(In)Appropriate Online Behavior; Editorial page; Title page; LCC data; Dedication page; Table of contents; List of figures and tables; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Communicating via networks I: A technical perspective; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 A short history of hypertext and the Internet; 2.3 Scientific disciplines and hypertext: CMC and CMDA; 2.4 In the spotlight: The ins and outs of message boards; 2.5 Reservations against the social potential of CMC; 2.5.1 Technological determinism vs. social constructionism; 2.5.2 Cues-filtered-out approaches.

2.6 Everything is not lost: The discovery of social potential within CMC2.6.1 Opposed findings of more recent approaches; 2.6.2 Compensatory mechanisms and netlingo; 2.7 Summary: Why CMC can be social after all; 3. Communicating via networks II: A social perspective; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Gathering online: In groups or communities?; 3.3 Taking a look inside: The community of practice of The Student Room; 3.3.1 Social roles revisited: The hybridization of the private and public; 3.3.2 The emergence of norms and codes of conduct; 3.4 Summary: Why we need to draw on FtF interaction.

4. Interpersonal relations I: The origins of politeness, face and facework4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Fraser, Lakoff and Leech: Some classic views on politeness; 4.3 The face-saving view: Brown/Levinson's Politeness Theory; 4.3.1 Key concepts and inner workings; 4.3.2 The predecessor: Goffman's classic approach; 4.3.3 Brown/Levinson vs. Goffman: Some interrelations; 4.4 Summary: What to keep and what to drop; 5. Interpersonal relations II: Putting (im)politeness in an integrative perspective; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 A working definition of politeness.

5.3 Locher/Watts' comprehensive framework of interpersonal relations5.4 Impoliteness: The neglected stepbrother of politeness; 5.5 Distinguishing types of inappropriate behavior: Impoliteness vs. rudeness; 5.6 Appropriate impoliteness: Mock-impoliteness and banter; 5.7 Strings of inappropriate online behavior: Flaming; 5.8 Summary: Implications of an integrative perspective for the analysis; 6. Prelude to the analysis: Gathering contextual factors; 6.1 Introduction; 6.2 The participant: Personal contextual factors; 6.2.1 Face constitution in online message boards.

6.2.2 Trolling: A means of strategic deception6.3 The relations: Interpersonal contextual factors; 6.4 The setting: (Extra- ) medial environmental factors; 6.5 Summary: A comprehensive framework of context in message boards; 7. Analyzing online message boards I: Thread starts; 7.1 Introduction; 7.2 Aspects of corpus compilation and its internal structure; 7.3 Establishing interpersonal relations online; 7.3.1 What's in a heading?; 7.3.2 The initiators: Investigating thread starters' face claims; 7.3.3 Face claims in first posts; 7.3.4 Laying the groundwork for thread discussions: First entries.

7.4 Other hotbeds for establishing contact: Profiles and signatures.

This descriptive and comprehensive study on the discursive struggle over interpersonal relations in online message boards is located at the fascinating interface of pragmatics and computer-mediated discourse - a research area which has so far not attracted much scientific interest. It sets out to shed light on the question how interpersonal relations are established, managed and negotiated in online message boards by giving a valid overview of the entire panoply of interpersonal relations (and their interrelations), including both positively and negatively marked behavior. With the first part.

Description based on print version record.