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Communication technology and theory: Research into the interpersonal and social interface

This work from 2002-2003 explores the impact of the internet and communication technology on interpersonal communication and society. It focuses on a transformation of mediated interaction. The effect of communication technologies on face to face talk, on gestures and cues, on meta-linguistic signals, and so on. As meaning is transferred to the digital artifact, what is gained, and what is lost? Are there social implications for our reliance on communicating non face to face? These sociological perspectives use human factors and communication theory to suggest design approaches to communication technology that go beyond computer mediated interaction and HCI design thinking.

• Introduction
  

Materiality and amplification: design, functions, features, and the interface to the human face

• The material form of communication technology
• Mode of communication matters
• Technology takes its features from the face
  

When communication technology requires a secondary medium

• Affective capacity of recordings
• Is meaning lost in translation?
• The secondary medium
• TA and the "stroke", or technology meets social psychology
  

Communication technology extends attention

• How technology selects attention
• Technology distorts communication
• What's a technology's interaction bandwidth?
• Interpersonal communication enjoys (a) real time
  

What is a communication technology's functional effectiveness

• Effectiveness and the risk/success ratio of communicating through technology
• When technology fails to deliver (communication)
• When silence communicates
• Technology, Habermas, and truth claims
  

Sociology and the negotiations of presence availability: the internet, access, and connection

Synchronous communication technology: Connection

• Communication is iteration. Say again?
• Framing interactions, or "where are you?"
• Who's on the other end of the line?
• Frequency of interaction counts
• Communication technology creates intermittence
  

Asynchronous communication technology: Connectivity

• From conversation to transitivity
• Off the air and other second order availability issues
• When is a conversation finished?
• Did you get my email: delivery acknowledgment
  

Close Encounters with technology

• The matter of identity: who's talking?
• The matter of identity: authority
• The matter of identity: animator
• Producing audience relations with technology
• Interactionism and framing the encounter: synchronous media
• Interactionism and framing the encounter: asynchronous technology
• Asynchronous technology and group dynamics
• What are you saying? Footing and mediated conversation

            

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