using them as a tool. When people use computers to perform tasks such as word processing or database retrieval, they are using them as tools. In contrast, when people are communicating with other people through a computer network, they are using the computer as a medium of communication. According to Postman (1985), while "a technology ... is merely a machine," it "becomes a medium as it employs a symbolic code, as it finds its place in a particular social setting". Thus, "a medium is the social and intellectual environment a machine creates". When people engage in CMC, they use computers to connect to a network of other people to exchange information and ideas. This new intellectual and social environment is often called cyberspace, which will be discussed in the next chapter. Once an isolating productivity tool, networked computers now support the acquisition, creation, and exchange of communication between individuals, groups, and organizations. These online interactions create media environments.