http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/Communication/Online A listing of the most recently indexed works about Articles and Communication and Online in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/Communication/Online http://tc.eserver.org/34828.html http://tc.eserver.org/34828.html While institutions of higher education are enthusiastically embracing technology-mediated learning (TML), little research has been conducted to identify factors that influence student use of TML tools or determine whether use of them increases student learning. This study of business communication students at two universities found that (1) students tend to be sensing, visual, active, and sequential learners; (2) perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of TML tools are positively associated with perceived learning success; (3) learning styles do influence the students' usage behavior of certain TML tools; and (4) students' sensing/intuitive learning style is related to their perceived learning success. http://tc.eserver.org/34228.html http://tc.eserver.org/34228.html Students and teachers alike must understand how systems of knowledge creation and archivization are changing. Encyclopedias are no longer static collections of facts and figures; they are living entities. Just check the entry on Global Warming. http://tc.eserver.org/34102.html http://tc.eserver.org/34102.html When 90% of what you do for work is based online, there are bound to be some glitches, and not just the technical ones. How do you handle the inevitable misunderstandings that come with today’s rapid-fire digital conversations and communications in the workplace? I’ve put together a few ideas for how we can all minimize misunderstandings or at least diffuse the fallout. http://tc.eserver.org/33692.html http://tc.eserver.org/33692.html You've probably heard how much the micro-blogging service Twitter can help your business, or that being on social networking site Facebook can boost your company's profile. But what you might not have considered is the potential danger in over-relying on these startups that could go out of business, get bought out, or close your account if you aren't familiar with their Terms of Service. http://tc.eserver.org/33491.html http://tc.eserver.org/33491.html A number of smart businesses are realizing that the organizational characteristics that lead to their successes — such as agility, decentralized decision making, and fast growth — have made their Web sites unworkable through poor development processes and inconsistent user experiences. This frustrates any attempt by visitors to find meaningful information. http://tc.eserver.org/32311.html http://tc.eserver.org/32311.html Blogs, mailing lists and networking sites are much in the news, but how effective are they for business users? David Thew is Joint MD of an executive search and recruitment consultancy with an active need to identify and contact people on a targeted basis. In this article he profiles LinkedIn, the business networking membership site that has become a key channel for him and his staff. David looks at key features and benefits and also discusses areas where he feels there is room for improvement. http://tc.eserver.org/32033.html http://tc.eserver.org/32033.html The more you blog, the more people you attract through Google. The more search-engine-optimized your posts are, the more people find you. The more tweets you send, the more people follow you. The more social networks you join, the more people add themselves to your page. The better posts you write, the more people subscribe to your RSS feed. The more content you generate – in whatever form and media – the more trackbacks and links people generate about you. The more you produce, the more emails and questions you get. You become like a content cloud – attracting Google searches. http://tc.eserver.org/32019.html http://tc.eserver.org/32019.html This study used an experiment embedded within a Web-based survey to examine the influence of contextual (i.e., face-to-face vs. online chat room discussion) and social-psychological factors on individuals' willingness to express opinions. In this experiment, respondents were asked whether they would be willing to express an opinion if they were placed in a face-to-face discussion group in one condition and in an online chat room discussion group in the other condition. Results indicate that print news use, fear of isolation, communication apprehension, future opinion congruency, and communication setting significantly predict willingness to speak out. In addition, not only did fear of isolation have a negative main effect on opinion expression, but this effect was significantly attenuated by computer-mediated discussion. Findings suggest that computer-mediated communication may avoid some of the dysfunctional social-psychological influences found in face-to-face interactions and create a forum conducive for public deliberation. http://tc.eserver.org/31548.html http://tc.eserver.org/31548.html Many people don't realize the extent to which public relations has increased its influence since the growth of the Internet. This influence continues to grow as does the popularity and utility of the Internet itself. Literally millions of new web sites are added every month, and they represent the most extraordinary way to target your audience. Today's journalists, radio and television news producers and editors all prefer to receive news via e-mail and to instantly access web sites to secure the facts. http://tc.eserver.org/31556.html http://tc.eserver.org/31556.html Today it’s harder than ever for companies to get above the noise and get their messages heard. Many consumers are so overwhelmed with advertisements about new products and marginally improved releases that they automatically tune out anything that sounds promotional. While it may seem like there’s no time to learn new tools and technologies, there are many sites that offer useful guides, quick tips and case studies on how to achieve measurable results. http://tc.eserver.org/31502.html http://tc.eserver.org/31502.html When companies first put their corporate and marketing information on the web in the mid to late '90s, it was mostly static content that was painful for journalists to use (horrible navigation, tough to download text and little or no images available). It's lucky for the corporate world that it took time for journalists to warm up to the web. Since we all know how gifted the PR community is in math, science and computers, it was no surprise that the company’s online publicity destiny was left in the hands of its IT staff—which was about as familiar with PR as PR is with the latest software patches that somehow magically appear on our desktops. You need a more effective news and information web site, but what will it include and how will you show the ROI to secure the necessary investment? http://tc.eserver.org/31471.html http://tc.eserver.org/31471.html Recently, business networking has been perceived negatively due to its widespread use in the network marketing industry and the proliferation of “lead generation clubs” that focus on impersonal lead referrals rather than on building relationships. The surge in popularity of social networking sites on the Internet, however, has sparked a renewed interest in meaningful discussion and research on the value and importance of “networking,” particularly to mainstream businesses. http://tc.eserver.org/31475.html http://tc.eserver.org/31475.html Let’s face it, the honeymoon between you and your inbox is over. Finished. As spam and e-mail-borne viruses comprise a staggering 70 percent of all e-mail traffic worldwide, it is clear that we are all at our wit’s end. As our frustration with unsolicited e-mail has skyrocketed, our attention span for reading legitimate e-mails has plummeted. So what’s a conscientious e-communicator to do? As anyone in this business can tell you, silence is not an option. While there currently is no silver bullet to solve the growing e-mail problem, one technology that provides an alternative is instant messaging. http://tc.eserver.org/31442.html http://tc.eserver.org/31442.html Conflict is an "expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources and interference from the other parties in achieving their goals." We'll look at each of the components in this definition. http://tc.eserver.org/31387.html http://tc.eserver.org/31387.html The world of blogging, also known as the blogosphere, is wild, highly viral, uncensored and unedited. It is also the newest and most critical tool in a business communicator's toolbox. Why? Because with blogs, communicators can quickly, regularly and easily deliver a variety of information to a highly targeted audience. A good blog will create a more personal relationship with customers and influencers by showing that the company is listening and responding to what they have to say. http://tc.eserver.org/31329.html http://tc.eserver.org/31329.html Shoestring-budget heroes, rejoice. The Internet offers many inexpensive opportunities to deliver better public relations results in our broadband-driven universe. No doubt, emerging concepts such as corporate blogging, podcasting or immersive web content (like "advergames") can produce their fair share of angst. But let's not forget to explore simple web-based tools available to large and small organizations alike. http://tc.eserver.org/31258.html http://tc.eserver.org/31258.html Consumers no longer have to rely only on mass media for information. More often than not, they are turning to colleagues, friends and other people they trust for advice on what products and services to buy, generally trying to avoid sales people altogether. Understandably, this is what makes social media so effective, and one of the reasons why it can have such a positive impact on your bottom line. http://tc.eserver.org/31216.html http://tc.eserver.org/31216.html It probably wouldn’t surprise you to know that we are operating in a distrustful world, and that both companies and individual executives are subject to suspicion. In 2005, a worldwide Gallup poll found that 40 percent of people believe that company leaders are “largely dishonest,” and a 2006 Watson Wyatt study says that only 56 percent of company employees believe their top management acts with honesty and integrity. These are worrisome figures, given that senior executives worry a great deal about their companies’ reputations but may spend little time on their own. http://tc.eserver.org/31217.html http://tc.eserver.org/31217.html One of the primary concerns of public relations practitioners is reputation management. Traditionally, PR professionals measured the perception of their brand, products or services through media coverage; whatever was written or broadcast about a company was viewed as indicative of public opinion. The Internet has vastly changed the dynamics of how communicators assess and evaluate public opinion. http://tc.eserver.org/31219.html http://tc.eserver.org/31219.html We are living in a new media world where public conversations bring together people from all over the globe. Thanks to the Internet, individuals from every continent are able to create a buzz that can introduce new heroes or ruin an organization’s reputation in minutes. http://tc.eserver.org/31218.html http://tc.eserver.org/31218.html When you first discover an attack on your online reputation, it can be an unnerving event. If you’ve previously been oblivious to the online discussions about your brand, it can feel like a kick to the ribs to see someone wage an attack on your good name. When it happens, it’s important not to hit the panic button. If great companies such as Target and JetBlue can come under fire, then it can happen to anyone. http://tc.eserver.org/31042.html http://tc.eserver.org/31042.html As a Business Analyst in today's working environment, it's important to understand the dynamics, challenges and best practices of the classic office and how they compare with those of the virtual office. http://tc.eserver.org/31018.html http://tc.eserver.org/31018.html Web 2.0 technologies are becoming increasingly ubiquitous among younger generations of IT users and this is creating a new set of expectations about accessing quality information for business, research and academic purposes. The article looks at how this situation has impacted on the expectations of users of library and information services. Although there are solid reasons for standing by professional standards, there is little doubt that the next generation has a greater expectation around being participants in, rather than recipients of, knowledge sharing. How will this impact the status of the professional librarian and information manager, and to what extent should they change with this paradigm shift looming? http://tc.eserver.org/30180.html http://tc.eserver.org/30180.html This panel segment focuses on applying human-computer interaction (HCI) skills to the creation of online message help information for the IBM RSl6000 product. Online message help allows users to easily understand and diagnosis errors that they receive on the job, without them ever having to pick up a message manual. The HCI skills used in creating the online help were learned in the Introduction to HCI Usability class thut Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered as the first class of four offered in 1996 in their newly created HCI Certificate Program. http://tc.eserver.org/29543.html http://tc.eserver.org/29543.html Internet-Based Workplace Communications: Industry and Academic Applications, edited by Kirk St.Amant and Pavel Zemliansky, is a collection of essays that aims to bridge a gap between academic and industry understandings of the role of digital technologies in business and technical communication. The essays consider the implications of new online communication technologies for classroom and workplace practices. Although the essays are geared toward an academic audience and do not offer a comprehensive look at Internet-based workplace practices, the collection can serve as a starting point for educators who would like to discuss in their technical communication courses the implications of integrating Internet technologies into contemporary communication practices. http://tc.eserver.org/28073.html http://tc.eserver.org/28073.html During a recent move, the author not only acquired and sold many items via Craigslist (www.craigslist.com), but gained insights about herself as well as running her business. http://tc.eserver.org/27288.html http://tc.eserver.org/27288.html The availability of the Internet has provided unprecedented opportunities for both data compilers and users. With respect to materials data, this paper explores: how do we know what is available? how can data be accessed, interpreted, exchanged? what novel modes of presentation are now available? what organizations are active in this field and what are their programs? what improvements are needed? where do we go from here and how? Examples will be illustrated of specific materials databases available on the Internet from a variety of materials data fields, e.g. fundamental data, engineering design properties, environmental data, and materials safety data. While there is no question that large and widely varied bodies of data are accessible on the Internet, significant improvements are needed promptly. The paper concludes by summarizing these problems and possible means for their alleviation. http://tc.eserver.org/26688.html http://tc.eserver.org/26688.html In a broad sense that the weblog can be beneficial to the business world as a whole. More specifically, however, it provides technical communicators with unprecedented opportunites at innovation and leadership. http://tc.eserver.org/26137.html http://tc.eserver.org/26137.html A few ideas for ad hoc workforce communication that must be conveyed on paper as well as electronically. http://tc.eserver.org/25480.html http://tc.eserver.org/25480.html This research investigates what form of communication is made possible through the weblog and what its uses are for the future. Taking Habermas' theory, it will be investigated whether blogs offer a platform for what he calls the 'ideal speech situation'. Conditions for the ideal speech situation are that everyone has equal access to the communication, that there are no power differences between the participants and that the participants act truthfully towards each other. http://tc.eserver.org/23591.html http://tc.eserver.org/23591.html E-mail usage is so common and popular now that we hardly think about it. Because of its prevalence, many people have written critically about it, compelling us to look at our own usage. http://tc.eserver.org/22840.html http://tc.eserver.org/22840.html Have you noticed? As the world shrinks, the need for good communication gets bigger. More people talk, chat, argue, negotiate, make love, and make war through electronic communication today than ever before. If you can't communicate electronically with ease, then you'd better learn fast. To rephrase Yogi Bera, 'if you don't know how to talk on the information highway, you'll end up somewhere else.' The purpose of this progression is to foster dynamic roundtable discussion about what it means to communicate well through electronic means such as email. http://tc.eserver.org/21244.html http://tc.eserver.org/21244.html University communicators specializing in science and technology are making increasing use of Internet resources to supplement traditional methods of producing and publishing their work. These resources include electronic mail; the text-only interface called Gopher; and, most recently, the World Wide Web. This paper describes some of the specific ways that communicators are using these Internet tools. It also includes a list of advantages and disadvantages that we have discovered in our work at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and seen at other technological institutions. These 'lessons learned' may benefit our counterparts who wish to begin or enhance their organizational 'presence' on the Information Superhighway. http://tc.eserver.org/21189.html http://tc.eserver.org/21189.html Most professionals would agree that the Internet enables us to communicate more effectively with our colleagues, both locally and internationally. The ease, speed, and convenience of e-mail, bulletin boards, chat systems, and instant messaging have revolutionized our professional practice. But we often overlook one area of computer-mediated communication (CMC): How do cultural differences affect successful online communication? http://tc.eserver.org/21004.html http://tc.eserver.org/21004.html The quality of consumer health information on the World Wide Web is an important issue for medicine, but to date no systematic and comprehensive synthesis of the methods and evidence has been performed. http://tc.eserver.org/19868.html http://tc.eserver.org/19868.html Because of the advances of computer technology and the accessibility of the Information Information Superhighway, electronic publishing is surpassing print literature. Electronic publishing includes libraries, on-demand publishing and journals. This paper specifically covers the purpose of electronic journals and the techniques for publishing. It also focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of electronic journals, and asks 'Is it a viable form of written communication?' http://tc.eserver.org/19160.html http://tc.eserver.org/19160.html Communication is dramatically changed by new technologies. In the 20th century, we have seen the effects of the telephone, radio and television, film, high-speed printing, xerography, desk-top publishing, electronic mail. These communication technologies have changed our national political life, corporate management styles, family connections, individual work habits. Additional change in the next century is inevitable, as we adopt video conferencing, multimedia, and internet technologies. Many of the effects of new technologies are unpredictable: the predicted 'paperless office' has failed to materialize, for example, and word-processing software has transformed the labor of writing in a way that was never anticipated (and later was resisted) by computer developers. But some aspects of communication, both oral and written, have not changed. Communication is still the social glue that holds together nations, corporations, scientific disciplines, and families. http://tc.eserver.org/19158.html http://tc.eserver.org/19158.html En situation de risque, de nombreux échecs de la communication sont dus à une séparation entre l’évaluation et la communication du risque, comme le montre le dilemme classique entre rassurer et informer. Baser la communication sur la perception du risque par les individus plutôt que sur l’évaluation des experts semble donc être essentiel. http://tc.eserver.org/18654.html http://tc.eserver.org/18654.html As electronic mail replaces face-to-face communication in many work environments, a thorough analysis of this evolving medium and its impact on communication is necessary. In many workplaces, telephone calls and knocks on doors have dramatically decreased in frequency, but the number of emails that circulate through one’s inbox is continuing to increase. Yet, our understanding of this new medium and how it is being used is limited. Some scholars argue that email has many of the characteristics of speech; some argue that it has the same characteristics as writing, while others argue that it is a completely new genre of communication. http://tc.eserver.org/14226.html http://tc.eserver.org/14226.html This commentary on Joseph Y. Halpern's proposal for a computing research repository discusses difference in traditions and practices of online publishing and repositories between computing and biomedicals sciences. Issues of accessibility and archiving are also discussed. http://tc.eserver.org/12999.html http://tc.eserver.org/12999.html And somehow, on March 8, months of chat logs--what a CEO and his management team talked about in their almost daily online chats were the ordinary, boring aspects of running a company. But a few posts involved company strategies. The posts revealed negotiating tactics the team planned to use with business partners, and some of those tactics revealed a fundamental lack of good faith. If the public message logs didn't increase the company's liability exposure, they certainly poisoned its hard-earned business relationships. http://tc.eserver.org/10136.html http://tc.eserver.org/10136.html <i>Pediatrics</i> is the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Published continuously since 1948, the journal has achieved a circulation of 62,500, with broad additional distribution via international translations, proprietary computer systems, and online services. Pediatrics has an impact factor of 3.487, the highest ranked clinical journal (as opposed to research journal) in the specialty. In 1996, the editors were facing a growing backlog of quality articles, longer times to publication, and prohibitive and increasing print publication costs. They needed a viable publishing option that avoided the high variable costs and capacity constraints of print, and the Web beckoned.