Reflective Essay What is CMC?

According to Wikipedia, computer mediated communication (CMC) is defined as communication through two or more networked computers. There are two categories of CMC, including synchronous and asynchronous communication. Synchronous communication is categorized by more instantaneous response communication, as the participants are on-line at the same time, while asynchronous communication is categorized by delayed response time and longer messages. I enjoy asynchronous communication over synchronous communication because I take more time to analyze what I am about to say before I say it. According to John December of CMC Magazine, CMC is the process of human communication using computers, involving people in particular contexts, engaging in processes to shape media for a variety of purposes. In other words, CMC is the process of communicating human intent and meaning through computers to serve certain human needs. The way CMC is used is determined by the social need of people to communicate, rather than determined by technology. The world wide web video illustrates how the connections between personal computers and the internet takes place, and how information is exchanged and communications take place between servers and personal computers. CMC has changed the nature, timing, and extent of human communications in a profound way, and has made the world a much smaller network of personal and business connections. People are able to express themselves much more freely, to more people, and across time and location (physical space). This allows people to analyze their communication and take their time before communicating, which is especially beneficial to myself, who tends to over analyze what I am about to say before I say it. CMC especially benefits business and individuals in that it allows people to be more aware of what is going on in the world, and allows people to exchange information more rapidly and efficiently. I use CMC often to communicate and share my feelings and life experiences through social networking sites like Facebook, and through text messages. The drawback to CMC as the virtual world increases is the decreased ability of people to use and decipher nonverbal communication and physical touch. One adverse encounter with CMC was when I used email to express a negative opinion about what my coworkers were doing which was a violation of company policy. I had used email to inform these coworkers that they were violating company policy by falsifying the out to lunch log, and warn them that continued action would result in a formal reprimand. Upon talking to one of these people, I discovered that they felt that I was being very harsh to them, and didnt give them a chance to reason with me. Had I communicated to them face to face, I could have used some nonverbal cues and sarcasm to soften the seriousness of my warning. In this example of a soft reprimand, I realized that CMC was not as effective as face to face communication, because it did not convey nonverbal cues, which could have lessened the seriousness of the situation.

Works Cited
December, J. (1997, January). CMC Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1997/jan/december.html

Ferry, P. (January ). CMC Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1997/jan/ferris.html Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-mediated_communication