Facebook

[Trevor Jenkins]

Actually there is no difference at all between engaging in an academic discussion via email and via a forum other than the transport mechanisms involved. The mechanisms themselves have differences though: email is a push and forum is a pull. That is email arrives on one's workstation without additional actions on the part of the receipient once they have completed a subscription process, such as we all did to join this list. Whereas for a forum it requires one to go to the particular web site regularly ---- even just to discover that there is nothing other discussants have posted. In that latter case one wastes time. When there is no discussion contribution via email no time is wasted at all. You might wish to look at the WikiPedia entries for the two concepts Push technology and Pull technology and compare the differences.

As to feeling one mechanism is more "academic" than another that is solipsism.

My own solipsistic prejudice is for email but it is based on practical issues. Firstly, because of the push-/pull- management of time mentioned above. Secondly, With email I can take my time composing a reply, rewording it several times, revising my thoughts, walking off to cool my ire, doing some sign linguistics, coming back, changing my mind, revising again, having my ire picqued again, cooling off, looking for references, reviewing relevant sections. Try to be that academic on many forum systems and you'll be timed-out and the draft text lost. Or try composing a reply to a forum while one is off line, say in a railway tunnel or on a plane or somewhere else out of reach of a network connection necessary for access to the specific forum system.

During one of those walk-off sessions in composing this very reply I looked at the forums of your suggested LinkedIn. Examining random ones, on a supposed professional media, all the discussions had devolved into the stream of consciousness witterings of the twitterati. 

I will point out that before becoming professionally involved in sign language linguistics I was an email and groupware consultant with a prominent and large multi-national computer manufacturer and services provider.

Regards, Trevor.

<>< Re: deemed!

Sent from my iPad

On 23 Sep 2011, at 13:09, "Welsch, Brent" <bwelsch at IWCC.EDU> wrote:

> Trevor,
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> I understand what you’re thinking, but it’s not really an accurate thinking.  In the online academic world, there’s a big difference between having a discussion through email and on a discussion forum.  I don’t feel like there’s a discussion when using an email listserv while I feel there is one when I’m using a threaded discussion forum.  Not to say that some folks would start giving answers unrelated to the thread topic, the discussion forum makes it a little tough for someone to just hit reply and make an off the topic comment while that can happen more often on a listserv email.
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> Brent
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> From: linguists interested in signed languages [mailto:SLLING-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU] On Behalf Of Trevor Jenkins
> Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 5:16 PM
> To: SLLING-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Facebook
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> Funny I thought we had actual discussions here in an academic setting.
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> Regards, Trevor.
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> <>< Re: deemed!
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> Sent from my iPad
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> On 19 Sep 2011, at 19:21, "Welsch, Brent" <bwelsch at IWCC.EDU> wrote:
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> Not to brag, but LinkedIn doesn’t limit your discussions to 140 characters.  They have actual discussion forums just like we would use on any learning management system in the academic setting.
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> From: linguists interested in signed languages [mailto:SLLING-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU] On Behalf Of Trevor Jenkins
> Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 11:50 AM
> To: SLLING-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Facebook
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> On 19 Sep 2011, at 17:28, Welsch, Brent wrote:
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> Rather than us each all proposing our favourite social networking  site -- there are many that have not been mentioned yet --- have we asked and answered the one important question "why?" and its subsidiary of "what for?"
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> Is there a need for a Facebook/LinkedIn/Bebo/+1/Tumblr/MySpace/etcetcetc group? What would it be used for? Will its existence bring anything to our discussions as sign language linguists? Can one have a meaningful academic discussions in 140 characters or less?
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> Has anyone considered doing a group on LinkedIn?  It is more professional than Facebook.  I’m on LinkedIn and they set up groups like a discussion forum, with rules of professionalism, etc.
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> Brent Welsch
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> From: linguists interested in signed languages [mailto:SLLING-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU] On Behalf Of Mark Mandel
> Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 11:18 AM
> To: SLLING-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Facebook
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> I agree with Trevor. And in addition to the "push vs. pull" argument, I find Facebook very distracting. It is hard to get out of once I get into it. There are also many privacy concerns, which can be addressed by changing a multitude of settings... and then paying attention to the warnings as new holes are found and new settings added or changed to address them. Facebook is fine for social networking for those who like it. Personally, I go to parties and clubs to relax, not to do my work; and Facebook is like a party in a loud club with flashing lights and dozens of conversations challenging my focus.
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> Mark Mandel
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> On 11.09.16, at 5:16 AM, Trevor Jenkins wrote:
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> Personally, I don't do Facebook (or any of the bandwagon social networks). For me it isn't "easier", email is sent to me without me having to do anything, Facebook (and the others) require me to actively go to their website. It's push versus pull, in technical jargon. So it isn't easier because these things demand that I make a conscious decision rather than simply relying upon an automated system sending me messages.
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> Regards, Trevor.
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