Preface

If different forms of human communication are mediated through a network of computers, the communication techniques can be grouped as Computer-mediated Communications (CMC). These techniques can be synchronous or asynchronous, point-to-point, or point-to-multipoint. How CMC techniques can change the processes and results of social interaction was the principal focus of early research. CMC techniques have different effects than non-mediated, face-to-face human communications in terms of how people identify with themselves, form and manage impressions, develop and maintain relationships with other people, build communities, and collaborate, decide, and communicate when they are separated by distance in space or by time. When CMC techniques were first introduced, there were challenges to be mitigated, like lack of socio-contextual information and lack of real applications that can be used for the benefit of the greater good. However, with rights to open access of information and human data and maturity of technology capable of realizing emerging applications, CMC techniques can be applied in various scenarios to help people communicate, collaborate over distance, estimate and predict risks and outcomes, interact within group processes, address issues, and remotely manage situations.

This book investigates the present trends in research in CMC techniques through the perspective of four different application scenarios. The first application scenario is telecommunication networks that involve the exchange of text, audio, and/or video messages between people separated by space and time. The second application scenario is smart health. The idea is to collect data from portable sensors and deliver it to a central gateway for automated immediate diagnosis, real-time risk analysis, generating preventive alerts, and using CMC techniques for activating appropriate action if necessary. The third application scenario is the case where audio and video recordings and platforms like Microsoft Teams are used to deliver content for learning over a distance. The fourth and final application scenario is the human-computer interaction-mediated scenario for elevating experience in environments like gaming or dyadic interaction between familiar people.

> **Indrakshi Dey** Electronic Engineering, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Maynooth, Ireland

Section 1
