[comp.groupware] Computer Mediated Communications

mjr@well.sf.ca.us (Matthew Rapaport) (05/24/91)

Well I received a few votes to post this into comp.groupware, so here it
is. I have not annotated it further except in a few places where the
intent of the sub-sections is very much less than obvious. My annotations
are signaled by '<-'

The book is: COMPUTER MEDIATED COMMUNICATIONS: Bulletin Boards,
Computer Conferencing, and Information Retrieval. Pub: John Wiley & Sons,
1991 373 pages (including index) ISBN: 0-471-51642-2 Suggested retail
price $34.95, but some stores (particularly chains like B Dalton) will
add substantially to even that high price..

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 1.0 THREE THREADS IN HISTORY   <- Conf sys., Info retrieval, and
                                   microcomputers.
 1.1  Electronic Mail                                 <- early history
 1.2  EMISARI, The First Conferencing System.
 1.3  Confer, Conferencing Experiments at the University of Michigan
 1.4   The Further Evolution of Conference Systems
 1.5   Philosophical Differences, and the Rise of Distributed 
                           Conferencing        <- USENET, FIDO, DECNET, etc.
 1.6  The Separate World of Information Retrieval Systems
 1.7  Microcomputers and the Emergence of the Small BBS Network
 1.8  Information Retrieval and Interpersonal Communications. 

 2.0 SCOPE OF CURRENT CONFERENCING INFORMATION RETRIEVAL, 
                      AND BBS TECHNOLOGY.
 2.1  Promises and Problems.        <- early optimism and current pessimisms
 2.2  Teleconferencing, Computer Mediated Cooperative Work, and 
                 Computer Mediated Communications
 2.3  The Versatility of Many-to-Many Text Based Communications
 2.4  Computer Conferencing in Educational Institutions.
 2.5  Corporate Application Domains
 2.6  Factors Contributing to the Success of Public and Private 
                     Conference Applications.

 3.0 HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOUNDATIONS
 3.1 The CPU
 3.2 Memory
 3.3 Mass Storage
 3.4 The Influence of the Computer Bus 
 3.5 The Communications Hardware
 3.6 Hardware Constraints on CMC design
 3.6 The Influence of the Operating System
 3.7 The Impact of IBM PC Standardization
 3.8 The Role of the Modem
 3.9 The OSI Interconnection Model
 3.10 The Impact of Data Compression Technology
 3.11 Developments in the Telephone Network   <-AT&T break up, new switches,
                                              ISDN, etc.
 3.12 Packet Switching.
 3.13 Other Standards Affecting Interpersonal Communications
 3.14 The Vulnerability of High Bandwidth Networks.    <- network failures
                                                       caused by disasters
 3.15 Future Directions.                               <- Broadband ISDN

 4.0 SINGLE AND MULTI-USER CONFIGURATIONS                  
 4.1  Variations in Information Retrieval Systems
 4.2  CMC System Morphology
 4.3  Data Structures 
 4.4  Architectural Constraints on Software Design and Extension
 4.5  The Influence of the Dial-Up Telephone Network.
 4.6  Expanding the System - Multi-User Architectures.
 4.7  Using Single Tasking Software for Multi-User Tasks
 4.8  The Advantages of Multi-Tasking Operating Systems
 4.9  Multi-Tasking and the Requirements of the File System
 4.10  Multi-User Systems and the Telephone Environment
 4.11  Multi-User Systems and Information Retrieval

5.0 DISTRIBUTED CONFERENCING SYSTEMS
 5.1  Replicated Conferences on Single User Hosts
 5.2  Distribution Techniques
 5.3  The FIDO Network
 5.4  Routing Mechanisms
 5.5  Distribution by Flooding or Broadcast    <- More Usenet
 5.6  Some Practical Considerations.         <- Problems with distributed CMC
 5.7  Bridging Networks
 5.8  The ISO X.400 and X.500 Standards
 5.9  Other Application Level Standards
 5.10  Distributing Information Retrieval Systems.

 6.0 THE STRUCTURE OF COMMUNICATIONS MODELS 
 6.1  Computer Models of Inter-personal Communications
 6.2  Information Retrieval Models
 6.3  One-to-Many and Many-to-one Models
 6.4  Social Origin of Many-to-Many Models
 6.5  The Role of the User Interface
 6.6  Communications Structures 
 6.7 Linear Structures and Command Patterns, 
        the EMISARI and EIES Model
 6.8  Confer and the Appearance of the "Comb Model"
 6.9  The Branch Model
 6.10  The Significance of Navigation & Selection
 6.11  Philosophical Implications of Conference Structure  <- message threads
                                                           vs. linear
 6.12  Graphics in CMC Systems
 6.13  Widespread vs. Restricted Access, and the Role of the
                           Microcomputer        <- potentials as front ends

 7.0 IMPLEMENTING COMMUNICATIONS MODELS
 7.1  Communications Data
 7.2  Physical Text Structures
 7.3  Program Structures
 7.4  Picospan and the Unix File System
 7.5  De-coupling Internal Structures From the Operating System
 7.6  File Abstraction in the COM Family
 7.7 Software Modularization
 7.8  Source Modularization with Program Libraries
 7.9  Requesters and Servers
 7.10  Data Transformation from One Structure to Another  
 7.11 The ISO and X.400 Messaging
 7.12  Extending Personal Messages to Group Communications
 7.13  Distributing Information Retrieval
 7.14 Object Oriented Programming and Communications Software.
 7.15  Architectures and Tailorability

 8.0 COMMUNICATION SERVICES AND SOFTWARE
 8.1 Conferencing In The Public Arena   <- review of CMC aspects of CIS,
                                        GEnie, BIX(CoSy), Delphi, and larger
                                        regional sys. (e.g. WELL, EXEC-PC,
                                        etc.)
 8.2  OTHER CMC SOFTWARE                <- Caucus, TBBS, Magpie, TEAMate,
                                        AKCS, VAXNotes

 9.0 DOMAINS, CHARACTERISTICS, AND IMPLEMENTATION OBJECTIVES
 9.1  Clarifying Intended Uses
 9.2  Generic Features of Idealized CMC Software
 9.3  Human Factors Impacting Required Features
 9.4  A Place for Electronic Mail
 9.5  Information Retrieval in Communication Domains
 9.6  In House Operation vs. out sourcing  
 9.7  In House Systems
 9.8  Configuration
 9.9  The Significance of Tailorability

 10.0        ADVANCED FEATURES AND IMPLICATIONS
 10.1  GRAPHICS SUPPORT
 10.2  Customized Access To External Databases
 10.3  Improved Information Retrieval For Conference Texts
 10.4  Automated User Interfaces
 10.5  Structural Enhancements For Specialized Functions
 10.6  Customization of the System's Interface 
 10.7  Modifications Requiring File System Enhancements.
 10.8  Effect of File Strategies on Implementing Directory 
                             Services    <- an example of implications of
                                         file structures on system
                                         enhancements.
 10.9  Taking Advantage of Specialized Devices 
 10.10  Developing a System From Scratch
 10.11  Conclusions

 11.0  TRENDS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
 11.1  Bandwidth Expansion in Telecommunications
 11.2  Increasing Desk Top Computing Power
 11.3  Recent growth in the Popularity of Electronic Mail
 11.4  Niches for Group Oriented Communications
 11.5  Bandwidth Plus CPU Power: The Demise of Text-Based
                        Conferencing?               <- multi-media stuff.
 11.6  Trends in Public Sector Group Communications
 11.7  Mass Markets for Group Telecommunications
 11.8  Mass Market Motivators
 11.9  The Growth of Ad-Hoc Networks and Distributed Conferences
 11.10  The Electronic Tower of Babel
 11.11  System Specialization
 11.12  Small Systems as Database Servers
 11.13  The Promise of a Broad Band Integrated Services Digital
                              Network

12.0    EPILOG

Hope this helps...

matthew rapaport
mjr@well.sf.ca.us