Analogic codes -- codes that occur in an infinite array of continuous values.
Archie -- A search engine for the Internet that locates primarily FTP archives.
ARPANet -- Predecessor of the Internet.
ASCII -- American Standard Code for Information Exchange. This is a universally-used computer code for English letters and characters.
Bandwidth -- the channels of communication that are available in CMC, which often is considered to have "narrow bandwidth," because of its lack of face-to-face nonverbal cues.
Baud or bps -- The speed of data transmission, as measured by number of bits per second.
Bit -- Binary Digit. The smallest measure of data transmission as a single pulse of electricity, mathematically represented as a 0 or 1.
BITNET -- Named after an IBM ad that read, "Because It's Time," this is a network of computer systems that is separate from the Internet, although it can receive and transmit mail through the Internet.
Bps or Baud -- The speed of data transmission, as measured by number of bits per second.
Byte -- A measure of data transmission equal to eight bits, which is typically one keyboard character.
Codes -- sets of signals that are transmitted through particular channels or media, usually defined in terms of the sensory stimulation(s) they create.
Communicator/interpreter -- in the psychological perspective of human communication, the communicator/interpreter is the individual who responds to communicative stimuli.
Computer Codes -- sets of characters that instruct computer systems to perform certain functions.
Conceptual filters -- the concepts and constructs internal to human communication.
Constructivist perspective of interpersonal relationships in CMC -- considers social interaction as the way in which meanings of technology are created and recreated.
CREN -- Corporation for Research and Educational Networking.
Critical mass -- the number of adopters necessary to generate a marked increase in subsequent adoption.
Deindividuation -- user depersonalization from self, message content, and other users; lack of self-awareness. In small group communication, this phenomenon is grounded in the notion of an individual being submerged in the group, which leads to attenuation of social norms.
Digital codes -- codes that occur in discrete and finite values.
Download -- transfer a file or document from a host computer to a personal computer.
Emoticons -- also known as graphic accents. These are pictures that are formed as groups of ASCII characters, for example, a "smiley face," which is created with a colon for eyes, a hyphen for a nose, and a parenthesis for a mouth.
F2F or FtF -- face-to-face communication.
FAQ -- Frequently Asked Questions.
Finger -- a software program that allows a user to read another user's public login information, which typically consists of their name, login ID, and whether the person is online at the moment. Some individuals add a ".plan" file to their login directories with additional information.
Flaming -- uninhibited remarks that are generally considered hostile in nature. May include swearing, insults, or other negative speech acts.
Free riding -- an individual profits from group efforts, thereby expending little effort.
Freeware -- software that consumers can install and use on their computers free of charge.
FTP -- File Transfer Protocol. Allows computers to transfer files (documents, applications, graphics, etc.) across platforms. Many "anonymous ftp" libraries exist throughout the world, where users can log in as "anonymous" and transfer freeware and shareware.
Functional theory of small group decision-making -- process that certain critical decision-making functions were necessary for high quality decision outcomes.
Gatekeeper -- a filter between source/receivers in the mechanistic model of communication.
Gateway -- the server through which information travels between two computer systems or networks.
GDSS -- Group Decision Support System. A computer-based system that supports message exchange, collaboration on ideas, projects, and products, and/or group decision-making.
GIF -- Graphics Interchange Format. Developed by Compuserve Information Systems, this format enables users to transmit and receive high-quality graphic images.
Gigabyte -- One million bytes of information.
Gopher -- a hierarchical, menu-based search and retrieval system on the Internet, originally developed at the University of Minnesota, and named after the University mascot.
Graphic accents -- also known as emoticons. These are pictures that are formed as groups of ASCII characters, for example, a "smiley face," which is created with a colon for eyes, a hyphen for a nose, and a parenthesis for a mouth.
Group cohesiveness -- the extent to which group members manifest attraction to the group, resist leaving it, coordinate as a whole, and/or express motivation or morale.
Group polarization -- produces an enhanced or exaggerated version of individual tendencies after group discussion compared to before group discussion.
Groupthink -- refers to the phenomenon of individual group members agreeing to group decisions they believe are wrong, as a result of their efforts to reach unanimity.
HTML -- HyperText Markup Language. A computer code that creates hypertext documents for the World Wide Web.
HTTP -- HyperText Transfer Protocol. Protocol that transfers hypertext documents across servers on the World Wide Web.
Hyperpersonal communication -- considers the ways in which the interpersonal nature of CMC may become more affective and personal than in similar offline encounters.
Hytelnet -- An Internet-based browsing system of sites available via Telnet.
Hypertext -- Computer interface that allows multiple types of messages (graphics, sound, etc.), as well as direct movement to documents across various servers on the World Wide Web.
Infobot -- computer program that automatically sends information via the Internet to individuals who send queries to the server. Widely used for marketing purposes.
Interactional perspective of human communication -- encompasses interpretation of the symbolic transaction, within the context of the mutual experience of interactants within the communicative process.
Internet -- an amorphous, global, non-hierarchical network of computer networks, originally developed for scientific and military communication.
IRC -- Internet Relay Chat. Allows users to communicate interactively in real time (synchronously) with one or many other users via the Internet.
Listproc -- a distribution management software package for Internet-based subscription lists.
Listserv -- a distribution management software package for Internet-based subscription lists.
Lycos -- A Web-based search engine that is based at Carnegie Mellon.
Majordomo -- a distribution management software package for Internet-based subscription lists.
Mechanistic perspective of human communication -- a causal or quasi-causal causal approach to the study of human communication. Research from this perspective seeks to predict outcomes.
Media richness -- the degree to which a medium facilitates feedback or provides multiple cues to reduce message ambiguity. Rich media are considered inefficient for low ambiguity tasks.
Media richness -- the degree to which a medium facilitates feedback or provides multiple cues to reduce message ambiguity. Rich media are considered inefficient for low ambiguity tasks.
Mediated communication -- communication that is mediated by a gatekeeper, usually used in reference to mass communication.
MIME -- Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension. Encapsulates non-ASCII documents for transmission via e-mail. Both sender and receiver must have software to handle MIME-encapsulated documents.
Netiquette -- group norms and/or official guidelines that govern appropriate behavior on the Internet and/or in specific Internet-based groups.
NNTP -- Network News Transfer Protocol. Allows users to navigate USENET newsgroups.
NREN -- National Research and Education Network Program.
PEM -- Privacy Enhanced Mail.
Ping -- a program that traces the route between two sites and the time required for data to be transmitted between them.
POP -- Post Office Protocol. The protocol through which e-mail is downloaded from the computer server to the user.
Pragmatic perspective of human communication -- views the communicative process as a system, and allows the researcher to look at complexities of time and behavior patterns. Systems are defined as entities that function as a result of the interdependent action of its components (subsystems).
Protocol -- software that permits computers in different systems to communicate.
Psychological perspective of human communication -- characterized by concepts, theories, and constructs borrowed from psychology and social psychology. Studies from a psychological approach often focus on behaviorism or cognition, with an emphasis on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) pattern.
Risky-shift -- group decisions are riskier than decisions made by individual group members prior to the group decision-making process.
Self disclosure -- disclosure of personal information to another individual.
Shareware -- software that consumers can install and use on their computers for nominal fees to help pay for development. Usually, shareware can be used at no charge for a short period on a trial basis.
SIG -- Special Interest Group. Can be synchronous (e.g., IRC or chat room) or asynchronous (e.g., e-mail).
Signs -- indicators of something directly related to them. Example: Dark clouds often are signs of rain.
SMTP -- Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Processes electronic mail.
Snail Mail -- Traditional land/air mail, so called because of its relative slowness, in comparison to e-mail.
Social identity theory -- polarization of group decisions, arising from the extent to which individuals are influenced by group norms as a result of perceived salience of the group and/or identification with the group.
Social influence in small group dynamics -- refers to the willingness of an individual to bend to peer pressure and conform to a majority opinion, even when it is demonstrably wrong.
Social influence model of media use -- individuals' media perceptions and use are, at least partially, socially constructed. Media, task features, and expertise are variably salient to users. Thus, media choices are subject to social influence and not necessarily motivated by the efficiency of the medium.
Social loafing -- the tendency of individuals to expend less effort in group situations than when working alone.
Social presence theory -- considers various media of communication according to the degree to which the mediated interactions elicit awareness of other persons and interpersonal relationships.
Socioemotional content -- communication of a personal, social, or emotional nature.
Sociotechnical perspective of interpersonal relationships in CMC -- incorporates the constructivist and technological perspectives, and considers factors that affect interpersonal relationships in CMC as interactions of the characteristics of technical systems with the social psychological characteristics of their users.
Stimulus field -- the environment within which an individual receives information from a variety of sources or stimuli.
Structuration -- frames social structures as being formed through human interactions.
Structurationist theory of group process -- the ways in which the communicative process recursively creates and recreates group structures that produce group outcomes.
Symbolic convergence -- shared group fantasies chain to define group culture and identity.
Symbols -- social constructions that signify something (called a referent). Example: Drawings of dark clouds on a weather map to signify rain.
Sysop -- System operator or administrator. The individual responsible for running a computer system, BBS, etc.
System theory -- a view of the communicative process as a system. Systems are defined as
Systems -- entities that function as a result of the interdependent action of its components (subsystems). A closed system is neither sensitive to its environment, nor does it make adjustments for external events (e.g., a wristwatch). An open system is sensitive to environmental influences, and may have internal mechanisms for adjustment (e.g., an organization).
TCP/IP -- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The primary transport protocols of the Internet.
Technological perspective of interpersonal relationships in CMC -- focuses on system attributes (e.g., bandwidth).
Telnet -- protocol that allows users to work within various computer systems via the Internet.
Upload -- transfer a file or document from a personal computer to a host computer.
URL -- Uniform Resource Locator. The unique server and path identification of a World Wide Web document, this is the Web page equivalent of a person's e-mail address.
UUCP -- Unix-to-Unix Copy Program.
VERONICA -- Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerized Archives. This is an Internet-based search engine for Gopher.
WAIS -- Wide Area Information Server. These databases typically text-based documents that are available via the Internet.
Whois -- Internet white page search engine for finding e-mail addresses of individuals or organizations.
WWW -- World Wide Web. A network of servers that are dedicated to hypertext document storage and retrieval.
Yahoo -- A Web-based search engine that was originally developed at Stanford.
Zero history group -- formed for purposes of study, and is comprised of strangers, who function as a group for a specified period of time.
April 4, 1997