Social-Technical Systems

2006 ◽  
pp. 533-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Whitworth
Keyword(s):  
Computer System ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
The People ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Bulletin Boards ◽  
Technical Systems ◽  
E Mail ◽  
Social Level

Computer systems have long been seen as more than just mechanical systems (Boulding, 1956). They seem to be systems in a general sense (Churchman, 1979), with system elements, like a boundary, common to other systems (Whitworth & Zaic, 2003). A computer system of chips and circuits is also a software system of information exchanges. Today, the system is also the human-computer combination (Alter, 1999); for example, a plane is mechanical, its computer controls are informational, but the plane plus pilot is also a system: a human-computer system. Human-computer interaction (HCI) sees computers as more than just technology (hardware and software). Computing has reinvented itself each decade or so, from hardware in the 1950s and 1960s, to commercial information processors in the 1970s, to personal computers in the 1980s, to computers as communication tools in the 1990s. At each stage, system performance increased. This decade seems to be that of social computing, in which software serves not just people but society, and systems like e-mail, chat rooms, and bulletin boards have a social level. Human-factors research has expanded from computer usability (individual), to computer-mediated communication (largely dyads), to virtual communities (social groups). The infrastructure is technology, but the overall system is personal and social, with all that implies. Do social systems mediated by technology differ from those mediated by the natural world? The means of interaction, a computer network, is virtual, but the people involved are real. One can be as upset by an e-mail as by a letter. Online and physical communities have a different architectural base, but the social level is still people communicating with people. This suggests computer-mediated communities operate by the same principles as physical communities; that is, virtual society is still a society, and friendships cross seamlessly from face-to-face to e-mail interaction. Table 1 suggests four computer system levels, matching the idea of an information system as hardware, software, people, and business processes (Alter, 2001). Social-technical systems arise when cognitive and social interaction is mediated by information technology rather than the natural world.

My Click is My Bond

Gamification ◽  
2015 ◽  
pp. 1734-1750
Author(s):  
Jonathan Bishop
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Contract Law ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
The People ◽  
Computer Mediated

The growth in Internet use is not only placing pressure on service providers to maintain adequate bandwidth but also the people who run the Websites that operate through them. Called systems operators, or sysops, these people face a number of different obligations arising out of the use of their computer-mediated communication platforms. Most notable are contracts, which nearly all Websites have, and in the case of e-commerce sites in the European Union, there are contractual terms they must have. This chapter sets out to investigate how the role contract law can both help and hinder sysops and their users. Sysop powers are limited by sysop prerogative, which is everything they can do which has not been taken away by statute or given away by contract. The chapter finds that there are a number of special considerations for sysops in how they use contracts in order that they are not open to obligations through disabled or vulnerable users being abused by others.

CMC and E-Mentoring in Midwifery

2011 ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Stewart
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Geographical Isolation ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Mentoring Relationship ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
New Graduate ◽  
Mail System ◽  
E Mail

A mentoring relationship is one in which an experienced person or mentor supports a less experienced person or mentee. E-mentoring is an alternative to traditional face-to-face mentoring incorporating the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC). Currently, e-mentoring is not commonly practiced by New Zealand midwives; however there is some interest in its potential especially as it may overcome geographical isolation which increases access to mentors. This chapter will describe the experiences of one New Zealand midwife who mentored two new graduate midwives in 2006 using a secure storeand- forward e-mail system. This chapter explores how CMC was utilized to facilitate the elements of the mentor’s role as well as reports on the experiences of the mentor and mentee.

The impact of identity on anxiety during wiki editing in higher education

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Richard Cowan ◽  
Mervyn A. Jack
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Bulletin Boards ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
The Impact ◽  
System Characteristics

Purpose – Although wikis are common in higher education, little is known about the wiki user experience in these contexts and how system characteristics impact such experiences. The purpose of this paper is to explore experimentally the hypothesis that changing the anonymity of identity when editing wikis will impact significantly on user editing anxiety and that this may be dependent on the type of edit being conducted. Design/methodology/approach – This hypothesis was explored using a controlled experiment study whereby users were given excerpts to include in their own words on a wiki site used for a psychology course. Users edited the wiki anonymously, using a pseudonym relevant to the context (a matriculation number) and using a full named identity. Users were also either asked to add content to the wiki or to delete and replace content on the wiki site. Findings – The paper found that users experienced significantly less anxiety when editing anonymously compared to when editing with a pseudonym or full name and that the type of edit being conducted did not impact the anxiety felt. Originality/value – The research highlights that the effects of anonymity discussed are also in operation in a wiki context, a more fundamentally anonymous context compared to blogs, bulletin boards or general computer-mediated communication tools.

scholarly journals The Language of a Computer-Mediated Communication in Japan: Mobile-Phone E-Mail

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Noboru Sakai
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
E Mail

This study analyzes a Japanese mobile phone e-mail data corpus (created by the researcher) of 43,295 Keitai-mail exchanged for the purpose of personal communication by 60 young people aged 18 to 30 who are familiar with Keitai-mail practices. The result shows that the Keitai-mail analyzed consists on average of approximately 40 moji (symbols) including 3 emoticons per message, showing that composition is short but not overly abrupt – generally Keitai-mail does not finish in the middle of a sentence. Non-standard textual elements, language plays (LP) such as emoticons, long vowel symbols, irregular use of small moji, and non-standard use of each type of script (e.g., use of Katakana instead of Kanji) are found to be governed by the conventions of Standard Japanese and are not totally random occurrences. 

COmputer-Mediated Communication: A Test of the Impact of Social Cues on the Choice of Medium for Resolving Misunderstandings

2002 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bolanle Olaniran
Keyword(s):  
Communication Technology ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Video Data ◽  
Nonverbal Cues ◽  
Interpersonal Interaction ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
E Mail

As communication technology improves, computer-mediated communication (CMC) increases in use for interpersonal interaction. While there are newer forms of CMC that interface with audio, graphic, and video data, for the most part text-based CMC (i.e., e-mail, IRC, other text chat) remains the most common and frequently used. The increased use of text-based CMC medium is not without its problems, as is the case with any other communication media. Text only CMC lacks the capacity to transmit nonverbal cues. This study explores CMC medium in communication misunderstandings. The findings indicate that although participants acknowledge the lack of nonverbal cues as a source of misunderstandings during interactions, they still express the willingness to use text-based CMC in resolving misunderstandings. This article also provides discussions, implications, and recommendations.

scholarly journals The impact of face systems on the pragmalinguistic features of academic e-mail requests

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erhan Aslan
Keyword(s):  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
The Impact ◽  
E Mail

Abstract This study investigates the impact of power/distance (PD) variables operationalized as face systems on the pragmalinguistic features of academic e-mail requests. A corpus of 90 academic e-mails was classified into four face system groups: hierarchical (sender +P), hierarchical (recipient +P), deference, and solidarity. Request perspectives, strategies, and mitigating supportive moves were analyzed. The analysis revealed that the speaker and hearer dominance were the most frequent request perspectives in the hierarchical (recipient+P) and deference groups. The impersonal perspective was more common in the hierarchical (sender+P) group. The preparatory was the dominant request strategy in all groups, relatively more frequent in the hierarchical (recipient+P) and deference groups. The most common supportive move was the grounder, which occurred more frequently than other supportive moves. The findings of the study indicate that face systems influence the request patterns in academic e-mail communication. The study has implications for future research on pragmatics of computer-mediated communication (CMC).

scholarly journals Eteläpohjalaisuuden tuottaminen sosioemotionaalisessa sähköpostiviestinnässä

Elore ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Salo ◽  
Kaj Zimmerbauer ◽  
Timo Suutari
Keyword(s):  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Regional Identity ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
New Form ◽  
Theoretical Frame ◽  
The One ◽  
E Mail

A starting point for the study was on the one hand interest in regional identity and on the other hand certain astonishment towards the number of e-mails related to South Ostrobothnia received by the researchers. Thus the focus of this study is to examine how regional identity might be constructed by e-mails related to the region in question. E-mails (28) connected with South Ostrobothnia were outlined as objects for the study both because the authors have South Ostrobothnian background and because the South Ostrobothnians are said to have very strong regional identity. Theoretical frame of reference in the article is in the studies of socio-emotional e-mail communication and e-mail debate. In addition, also regional identity theory is used. The study is motivated by interest in the nature of modern tradition in digital setting. Therefore, one aim is to study what elements of South Ostrobothnia are present in the e-mail messages and how these elements adjust to the typical socio-emotional e-mail communication contents and different media elements. E-mail messages are hypothesised to be part of both e-mail humour and A4 (copy) humour and to produce impressions of South Ostrobothnia in a new form. A more comprehensive intention is to bring out new kind of machinery of regional identity and especially the meaning of socio-emotional e-mail communication to regional identity. In this case, it is supposed that regional identity is born and maintained through institutionalized mechanism, but also through Internet, electronic media, and computer mediated communication.

My Click is My Bond

2014 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Bishop
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Contract Law ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
The People ◽  
Computer Mediated

The growth in Internet use is not only placing pressure on service providers to maintain adequate bandwidth but also the people who run the Websites that operate through them. Called systems operators, or sysops, these people face a number of different obligations arising out of the use of their computer-mediated communication platforms. Most notable are contracts, which nearly all Websites have, and in the case of e-commerce sites in the European Union, there are contractual terms they must have. This chapter sets out to investigate how the role contract law can both help and hinder sysops and their users. Sysop powers are limited by sysop prerogative, which is everything they can do which has not been taken away by statute or given away by contract. The chapter finds that there are a number of special considerations for sysops in how they use contracts in order that they are not open to obligations through disabled or vulnerable users being abused by others.

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