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From: taylor@hplabsc.UUCP (Dave Taylor)
Newsgroups: mod.comp-soc
Subject: Re: Computer Networks and Literacy
Message-ID: <924@hplabsc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 5-Dec-86 12:26:03 EST
Article-I.D.: hplabsc.924
Posted: Fri Dec  5 12:26:03 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 6-Dec-86 03:27:03 EST
Reply-To: mandel@well.UUCP (Tom Mandel)
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
Lines: 17
Approved: taylor@hplabs
Reference: <882@hplabsc.UUCP>


This article is from well!mandel@hplabs.HP.COM (Tom Mandel)
 and was received on  Fri Dec  5 03:11:52 1986
 
On the matter of this [computer conferencing] being a narrow-bandwidth
medium:

It seems to me that while it is obviously true that this particular
medium is relatively limited, it alone is not the issue.  When considering
matters of human communication, it makes more sense to look at all the
available media together and then ask the question about "bandwidth."
I would say that every new medium -- and especially two-way media --
*increases* the existing range and overall capabilities of human
commmunications.  
	Every single medium, even face-to-face (where power relationships
can play a major role), has distinct advantages and limitations.  Taken
together, however, the communications environment is getting much richer,
not narrower.