Ceci n'est pas un Objet? Talking About Objects in E-mail
- 1 June 2003
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Human–Computer Interaction
- Vol. 18 (1-2) , 85-110
- https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327051hci1812_4
Abstract
E-mail, far from being a poor, technically limited substitute for face-to-face communication, has some unique and compelling properties that make it ideally suited for talking about objects. In this article we show how e-mail users have evolved new forms of electronic deictic references to refer to work objects and have taken full advantage of the fluid boundaries between the different roles that e-mail can assume. We also illustrate how e-mail users draw on the persistence of the medium to make sense of the objects being talked about and sometimes even transform the conversation itself into an object of conversation. We conclude with several design suggestions for future electronic mail software based on these findings.Keywords
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