Interpreting instant messaging - Context and meaning in computer-mediated communication

Little attention has been paid to knowledge as a context of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and to differences in meaning attributed to the same message when located in different contexts. Drawing on concepts in anthropological usage and on those used in other disciplines, especially the constructs of "common ground" and "relational cultures, " this paper addresses that gap. It examines in instant messaging, a particular mode of computer-mediated communication, how individuals with different kinds of knowledge interpret online interaction.