When cultures and computers collide - Rethinking computer-mediated communication according to international and intercultural communication expectations

Online communication technology makes intercultural communication faster and more direct than was ever before possible, but, in doing so, it may also amplify cultural rhetorical differences. Communication scholars, therefore, need to begin examining potential areas of conflict in international cyberspace to anticipate and to resolve potential crosscultural misunderstandings related to online exchanges. This commentary proposes that researchers need to compare the communication patterns noted in the computer mediated communication (CMC) literature and in the intercultural communication literature to see where these communication patterns collide.