Articles Of Chaotic Intentions
under construction
At the moment the inner workings of Chaos are under Construction.
Facilities were built to house the many therapists, voltage regulators,
and rubber chickens. Unfortunately they were confiscated by the FBI and
are under investigation. I thought it was all legit but apparently the
therapists were warped by my inner workings. They were caught having
sex with electrified rubber chickens, smoking pot and drinking alcohol
in excess. They tried smoking the chickens and burned off their lips. Somehow
midgets were involved too but the details are kinda sketchy there.
Internet chat users(an article
I wrote for my English 104 class at Purdue)
Everyone wants to feel like they belong,
to have somewhere to go where everyone knows their name . Just like in
the once popular TV show Cheers. Some people don't have the time
or opportunity to meet or make friends in the "real world". Schedules conflict,
parents have responsibilities, people move away, these are all things
that bring people into what is known as the internet chat community.
The internet chat community is a language community all it's own.
It brings together people from all walks of life to participate in typing
a multitude of words on a keyboard. These words sometimes contain
more meaning than any spoken language. The people there have time
to think about what is being written. In spoken language community they
would have a short time to answer and not as much thought may go
into spoken words. I have interviewed other chat users and have information
from internet magazine authors on the subject.
I started chatting on the internet over two years ago and continue to chat
on the internet often. I found myself astounded at this new way of expressing
myself. Since then I have come to realize there is more to talking in a
chat room than what meets the eye. The language is very different,
the people are very different, and if you chat in any room for any length
of time you may experience a feeling of belonging. The names of the chat
users become faces in your mind since there are only words upon the screen.
"Internet chat is a way to share experiences, thoughts, and information
in a raw, spontaneous fashion, without the geographic limitations or emotional
inhibitions of a physical conversation. It's like one big conference call
minus the long-distance charges." [ Dina Gan , Yahoo Internet Life
magazine]
I first started chatting in AOL
chat rooms. I left AOL after the proverbial "Free Time" was up. I then
drifted around the internet at Netnitco, my new internet provider, for
a few months. I came upon a chat room designed for users of Netnitco
in November of 1996. There are
good points and bad points to anything of value which include chat lines.
"The internet is full of as much garbage as good stuff. There is stuff
said in the chat rooms that would knock the socks off even the toughest
people, yet at the same time there are a lot of "good people" out there
too." [Jesse Berst, Editorial Director, ZDNet AnchorDesk]
The chat rooms are full of people that vary to such degrees one never know
what one will come across. Some of the people are lonely and need
a friend while others are just bored and looking for something to do. Some
chat users may start chatting simply out of curiosity. Yet there are those
out there that like to be a burden and say things that upset others.
There is a common bond in these people, whenever someone "walks" into an
internet chat room.
The type of chat rooms can be diverse and are a good place to look at the
language community. "Chat rooms serve different purposes, which include
developing an online community where people can feel relaxed and comfortable.
Chat users can be inspired or entertained, get help with a technical
problem, talk about business, finance or other professional topics, or
relax and play a game or two." [ Dina Gan , Yahoo Internet Life magazine]
Some of the topics in the chat rooms are interest or topic related. The
types of topics can range greatly. Types of rooms can include various age
groups, varying interests, and various kinds of local or pretend
locations. I have noticed talking with people
of an age group similar to mine makes conversation easier.
One location that I am familiar with is known to many as the "Netnitco
Lounge".It's a chat room set up for anyone to use. Most of the users are
local people who are using Netnitco or know about Netnitco. Inside you'll
find a melting pot of people. I talk to people of all age groups
there. In the younger age group I usually notice overwhelming attitudes.
These attitudes can be cruel in some cases. Sexual and racial slurs are
not uncommon. Women are constantly a target of these attacks. Yet other
teens are seeking companionship to such an extent it seems annoying. It's
not uncommon to hear "Is anyone gonna talk to me?" In other cases the teenage
type gossip fills the computer screen driving the older chat users up a
wall. Comments like " What school do you go to" to general wining and bickering
are heard. Sometimes tempers flare and some of these kids threaten each
other. The older chat users respond to this in different ways. Some tell
the teens to take it to another room, some (like me) start poking fun of
stupid remarks made by younger chat users that have become annoying. The
chat users who are in their 20's or older in age are a bit more even tempered,
although the occasional strange comments may come from them as well.
Vivid imagination is a key element in this language community. The Netnitco
Lounge itself is somewhere people can chat over free imaginary
drinks, where there is a hot tub in the corner, pool tables abound, and
bar fights are not uncommon. The language used here is something that would
seem very strange in any place but a real bar. Often times regular chat
users will order an imaginary drink, new comers sometimes find this hard
to imagine. The hot tub is always full of naked partiers. New comers aren't
sure how they should take this. " This chat room is my hallucination,
and all in it. Annoying when the figments do what they will and ignore
my wishes."[huh?, internet chat user]
Since the varying conversation is written words, people are free of the
barriers of face- to- face obligations of dialog. "We feel more comfortable
because no one really knows what you look like...they are just talking
to you because you are interesting, not because you have big boobs or because
you are beautiful you know?" [Krystin, internet chat user] The words can
flow freely without any real fear of retribution, knowing you can say or
do anything that you want. Often this leads to fights, flirtations or friendships.
The ability to open up and talk to others has allowed people see into the
heart and soul of the people that they meet. This brings about a sharing
of thoughts and ideas which result in sometimes close friendships.
Feelings and attitudes are expressed differently also. Chat users will
type in all large letters to shout something or say things in abbreviations
like "LOL" for laugh out loud or "brb" for be right back.
The names people use in the chat rooms are very different, and sometimes
it gives light to their personality. Some people use names
like Death, Rowdy, Poolshark, Joker, huh?, Jester, or Chaos.
" I thought it was interesting to make up an identity and chat with people
you didn't know. It was neat to make a mental picture of everyone in my
mind." [Krystin, internet chat user]. Other ways of seeing other users
personality can be seen in simple ways, like the way they say hello. Some
people start out right away with a nice greeting. Others say things like
"IS ANYONE HERE?" "Isn't anyone going to talk to me?!" "This room is boring."
Other users may show their personality by the jokes they tell. Still other
users make sure their opinions and beliefs are heard by all.
During this paper I have reinforced my
belief that the internet chat language community that I am part of is a
great way for people to communicate. Being unable to get out is no longer
a reason why people cannot hang out with their friends. Language in this
community is expressed very differently than spoken words. Typing
the words gives a greater propensity in some cases, to their meaning. The
community allows people a chance to make friends and talk to other people
with common interests. Everyone using the internet chat rooms can feel
as if they have found somewhere that they belong. ****************************************************************************Jesse
Berst "Is the Net Immoral? Of Course It Is" ZDNet AnchorDesk
, Online. www.zdnet.com , April 1st, 1998Dina Gan Yahoo, no title,
Internet Life, Online. www.zdnet.com, July 16, 1997Krystin(Michele),
internet chat user Apr. 6th, 1998huh?, internet chat user