UNIT 3

(English in Digital World)

Online communication
Tools to support synchronous communication and asynchronous communication
Types of online communication
Advantages and disadvantages of online communication
Etiquettes of social media
Learning IPA
Plagiarism
Tools to check grammar
Importance of academic integrity

Online communication

Online communication is defined as computer-mediated communication (CMC) process

occurring via the internet or digital mediums. With the emergence of the digital world, more
people are utilizing the power of online communication to avail of its several benefits.

Online communication means the exchange of information using the Internet or mobile
communication network for any purpose (e.g., information sharing, marketing, public
engagement, etc.).
Online communication systems are emerging as real-time communication tools for individuals,
students and business professionals. These systems are a perfect blend of video, audio and
computer technology that allows people to connect in real time irrespective of their geographical
locations and time zones.

The usage of online communication has increased even more during the onset of the pandemic
Covid-19. When the online option to stay protected was social distancing, the best way was to
make use of online communication for interacting as well as for transactions of finances too.

Not just interactions, collaborations, and transactions, online communication has opened up to a
wide number of activities. Booking travel plans, conducting meetings, having online classes, and
many more activities have made lives much easier.
There are several types of online communication channels that are utilized for various types of
activities of a company, organization, their team members, managerial group, etc. They are also
used for other personal or business purposes. Here are some of the basic ones to have a dig into.

Types of Communication

1. Emails

Email is considered to be the oldest mode of online communication. It is due to its popularity
that has surely impacted the postal services and has led to its decline. Today, only a rare section
of people sends letters through postal services, otherwise, most people prefer to send an email
instead.

There have been several reasons why people prefer to send an email today in place of writing
letters. One of the most eminent reasons is that sending a message through email saves a lot of
time and also money.

An email reaches the recipient with a minute while a postal service will take at least a week to
reach the receiver. Similarly, you have to invest money to send your postal card while sending an
email will just need your internet data.

2. Instant Message Applications

Much before the internet was invented, the Short Message Service or SMS was one of the best
ways to communicate.

You can send a short message in 160 characters to anyone who has got a mobile phone. But soon
SMS was also replaced by the modern-day instant message applications through which you
cannot just send instant messages but also can share images, audios, and videos.

Today, there are a diverse number of such instant message applications to explore with different
features.

3. Social Media

Who does not know about social media today? Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and there are
many others too where users share their images or memories in the form of posts.

The social media platforms also offer the mode of online communication because when someone
posts something on the walls, others can either react or can comment on the post.

4. Online Content

There are so many people who avail information about different topics through the content
available online.
Such content can be available in the form of website content as well as blogs. Also, there are so
many pages such as Quora where you can ask questions or can also answer questions from some
other users.

5. Whiteboards

Whiteboards are widely used for online classes and the teaching profession. While this
whiteboard is much different from the physical whiteboard available, it offers almost the same
functions.

In the case of online whiteboards, the teacher or the faculty shares the whiteboard link with the
viewers and then the viewer can see whatever the sender is writing on the whiteboard through
their individual computers.

This has become a good model of teaching during the online classes where the teacher and the
students can interact with each other online by sitting at their individual houses.

6. Voice over Internet Protocol

Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP is one of the most famous options that is used at
workplaces.

Through this method, more than two users can get connected and can conduct meetings,
seminars, and other activities.

It is through the method of VoIP that now video conferencing can also take place with ease when
people are attending office from home due to the pandemic situation.

7. Forums

These are commonly known as discussion boards which are generally conducted online.

It lets multiple users interact with each other by enabling them to post messages in the same trail
of messages. Its use is crucial for conducting online debates on different topics.

Advantages of Online Business Communication

Online communication spread out like fire due to its amazing benefits such as mentioned here.

1. Fast and Secure

Online communication is not just fast but also secure. Letters through postal service reach late
and also can get damaged in transit due to several reasons.

But when you are sending an email or an instant message, it reaches the recipient instantly, and
that too without any risk of getting damaged.

2. Documented Message
Everything you are sending as a message will stay documented till the time you are not deleting
it.

Hence, you can always go back to your conversations and can verify a sentence that you might
have said or so.

3. Discussion with diverse people

If you are on a community forum or so, you have the opportunity to have discussions with people
from across the world.

You do not have to meet them personally to start a discussion with them. Just sitting at your
home, you can have conversations with people who are sitting in some other country talking to
you.

While some people are just concerned about a discussion over a topic, there are also some others
who love to get connected with people from different corners of the globe.

4. Participate at your conditions

The best thing is that online communication offers you a lot of flexibility. When you are talking
in a forum, you can respond or discuss things at your own convenience, no one is going to poke
you for it.

Also, you can quit the discussion in between whenever you wish to. In the case of individual
messaging or chatting also, you have the option of blocking the person or even reporting the
person if he or she is harassing you.

At the same time, if you have something urgent to say and the other person is not available, you
can drop a quick message so that the person will see it when the person gets free.

A constant increase has been noticed in the rise of online communication in the last few years.
With growth, online communication is also paving way for diversification and innovative
options.

Each day a new option or a new trend comes up that offers a new dimension to online
communication.

Today, there is nothing that cannot be done with the use of online communication. When the
right channel for the communication is selected and the right message is used, it definitely makes
communication much convenient.

No doubt, online communication has become an eminent part of daily life now.

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Advantages of Online communication for professional purposes

1. Cost effective compared to physical meeting

Professionally speaking, having online meetings are cost effective in every possible angle, as the
services would be in need of a computer or a mobile along with internet connectivity. To a
physical conference, you have to spare time, money to travel, cost to stay and so on.
2. Easy connectivity from every place in the world
The web conferencing technology has improved to a great extent and provides flawless
connectivity from any part of the world. You can use the online conferencing services for both
official and personal purposes.
3. Best to use in different devices and gadgets
You can do online conferencing both on the computer and on mobile phones. Most of the
smartphones give out an option for users to have a web meeting on a regular basis without
paying any cost. Most of the applications are available free of cost both in mobile and in the
computer, which can be used to make long distance calls without paying a dime.
4. Increase productivity and efficiency
Visually interactive video-conferencing is providing a better alternative. It gives vital visual
images that enable employees and customers to interpret and collaborate properly over a long
distance. As a result, decisions are taken faster, projects execute on-time and productivity
increases.
5. Long-term competitive advantage
Video-conferencing gives users multiple options for securing competitive advantage, resulting in
more wise decisions that minimize both the time and price required to promote new services and
products. Through the technical support of the videoconferencing company, business owners get
an opportunity to create more valuable and personal bonding with the customers and build up a
loyalty which is far beyond the capacities of traditional phone conferencing system.

Online communication for personal purposes

Online communication makes way for staying connected irrespective of distance.
It helps people get easy quick access to their relatives staying far away. Gone are the times when
it was a long wait to get a call booking done through telecom and get it connected. It was very
expensive too. This has completely been nullified and has made it easy and cheap.

People are able to get information update at the quickest possible time. From recipes to
programming, from children’s content to getting degrees it is of much help to the curious and
exploratory mind. Everything is received in a single swipe of the screen.

Online communication means any communication made through a computer, computer system,
computer network, telecommunication, telecommunications device, telecommunications service,
information service, or other digital or electronic method of communication.
Online communication means the exchange of information using the Internet or mobile
communication network for any purpose (e.g., information sharing, marketing, public
engagement, etc.).
Online communication systems are emerging as real-time communication tools for individuals,
students and business professionals. These systems are a perfect blend of video, audio and
computer technology that allows people to connect in real time irrespective of their geographical
locations and time zones.

Online communication became the need of the hour during pandemic. It helped the social
activities stay alive and active. It enabled the continuation of education, administration and life
without break during lockdown.

Notable Cons of Online Communication

1. Time-consuming and costly
One of the major disadvantages of web conference call is that detail planning is essential for its
success. The people engaged in the conference call need to have high discipline and high level of
concentration. For an effective conference call the web cam, microphone and other gadgets need
to be in proper position and in good working condition. Failure in any one of the key gadgets can
lead to the total failure of the conference call.
2. Ineffective
The lack of personal proximity possible in physical meetings and eye contact is an important
disadvantage when it comes to. When you sit in the same room with someone and listen to a
speech or presentation you will make eye contact and they will judge who is paying attention by
looking around the room. Much of this contact is not easily delivered through a webcam.
3. Ambiguity
Lack of clarity is another disadvantage of online communication. Information overload results in
ambiguity.
It is also not inclusive of all people. All cannot be comfortable and adept in online
communication, especially people of the previous generation feel excluded or out of place as
they are affected by the technological constraints.

The advantages and disadvantages have to be weighed against the purpose. The recent
developments in audio and video conferencing technology have made it far more productive and
engaging than conventional teleconferencing.

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communication.html

PROFESSIONAL WRITING AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

1. PLAGIARISM

Objective:

 To find whether the created content is completely similar to the previously published
content of the same genre.
 To avoid infringement of intellectual property rights.
  To imply creativity to the maximum extent
 To intensify the uniqueness of the content created

Plagiarism is a word derived from Latin word Plagiarius means Kidnapper. According to
Merriam – Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary ‘to Plagiarize’ means

 To commit literary theft

 To use others idea without crediting their source
 To steal someone’s idea

Plagiarism is using or stealing other person’s ideas, information, expressions, or entire work
as claiming to be your work which is not right. It is just a kind of fraud that we make others or
readers believe that the work and the idea belong to the writer. Plagiarism is a growing issue in
academic field in today’s scenario. It cheats the students and teachers in their education which
can lead to dire consequences in their educational and personal lives. More Plagiarism makes the
teachers’ or research guides’ job difficult as it should be checked carefully with a plagiarism
check/ software.

Plagiarism makes serious Offense

Plagiarist is a person who is incapable of doing research as he/she cannot express his own
ideas. When professional academic writers are exposed as plagiarist, their dishonesty is revealed
in their field so they are likely to lose their jobs and are certain to suffer public embarrassment,
diminished prestige and loss of future credibility. The consequence and charge of plagiarism is
serious as the original writer may question the plagiarist and the publisher about the work how
the original work is published in the name of plagiarist. For instance plagiarism can cast a
shadow across an entire career.

Examples:

Original

“We have our first president, George Washington, to thank for setting that example. After he led
the colonies to victory as General Washington, there were no constraints on him, really.”
President Obama, 2017

Plagiarized

We can thank our first president, George Washington, for setting that example. After he led the
colonies to victory as General Washington, there were no constraints on him.

Note these plagiarism examples have been changed ever so slightly, but the speech is the
same.

Original

“In the 1867 edition, Whitman began the restless sorting, organizing, and classifying of poems
that would occupy him for the rest of his life. Apparently, he sought an external, conscious
structure to answer critics who said his work was formless or obscure.”

Black, S (1998), “Leaves of Grass” Criticism

Plagiarized

In the 1867 edition, Whitman began restless classifying, organizing and sorting of poems that
would make him busy for the rest of his life. Evidently, he sought a conscious, external structure
to reply to critics who said his poetry was obscure and formless.

Note that original source was paraphrased slightly but the meaning remained. No citation
was provided, author not cited.

Original

“Steinbeck’s only ambitious novel since The Grapes of Wrath is East of Eden (1952), a best-
seller which the critics justly found rambling and uneven.”

Hornberger, T (1966) The Literature of the United States 2, 3rd edition, 1282

Plagiarized
One of many ambitious novels by Steinbeck since The Grapes of Wrath is East of Eden (1952),
sold poorly but was well paced.

Note that the quote in the example was rewritten and bears an opposite meaning.