My understanding of ecology is that it is the branch of science that deals with the interaction within species and the development and adaption of these species. I think that the metaphor of information ecology is a fitting explanation of the way the Internet is used. The Internet is fundamentally a medium that facilitates the interaction and the exchange of information. Interaction via the Internet has developed and adapted over time. Initially interaction via the Internet was predominantly done through newsgroups and chat, while these are still examples of interaction via the internet communication styles have evolved to include forums, blogs, social networking, and most recently tweets.
If you delve even deeper into the essence of the Internet I feel it can be likened to an independent environment. On a number of occasions I have found myself describing the Internet as the online environment. The dynamics of information on Internet is ever changing, evolving and adapting over time which is why I consider the term information ecology to be appropriate. In order to be able to effectively communicate in the online environment I need to be prepared to develop my interactions to evolve with the changing environment.
Within the information ecology framework the notion of information and communication are closely associated. Information refers to increasing knowledge through communication. Communication refers to the receiving and circulating information. As you can see both information and communication are inextricably related within this framework.
I believed that we do not refer to communication ecology because communication within the term ecology is presumed. If you consider that my understanding of ecology is the interaction within species, communication is a means of interaction and not separate to it.
