(In)Appropriate Online Behavior: A Pragmatic Analysis of Message Board Relations

300 Pages·2013·18.66 MB·English

by  Jenny Arendholz

(In)Appropriate Online Behavior
Pragmatics & Beyond New Series (P&BNS)
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Editor Associate Editor
Anita Fetzer Andreas H. Jucker
University of Augsburg University of Zurich
Founding Editors
Jacob L. Mey Herman Parret Jef Verschueren
University of Southern Belgian National Science Belgian National Science
Denmark Foundation, Universities of Foundation,
Louvain and Antwerp University of Antwerp
Editorial Board
Robyn Carston Sachiko Ide Deborah Schiffrin
University College London Japan Women’s University Georgetown University
Thorstein Fretheim Kuniyoshi Kataoka Paul Osamu Takahara
University of Trondheim Aichi University Kobe City University of
Miriam A. Locher Foreign Studies
John C. Heritage
University of California at Los Universität Basel Sandra A. Thompson
Angeles Sophia S.A. Marmaridou University of California at
University of Athens Santa Barbara
Susan C. Herring
Indiana University Srikant Sarangi Teun A. van Dijk
Cardiff University Universitat Pompeu Fabra,
Masako K. Hiraga
Barcelona
St. Paul’s (Rikkyo) University Marina Sbisà
University of Trieste Yunxia Zhu
The University of Queensland
Volume 229
(In)Appropriate Online Behavior.
A pragmatic analysis of message board relations
by Jenny Arendholz
(In)Appropriate Online Behavior
A pragmatic analysis of message board relations
Jenny Arendholz
University of Augsburg
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam / Philadelphia
TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
8
the American National Standard for Information Sciences – Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Arendholz, Jenny.
(In)Appropriate Online Behavior : a Pragmatic Analysis of Message Board Relations /
Jenny Arendholz, University of Augsburg.
p. cm. (Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, issn 0922-842X ; v. 229)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Electronic discussion groups--Social aspects. 2. Online etiquette--Social aspects. 3.
Discourse analysis--Data processing. 4. Discourse analysis--Technological in-
novations. 5. Online social networks--Social aspects. 6. Internet--Social aspects.
7. Language and the Internet. I. Title.
ZA4480.A73 2013
302.30285--dc23 2012041715
isbn 978 90 272 5634 8 (Hb ; alk. paper)
isbn 978 90 272 7237 9 (Eb)
© 2013 – John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any
other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. · P.O. Box 36224 · 1020 me Amsterdam · The Netherlands
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Table of contents
List of figures and tables xi
Acknowledgements xiii
chapter 1
Introduction 1
chapter 2
Communicating via networks I: A technical perspective 5
2.1 Introduction 5
2.2 A short history of hypertext and the Internet 6
2.3 Scientific disciplines and hypertext: CMC & CMDA 10
2.4 In the spotlight: The ins and outs of message boards 12
2.5 Reservations against the social potential of CMC 17
2.5.1 Technological determinism vs. social constructionism 18
2.5.2 Cues-filtered-out approaches 19
2.6 Everything is not lost: The discovery of social potential within CMC 22
2.6.1 Opposed findings of more recent approaches 23
2.6.2 Compensatory mechanisms and netlingo 25
2.7 Summary: Why CMC can be social after all 33
chapter 3
Communicating via networks II: A social perspective 37
3.1 Introduction 37
3.2 Gathering online: In groups or communities? 38
3.3 Taking a look inside: The community of practice of TheStudentRoom  41
3.3.1 Social roles revisited: The hybridization of the private and public 42
3.3.2 The emergence of norms and codes of conduct 46
3.4 Summary: Why we need to draw on FtF interaction 50
viii (In)Appropriate Online Behavior
chapter 4
Interpersonal relations I: The origins of politeness, face & facework 53
4.1 Introduction 53
4.2 Fraser, Lakoff and Leech: Some classic views on politeness  55
4.3 The face-saving view: Brown/Levinson’s PolitenessTheory  58
4.3.1 Key concepts and inner workings 59
4.3.2 The predecessor: Goffman’s classic approach 66
4.3.3 Brown/Levinson vs. Goffman: Some interrelations 71
4.4 Summary: What to keep and what to drop 75
chapter 5
Interpersonal relations II: Putting (im)politeness
in an integrative perspective 79
5.1 Introduction 79
5.2 A working definition of politeness  80
5.3 Locher/Watts’ comprehensive framework of interpersonal relations 83
5.4 Impoliteness: The neglected stepbrother of politeness  89
5.5 Distinguishing types of inappropriate behavior:
Impoliteness vs. rudeness  95
5.6 Appropriate impoliteness: Mock-impoliteness and banter  97
5.7 Strings of inappropriate online behavior: Flaming  100
5.8 Summary: Implications of an integrative perspective for the analysis 102
chapter 6
Prelude to the analysis: Gathering contextual factors 105
6.1 Introduction 105
6.2 The participant: Personal contextual factors 107
6.2.1 Face constitution in online message boards 113
6.2.2 Trolling: A means of strategic deception 121
6.3 The relations: Interpersonal contextual factors 122
6.4 The setting: (Extra-) medial environmental factors 125
6.5 Summary: A comprehensive framework of context in message boards 125
Table of contents ix
chapter 7
Analyzing online message boards I: Thread starts 127
7.1 Introduction 127
7.2 Aspects of corpus compilation and its internal structure 130
7.3 Establishing interpersonal relations online 137
7.3.1 What’s in a heading? 138
7.3.2 The initiators: Investigating thread starters’ face claims 140
7.3.3 Face claims in first posts 145
7.3.4 Laying the groundwork for thread discussions: First entries 148
7.4 Other hotbeds for establishing contact: Profiles and signatures 157
7.5 Summary: Findings for the establishment of interpersonal relations 159
chapter 8
Analyzing online message boards II: Thread interaction 163
8.1 Introduction 163
8.2 Managing interpersonal relations online 167
8.2.1 Getting to know others 168
8.2.2 Looking for like-minded others 182
8.2.3 Asking for advice 197
8.2.4 Asking for opinions 206
8.2.5 Blowing off steam 226
8.2.6 Offering advice/information 238
8.3 Summary: Findings for the management of interpersonal relations 247
chapter 9
Conclusion 259
Bibliography 265
Name index 281
Subject index 283