article

Text-based on-line conferencing: a conceptual and empirical analysis using a minimal prototype

Authors:

John C. McCarthy,

Victoria C. Miles,

Andrew F. Monk,

Michael D. Harrison,

Peter C. WrightAuthors Info & Claims

Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 8, Issue 2

Pages 147 - 183

https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327051hci0802_3

Published: 01 June 1993 Publication History

Abstract

This article is concerned with an analysis of the requirements for text-based on-line conferencing. From a system perspective, text-based on-line conferencing can be viewed as either message passing or data sharing. These complementary views give rise to different design dimensions. For example, the message-passing view is concerned with granularity, channels, message labels, and so on. The data-sharing view is concerned with the access different individuals have to the text: read only, appending, editing, pointing, and so on. A deliberately sparse prototype was built and placed in this design space. This minimal prototype has limited functionality so that the real problems experienced by users can show through. Relevant literature from disciplines such as social psychology, conversational analysis, and linguistics is briefly reviewed in terms of three generic communication tasks: synchronizing communication, maintaining structural coherence, and maintaining referents. An empirical analysis of subjects' use of the sparse prototype was analyzed to establish the relevance of the generic communication tasks to text-based on-line conferencing. Possible forms that support for these tasks might take are discussed.

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Cited By

Tang J(2007)Approaching and leave-takingACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/1229855.122986014:1(5-es)Online publication date: 1-May-2007
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1229855.1229860
Mühlpfordt MWessner MChan T(2005)Explicit referencing in chat supports collaborative learningProceedings of th 2005 conference on Computer support for collaborative learning: learning 2005: the next 10 years!10.5555/1149293.1149353(460-469)Online publication date: 30-May-2005
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/1149293.1149353
Whittaker S(2003)Things to talk about when talking about thingsHuman-Computer Interaction10.1207/S15327051HCI1812_618:1(149-170)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2003
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1207/S15327051HCI1812_6

Index Terms

Text-based on-line conferencing: a conceptual and empirical analysis using a minimal prototype

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Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image Human-Computer Interaction

Human-Computer Interaction Volume 8, Issue 2

June 1993

108 pages

ISSN:0737-0024

EISSN:1532-7051

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Publisher

L. Erlbaum Associates Inc.

United States

Publication History

Published: 01 June 1993

Revised: 01 July 1991

Received: 24 August 1990

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Cited By

Tang J(2007)Approaching and leave-takingACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/1229855.122986014:1(5-es)Online publication date: 1-May-2007
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1229855.1229860
Mühlpfordt MWessner MChan T(2005)Explicit referencing in chat supports collaborative learningProceedings of th 2005 conference on Computer support for collaborative learning: learning 2005: the next 10 years!10.5555/1149293.1149353(460-469)Online publication date: 30-May-2005
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/1149293.1149353
Whittaker S(2003)Things to talk about when talking about thingsHuman-Computer Interaction10.1207/S15327051HCI1812_618:1(149-170)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2003
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1207/S15327051HCI1812_6

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