A Comparison of Text Messaging and Email Support for Digital Communities: A Case Study

The increase in personal and mobile technologies as well as increasing access to organisational media suggests new ways in which community development can be supported. In this paper, we describe the differences between text messaging and email as ways of supporting community activities. A case study of a group of University students is presented. A framework for characterising and comparing communities is described. This is used to analyse the role of the technologies in the development of a sense of community amongst the students. The students completed communication diaries. Differences in the use of the technologies are identified and described. These are explained in terms of a claims analysis in which literature claims are compared with the collected data. The discussion focuses on the social use of technology and the integration of media within the community setting.

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