Computer Conferencing as a Means of Enhancing Communication at a Large Conference / Festival
Year:
1977 A feasibility study (Part #1)
Published in Transnational Associations 29, 1977, 6, pp. 260-283 [PDF version]
Introduction
Context
Goals
Description
A: Participant's perspective B: Organizer's perspective C: Computer-specialist's perspective. Conclusion
[Parts: Next | Last | All ] [Links: From-K | From-Kx ]
Introduction
The purpose of this document is to outline some practical options for use of computer-conferencing techniques to facilitate a variety of interactions between participants at a large conference/festival/exhibition. The document has been prepared in response to the encouragement of the organizer of the Festival of Mind and Body, held for the first time in May 1977 in London, with an attendance of 67.000. The 1978 Festival will be held at the National Hall, Olympia , London from 30th April through 7th May. It is hoped to use some of the techniques.
It cannot be stressed too strongly that the advocates of this approach consider it to be a "reakthrough in interpersonal communication of as much significance as was the telephone. Many new forms of interaction become possible, particularly that of making contact (possibly anonymously) with people whose name one does not know but who have similar interests and projects. This type of communication environment can support a whole new style of people- organization (1). However, there is a real difficulty in explaining the nature of this breakthrough into an "altered state of communication" (2):
"Most of our intuitions about face-to-face interaction simply do not apply to this new and unusual form of communication. In computer conferencing, time and distance are dissolved. . .Each person's "memory of what has been said is accurate and complete. And everyone may speak at once or listen at leisure. With such features, it isnot surprising that computer conferencing might actually establish an altered state of communication in which the realities of face-to-face communication are distorted and entirely new patterns of interaction emerge.
This document will not give detailed background information on computer conferencing, since an explanatory survey convering a variety of viewpoints has been produced as a special issue of Transnational Associations (October 1977), which should therefore be considered as Appendix 2.
As opposed to the mam use for which computer conferencing is advocated, namely linking people who are geographically dispersed, this document focuses on its use for linking people attendinginq a large conference or festival.This does not exclude the possibility of linking in people at more distant locations.
It is vital to understand that a conference/festival is not dependent upon the use of this technique, if employed, but that it is a catalyst and support for new kinds of interaction. Participants can choose to use it or ignore it as they see fit.
