Introduction
It is natural to conceive of text first and foremost as conversation: as the spontaneous interchange of meaning in ordinary everyday interaction. It is in such contexts that reality is constructed in the microsemiotic encounters of daily life. (Halliday 1978:40)
This thesis explores the online interactive environment, its departure from the culture of a print milieu, and its changes for both the reader and the writer. As online chatrooms and discussion groups grow in popularity, the analysis of these environments will increase in depth and range.
Internet conversation, whether in chatrooms, Instant Messenger, discussion groups, or role-playing games like MUDs, involves two paradigm shifts: from print to computerization and from traditional discourse to new forms of internet-based interaction.
Current Modes of Online Communication
Online communication includes chatrooms, discussion groups, and Instant Messenger, each with distinct characteristics:
- Chatrooms: Allow multiple users to converse simultaneously, creating a multilogue environment.
- Discussion Groups: Operate around threaded topics, often more controlled and textual.
- Instant Messenger: Facilitates real-time, two-person communication, similar to chatrooms but more private.
Chatrooms
Chatrooms are the primary data corpus for this research, representing a computerized version of citizen's band radio or talk-back radio. They lack physical cues, relying on log-on names to differentiate speakers. The multilogue nature of chatrooms, where multiple conversations occur simultaneously, poses a methodological challenge for conversational analysis.
Example of chatroom interaction:
Janis> Through now I know we are part of the universal plan to exist on the third dimension, but why was there such a plan for us to exist in the first place.
dammit> (Singapore) hi janis
steven> hi janis, dammit! Just wanted to dropped in home-- after splatter painting my consciousness throughout the multi-verse for eons, it is nice to be here!
steven> Janis, I see this no thing, some thing is like a pendulum/fulcrum swing. Tell me more about lexigrams--sounds fascinating!
1love> curtis, thanks for your photo, this mustard seed looks all golden to me! My photo is on its way, just got the pics back.
This example illustrates the non-sequential, multi-directional nature of chatroom conversations, coded as: #1, 3Ù1, 4Ù1, #5.
Discussion Groups
Discussion groups provide a contrast to chatrooms, with more structured and textual interactions. This research monitors three groups: a psychological astrology group, a philosophical Neo-Tech group, and a Bohm Dialogue Discussion group. Each group exhibits unique conversational behaviors, from social chatter to disciplined dialogue.
Example from the Bohm Dialogue group:
Pat: Gawd I hate email sometimes. I find it so imprecise. I look at these messages and think, cant I say it better than that? I'd be here all night. Oh well.
C: Or perhaps for days, weeks. The difference between reading the 'hardcopies' in my memory of a certain class of my e-mails to the list, and 'reading something that has gone through many drafts to a point of satisfaction, is like the difference between walking through a 'minefield' of reflexes, and walking through a meadow of wild flowers...
Methodology
The methodology involves setting up an online journal to facilitate observation and analysis of chatrooms and discussion groups. The journal links textual pieces submitted by participants, allowing for the study of both highly textualized writing and rapid-exchange chat. The analysis draws on discourse textual analysis, casual conversation analysis, and semiotics.
A transcription system is developed to capture chatroom multilogue, using symbols to indicate interaction, topic changes, and introductions.
Contact
For more information, contact Dr. Terrell Neuage at terrell.neuage@example.com.