computer mediated communication
...advantage of this is the availability of information to be disseminated quickly and easily . People can use e-mail to have ongoing discussions with all manner of people and groups. A professor in a class can arrange for students to have e-mail contact with an expert in the field they are studying and the expert doesn’t have to arrange meeting times or travel. He or she can answer the e-mails from the office at their leisure .Moreover E-mail is relatively inexpensive. Although there might be a charge to initially hook up to the Internet to send e-mail there is usually no charge for the number or size of e-mails that can be sent. People can have access to all the advantages above and not have to worry about the additional cost, which can be a problem for many . E-mail can include interpersonal cues (emoticons) to denote wit. During a discussion on the phone or in a regular letter it can be difficult to understand a person’s attitude. E-mail can fall into this trap as well but with the inclusion of smileys (the use of different symbols to denote an emotion or mood) a user can show their feelings to the reader. Jennifer Walcott writes in her article, "click here for romance, according to a study by Baker ,written words tend to promote frank conversation ." "Electronic discourse," as suggested in an article by Deborah Branscum ,"offered a voice to some who might not be otherwise heard." I completely agree with the fact that this medium can also be misused .It is extremely easy for users to harass others through rude, obnoxious e-mails. This ease of use allows the individual who may or may not have made obscene phone calls to not only send text that is inappropriate but also send pictures of themselves or others that the receiver might find vulgar and disturbing. This is all very concerning, but e-mail does have many strong points in its impact on society. With all this in the mix, it is important to be aware of how peoples are using e-mail and other forms of electronic communication so they can be counseled about both the advantages and disadvantages this medium can have. It is imperative that all users of e-mail, especially college students, be aware that they are responsible for their actions. Users need to think before they respond to a message in haste since they might not be able to halt or even slow down the consequences of a misinterpreted e-mail. Educators need to take a step back and see what effects this electronic medium has had on the students and how it might affect them in the future. And all users need to follow some simple rules of etiquette to keep e-mail as a viable and accepted means of communication. People meet via CMC every day .They exchange information, debate ,argue, commiserate, and support. According to Brittney G. Chenault "their relationship can range from cold professional encounter to the hot intimate rendezvous." This medium is one of the "powerful way for people with compatible inetrests and personalities to find each other."(John Suler, cyberspace romances ) .But analyst argue that MC has a lot of disadvantages,some of which include technical problems lack of access to a computer, disjointed conversations, information overload many messages but no interaction.Also they are of the opinion that it has an adverse affect on the social life of the people .They argue that even if we consider CMC as a means to strengthen community life ,the quality of the relationship formed through the internet is not up to par with those formed through face to face human interaction. In my opinion online communication or online romances in particular are more honest in terms of communication and more realistic .These are important traits for a stable relationship which traditional relations lack at first. Some people are not bold enough to speak rightaway and disclose their feelings ,but it becomes a lot easier if the person you are interact...