2.) How do anonymity, group size, and proximity influence participation and communication in CMC groups?
Anonymity exists in CMC groups mainly because an individual's identity isn't necessarily shown to the group. Because CMC focuses primarily on communicating through technology, it is normal for each member of the group to go pubicly unknown. The act of being anonymous through anonymity may or may not be beneficial depending on how an individual acts upon the CMC group. An individual may feel more comfortable to express their ideas via technology anonymously, while some may volunteer to publicize themselves towards the group. Regardless of what they choose, anonymity does indeed exist in CMC groups but doesn't necessarily hurt the group's communication process. When it comes to effective CMC groups, the text has explained that larger groups benefit more than smaller groups. This usually happens because the larger the group is, the more ideas per individual are able to generate rather than a smaller CMC group. Within a large group, there are many influential communication and involvement that comes from a greater diverse group of members. The more information that is shared, the more influential the communication becomes. When looking at a smaller CMC group, there are not as many heads put together to create more ideas, thus, the more members there are in a CMC group, the more beneficial the communication becomes. The variety of the group's characteristics, diversity, talents, personal background, experiences and physical proximity are all things that are put into the group communication to help progress to a decision-making process that is effective and positive. "Physical proximity of group members interacts with teh commnication medium to influence the group's CMC" (Valacich, George, Nunamaker, & Vogel, 1994). This quote explains that it's not just the technology aspect that creates the groups' communication, rather, it is the physical contextual cues that becomes more influential towards the communication process.
Hello Hope! Great job on the second post for this week! Your post is thorough, clear cut and very easy to read. It gave me a better understanding of how anonymity, proximity and group size effect and influence CMC groups. Like you said, I think that all three of these things can be both beneficial and consequential when it comes to CMC groups. When you speak about physical proximity, I really like the way you integrated the quote from the text at the very end. I agree that physical interaction is very important in any kind of group. Again, great job on your post!
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