A Faceted Classification Scheme for Computer-Mediated Discourse By S. Herring

Their is an obvious need to be able to classify data with regards to CMC. It seems to me that the first attempts to do so worked under the assumption that CMC was a static text based medium. This clearly was not to be the case and it seemed that each subsequent attempt would take into account the changes to CMC that had occurred but was unable to built a system that would continue to work as the medium changed and evolved. Thus if a perfect static system would not work it reasons that an imperfect flexible one might be more useful. Herring's multifaceted flexible system of organizing data certainly avoids many of its predecessors more problematic issues but even she recognizes its limitations. By its very nature of describing data it limits itself to text based forms of CMC, still for what it is meant for it does its job well. I think perhaps by precluding other forms of CMC and concentrating on text based data Herring has left her system open ended enough to remain flexible for the inclusion of new types of text based CMC when they arise. At least I believe that to be her goal. The idea of building a system for organizing textual, verbal, and visual CMC in its almost infinite possible combinations appeals to me like the idea of calculating the exact spot a raindrop with hit the earth as it leaves a cloud in a hurricane. Still, if we are to understand the implications of our continuously evolving field of CMC some system must be in place to organize the data we collect.