Ambiguity in human communication and the design of computer-mediated-communication systems

Unlike physical or biological systems, human social systems are loosely-coupled in nature. Ambiguity and interpretation play important roles in human communication. Language is a key means of creating and maintaining shared realities through consensual processes. Consequently, an understanding of the interpretational nature of social interactions is required for the design of computer-mediated communication systems. Computer-based systems vary in their abilities to cope with the ambiguities inherent in social interactions; the mediation of `rich´ social interactions with computer technology is often problematic. Some existing computer-mediated communication systems are examined with respect to the issues discussed