liberte@b.cs.uiuc.edu (Daniel LaLiberte) (03/10/87)
This is a response to Phillip Bitars message about electronic
mail social problems...
Written communication, and more so, electronic communication is
potentially unreliable in a number of ways. Compared to direct verbal
communication, it is more difficult for the sender to know whether the
message is getting through to intended receivers. Then again, with
properly designed electronic media, it may be easier to tell whether
them message got through.
As an example of what happens given an unreliable media, Usenet mail is
fairly unreliable. If there is no response to mailing, one does not
know if the mail was dropped before it got to the receiver, was ignored
by the receiver, or if the response mail was dropped before it got back.
Such uncertainty makes it difficult to maintain rapport if, at any time,
the communication is interrupted. The social aspect is that one does
not wish to explicitly or implicitly accuse another of ignoring a
message.
Since Usenet has no "registered mail" feature, users must simulate
it by always responding. To avoid degenerating to neverending polite
smalltalk ("thanks" "your welcome" "my pleasure" ...), some way of
terminating the dialog must be found.
Given the choice of two media of communication, the one with less
cost to the user is usually chosen. The question is what goes into
the cost equation. Reliability is a big factor for me. Guilt for
adding cost to someone else is another big factor for me, while others
could care less.
The social aspects of electronic communication is an important issue
since more communciation will be electronic as more people gain access
to this medium.
*******
In case it hasn't be mentioned yet, Computing Surveys, Vol 18,
Number 2, June 1986 (which just came out) has an article by Hirschheim
titled "The Effect of A Priori Views on the Social Implications of
Computing: The Case of Office Automation"
Dan LaLiberte