Language Online

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of what is meant by language in an online and mobile world, offering a chronological precis of the types of language media to emerge over the past thirty-five years, with particular emphasis on some of the newer communication platforms used in the Internet. A bit of terminology is introduced to provide a common vocabulary. Various types of language transmitted via the gamut of information and communication technologies ICTs can be classified under the umbrella term “electronically-mediated communication” (EMC), which can be either synchronous or synchronous. Examples of asynchronous communication are one-to-one email, texting on mobile phones, newsgroups, listservs, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, while synchronous communication includes instant messaging, computer conferencing, MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons/Dimensions), MOOs (MUDs, Object Oriented), chat, and Second Life. This chapter discusses the evolution of EMC from email in 1971 to YouTube in 2005.

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