COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM A DIVERSE RANGE OF USERS?

The demographics of computer-mediated communication (CMC) users have changed considerably over the last twenty years. Whereas in the 1980's it was largely academics, and computing and IT professionals that used CMC such as email, the 1990's saw an increase in novice users, which coincided with the growth of the WWW, the viability of Internet access in homes, and with the proliferation of new CMC technologies. This shift in user demographics has resulted in a higher prevalence of known problems in CMC, such as misunderstandings and aggressive behaviour. Interestingly, the design of the user interface (UI) of CMC applications can assist in overcoming these problems. This paper discusses the merits of a user-centred design (UCD) approach to the design of CMC applications. It presents an initial study carried out to gain insights from four distinct user groups, and discusses its implications in improving the quality of CMC for users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]