APPENDIX B : OBJECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDIA (Hoffman & Novak,1995)

Medium Person inter- activity Machine inter- activity Number of linked sources Communica- tion model Content

Media feedback symmetry

 Temporal synchronicity General Category
Billboards No No One One-to-many Text,Image Yes n/a Traditional mass media
Newspapers No No One One-to-many Text,Image Yes n/a
Magazines No No One One-to-many Text, Image Yes n/a
Direct mail No No One One-to-many Text, Image Yes n/a
Radio No No Few One-to-many Audio No n/a
Broadcast TV No No Few One-to-many Audio,Video, (little Text) No n/a
Cable television No No Few

One-to-many

Audio, Video, (little Text) No n/a
Satellite TV No No Many One-to-many Audio, Video, (little Text) No n/a
500 channel cable TV No No Many One-to-many Audio, Video, (little Text) No n/a
Mail Yes No One One-to-one Text Yes No Interpersonal communication
Fax Yes No One One-to-one Text Yes No
Telephone Yes No One One-to-one Audio Yes Yes
Videophone Yes No One One-to-one Audio, Video Yes Yes
Face-to-face Yes No One One-to-one Audio, Video, Experiential Yes Yes
Face-to-face (Group) Yes No Few Few-to-few Audio, Video, Experiential Yes Yes
Town meeting Yes No Many Many-to-many Audio, Video, Experiential Yes Yes
Local hypertext No Yes One One-to-many Text Yes Yes Interactive media
Local hypermedia No Yes One One-to-many Text, Image, Audio, Video No Yes
Dial-up BBS No Yes One One-to-many Text Yes Yes
CD-Interactive No Yes One One-to-many Text, Image, Audio, Video No Yes
Videotex No Yes Few One-to-many Text Yes Yes
Pre-Web On-Line Services No Yes Few One-to-many Text, Image No Yes
Interactive television No Yes Few One-to-many Text, Image, Audio, Video No Yes
WWW No Yes Many Many-to-many Text, Image, Audio, Video No Yes
E-mail Yes Yes One One-to-one Text Yes No Computer-Mediated Communication
Voice mail Yes Yes One One-to-one Audio Yes No
Talk program Yes Yes One One-to-one Text Yes Yes
Email (carbon copy: list) Yes Yes One One-to-few Text Yes No
Multiparty chat (IRC) Yes Yes Few Few-to-few Text Yes Yes
MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) Yes Yes Few Few-to-few Text Yes Yes
Internet Video-conferencing Yes Yes Few Few-to-few Audio, Video Yes Yes
Mailing list Yes Yes Many Many-to-many Text Yes No
Usenet newsgroups Yes Yes Many Many-to-many Text Yes No
WEB (forms / annotation) Yes Yes Many Many-to-many Text, Image Yes No
Internet Relay Chat Yes Yes Many Many-to-many Text Yes Yes