How to speak the language of the new world - Glossary Series, Day 1

This post is part of the Glossary Series, a 100-day conversation designed to develop and clarify the language we use to describe online communication. As Year 2008 comes to a close, the emerging Glossary of Online Communication will be published along with a selection of the comments from my readership. I hope to see your comments among them.

Day 1: Online Communication

Online Communication: The exchange of ideas and information through all digital means including email, blogs, forums, audio broadcasts, video, and texting. Online communication could be said to be the most pervasive and powerful cultural change of our times, and its exponential nature may be the most striking difference in the brains and behaviors of "digital natives*" (those born into the age of digital multimedia) as compared to "digital immigrants*" (those who have engaged technology as adults).

Each Glossary entry is worth at least a byte of contention. I’d like to hear from you as to the usefulness of the term “online communication.” Does it clarify or cloud? Is it redundant? Are there other terms currently in use which are better or at least better known?

Go ahead and click on comments there and let me know what you think, and do subscribe so you can participate in the whole series. This glossary is a product of our conversation - your input makes a difference!

Suzanna


*Thank you to Marc Prensky

Fascinating entry in Marc Prensky’s weblog of 2006 where he talks about his use of the term “digital native.”