This topic is a real challenge due to its own complexity and requires extensive knowledge on legal, computer and conflict mediation subject-matters.
Associating “electronic file” to “electronic mediation” shows a misunderstanding of the principles of conflict mediation. Document management programmes (being residents like in the cloud) are an excellent ODR tool, but we should not forget that here there is not a big amount of important documentation to manage (we are not judges, lawyers, negotiators or arbitrators). Claiming that a document management programme is equivalent to a process of Mediation through Electronic Media is such a big mistake.
Pretending that a chat through Skype, Messenger, Facetime or similar ones can replace an on line mediation session in proper conditions does not seem serious to me, as these free public videoconference systems do not guarantee the privacy and the confidentiality of the session. If we forget and leave aside confidentiality, privacy, impersonation, etc. there are going to be consequences. Confusing ODR and Mediation through Electronic Media has troubled more than one Mediation Institution and my own colleagues mediators, so as I am concerned, I have created this manual overview for electronic mediation.
Fortunately there are many emerging articles related to conflict Mediation through Electronic Media, and beyond the success or not of each of these works, we are happy that this topic is catching the interest of many different sectors which can become role players of the Mediation through Electronic Media.
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