> Thanks, Judy, for the meta-comments about e-mail discourse. There
> is such immediacy to email interactions in some respects, that we
> tend to forget how fragile the context is and how easy to mis-take
> from each other.
I wonder how the context of the discussion - i.e., the history of the
ongoing conversation, the participants knowledge of each other, the
implicit aspects of the discourse, etc. - also plays a part in the
intersubjectivity that is achieved. True, e-mail allows for immediate
correction/clarification, but the limitations (?) inherent in
text-only communication seems to provide more opportunities for
misunderstandings.
In the case of this conversation, the history of those involved -
including their involvement in other threads of conversation - seems
to provide a solid basis upon which to base implications about
statements made. I'm interested in how electronic discourse
facilitates and/or prohibits intersubjectivity in relation to other
forms of social interaction.
AT
Andrew Topper
topper who-is-at cvm.msu.edu
(517) 353-5551
http://www.cvm.msu.edu/col/agt/c_agt.htm