BLOCKED-- Unable to reach out online..... Assignment #6

Hi all,

While we have come to many different conclusions about interaction in computer-mediated spaces, one thing that can be agreed upon is the fact that the virtual world allows us to both reach more (both in numbers and information) people. Years ago we could only reach one another by mail and telephone, therefore the time differences were much larger in which we received information. Most of us have only known how to easily communicate by text message, email and instant messages and know we can reach someone quite easily if needed. Expanding, much of the communication between teachers and students occurs through emails and college applications are slowly becoming internet based ( thus decreasing the immense amount of mail).

In thinking about how we communicate today I was reminded of an incident when I was applying to college. Trying to chose colleges is hard as we all know thus I tried to email as many of the possible professors as I could in order to get a better sense of the environment. As the replies were extremely important to me, I became extremely distressed when I didn't receive replies for multiple professors. Why would a professor not reply to a prospective student?

It turned out that many college list serves have the ability to block certain emails. In this way they are controlled and regulated by a program which acts as a leviathan. Many of the email address blocked end in @aol.com or questionable sites. The social norm and standard online that seems to be enforced by the email controller is the idea that X-rated material and viruses should not be sent or viewed on the internet. Also these email controllers prevent what society has labeled SPAM mail, which again is viewed negatively. SPAM, while not always a problem has become recognized by society as both mischeivous in the sense that creators enact virtual deception which can lead to various forms of fraud and identity theft, as well has annoying.

Up until recently many people did not have ways to control the amount of SPAM or X-rated materials that were sent to their accounts. Now, with various blocking programs, and AOLs ability to mark all hazardous emails as SPAM the virtual world has a leviathan to regulate at least some of the information on the internet.

In relating much of my observation and discussion back to Wallace's overview of theoretical issues of group dynamics on the internet I found that her mention of " the sign on the door....netiquette" sits in tandem with the issues surrounding SPAM mail. For many of us who are knowledgeable of the interenet, we know when mail is fake, hazardous and/or SPAM. However in Wallace's issue she discusses how those who are unfamiliar with the medium will have to learn how to participate. Many newcomers to the email area are not aware of the infinite number of SPAM emails they will receive, and more importantly do not understand that these senders are deceiving them. As Wallace points out, sometimes in order to learn the rules of the game you must be punished. Consequently, many newcomers find themselves suffering from identity theft and fraud because they believed a SPAM email. Followig such episodes the subject then becomes more aware of their environment and falls into the rule of the group dynamic.