Thanks Robin for sharing your thoughts. Yes, the e-mail format, (and any
format perhaps), can be locally accomplished as formal and impersonal,
too, though the constraints on one being like a conference presenter are
not as strong here (e.g., on a list like xmca) than in a conference or
some other discussion lists. On the other hand, the lecture format, for
example, can also be locally accomplished as informal and personal,
though more work needs to be done to violate those constraints and still
be perceived as acceptable by the audience in that specific setting.
Formats seem to be both constraints and resources, and are always locally
accomplished, whether reproduced, reinforced, or subverted, modified,
hybridized, transformed for the local purposes those local participatns
of interaction have negotiated for themselves in that particular setting.
There can be tensions, or agreement interwoven now and then, but I think
if we choose, there can always be the possibility of allowing for an
openness, of allowing for some room for negotiation, for mutual
transformation, for hybridization... and so on; that's perhaps what makes
humans human :-), in an existentialist sense... i.e., i'd like to
propose that this is a primodial and authentic mode of human existence:
to be playful,
to allow for an openness, to experiment with new formats, to dialogue
with one another, to get connected with other humans, creatures, to treat
ourselves and others as humans who are always capable of "becoming", of
transformation... of change...
If formality serves as a barrier to human connectedness and free
discussions; if "expertise" becomes a hurdle to more open participation
from more participants from every corner of the world, whatever social
positions they are in, I will certainly vote for violating the formality
constraints... though i would also agree that in some situations,
formality constraints cannot be violated without some expensive
consequences! (e.g., in a job interview)
Cheers,
Angel
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Angel Mei Yi Lin
E-Mail: ENANGEL who-is-at CITYU.EDU.HK