Terrell Neuage APPENDIX      CASE STUDY TWO THESIS COMPLETE .pdf

Conversational Analysis of Chat Room Talk PHD thesis by Dr. Terrell Neuage  University of South Australia National Library of Australia.

THESIShome ~ Abstract.html/pdf ~ Glossary.html/pdfIntroduction.html/pdf  ~ methodology.html/pdf  ~ literature review.html/pdfCase Study 1.html/pdf~ 2.html/pdf~ 3.html/pdf~  4.html/pdf~ 5.html/pdf~  6.html/pdf~  7.html/pdf~ discussion.html/pdf  ~ conclusion.html~ postscipt.html/pdf~ O*D*A*M.html/pdf~ Bibliography.html/pdf~  911~ thesis-complete.htm/~ Terrell Neuage Home Appendixes  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.  DATA ~ Case Study   1 ~ 2 ~ 3 ~ 4 ~ 5 ~ 6 ~ 7 ~ These links are from early notes and not the final edits which are in the published version available at the University of South Australia only. Not all links are active due to changing domains. Home page see http://neuage.co

Case study 7 raw data for IM

EXAMPLE IV.

Here is a fragment of an IM conversation between mutual acquaintance, who have never met physically. The conversation had started out about spirituality but the male (speaking in capital letters) quickly turned it into a sexual theme with the female finally ending with "thats (sic) what i (sic) thought you were going to say.....but i didnt want to go there!" At this stage the female writer (lower case text) could have been revealing a familiarity with social norms (ie. Male sexual behaviour) or with IRC practices or both. Without other cues: visual, knowledge of the participants and their familiarity with one another, it will be difficult to define the "talk". Here the grammar, fonts and abbreviations are all significant. Several of the abbreviations are shorthand for several words. Two in this IM I am not familiar with: IBE in line 14 and OBE in line 11. In line 10, LOL is shorthand for lots of laughs. It is also used for "lots of love", but in this context I believe it is "lots of laughs" as it follows the word "HE", as in "he he he". To some extent the textual "appearance" of IRC script is accidental. If people are not skilled at typing, they make a lot of errors trying to keep up with IRC conversation. This is especially true in chatrooms where there are several people all 'speaking' at the same time. Nevertheless, contributors do also use text forms in deliberative ways. I will reproduce the extract first as it downloads from the IM screen, where limited window and scroll capacity makes it visually confusing. Then I will provide a provisional transcription, highlighting some of the interpretive complexities of this dialogue.

1. ######: WE WERE TOGETHER IN THE HAREMS OF CHINAS THRONE, THE GOOD OLDL DAYS

2. ######: MINE

3. ******: ah...one of those past life miracles

4. ######: COOL LETTERS. I LIKE GRAPHICS AND BIG BLACK LETTERS, COOLNESS

5. ******: oops....better get a little more humble again

6. ######: WE WERE INDIANS IN THE NEW WORLD TOGETHER TOO

7. ******: WOW! far out man!

8. ######: YES, I GET TO CALL HER IN ABOUT 2 HOURS

9. ******: lucky you

10. ######: I PRACTICE THE 4 RULE. I HOPE YOUR NOT INTO THE EQUALITY TRIP BUT I FEEL THE MAN ONE THE WOMAN 4. THAT WORKS GOOD, SHE REALLY SMILES A LOT AFTER THAT HE LOL

11. ******: and where does she live....I hope not in Australia.....thats too far even for a good old fashioned OBE

12. ######: IN THE SOUTH OF SANTA CLARA, COUNTY

13. ######: CA

14. ######: WE DO A LOT IBE

15. ######: THE I FOR IN

16. ******: so she is near....that is good.......and a peice of down to earth advice from mother earth.....dont contract any viruses

17. ######: WE IS PURE AS THE FRESH FALLEN SNOW

18. ******: as long as it doesnt include too much nuclear fall out

19. ######: BUT IT MELTS AFTER A SHORT WHILE AND WERE IN THE CARRIBEAN

20. ******: dont want to loose any hair....that would be a real shame

21. ******: oh...ok........sounds like a plan

22. ######: NOT YET ON THE FALL OUT, BUT I HAVE HIT SPIRITUAL ATOMICS AND IT PUCHES HOLES IN THE ATOMOSPHERE LIKE THE EARTH ATOMICS

23. ######: HOW DID YOU KNOW MAMA MY HAIR IS THINING, BUT ONLY ON THE HEAD HE HE LOL

24. ******: I'm sure........we could invent a fix a flat for sub atomic stuff and get rich then, huh?

25. ######: HUUUMMMMM??? NOT BAD IDEA

26. ######: IF I GET RICH I M DOWNIN THE CARRIBEAN. WELL I WAS A PIRATE IN A PAST TIME HE HE .. IT WAS STILL GREAT AND WORTH IT.

27. ******: sorry........cant rewind that one....so forget it ever happened....your here now big guy!

28. ######: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY 4 RULE?

29. ******: but I got your parrot...hahahaha

30. ######: HE HE I LOVE TUCANS, THE BIG BEAK ONES

31. ******: dont get it...please explain better for us illiterate unpsychic ones 4 what?....ask i thus

32. ######: THE WOMAN HAS FOUR ORGASIMS, A LEAST ONE VERY BIG TWO MEDIUM AND ONE OR MORE SMALL THE MAN HAS ONE BIG AND MAYBE A FEW SMALL ONES

33. ######: THIS RATIO KEEPS THE NIGHT ALL NIGHT.

34. ******: oh my god!...thats what i thought you were going to say.....but i didnt want to go there!

EXAMPLE IV-A (with notations)

1. ######:     WE WERE TOGETHER IN THE HAREMS OF CHINAS THRONE, THE GOOD OLDL DAYS

2. ######:     MINE

3. ******:          ah...one of those past life miracles [3Ù 1]

4. ######:     COOL LETTERS. I LIKE GRAPHICS AND BIG BLACK LETTERS, COOLNESS [#]

5. ******:          oops....better get a little more humble again [3Ù 1]

6. ######:     WE WERE INDIANS IN THE NEW WORLD TOGETHER TOO

7. ******:          WOW! far out man! [7Ù 6]

8. ######:     YES, I GET TO CALL HER IN ABOUT 2 HOURS [8Ù ?]

9. ******:          lucky you [9Ù 8]

10. ######:   I PRACTICE THE 4 RULE. I HOPE YOUR NOT INTO THE EQUALITY TRIP BUT I FEEL THE MAN ONE THE WOMAN 4. THAT WORKS GOOD, SHE REALLY SMILES A LOT AFTER THAT HE LOL [#]

11. ******:        and where does she live....I hope not in Australia.....thats too far even for a good old fashioned OBE [11Ù 8]

12. ######:   IN THE SOUTH OF SANTA CLARA, COUNTY [12Ù 11]

13. ######:   CA

14. ######:   WE DO A LOT IBE

15. ######:   THE I FOR IN

16. ******:        so she is near....that is good.......and a peice of down to earth advice from mother earth.....dont contract any viruses [16Ù 12-13]

17. ######:   WE IS PURE AS THE FRESH FALLEN SNOW [17Ù 16]

18. ******:        as long as it doesnt include too much nuclear fall out [18Ù 17]

19. ######:   BUT IT MELTS AFTER A SHORT WHILE AND WERE IN THE CARRIBEAN [# 19Ù 17]

20. ******:        dont want to loose any hair....that would be a real shame [# 20Ù 18]

21. ******:        oh...ok........sounds like a plan [21Ù 19]

22. ######:   NOT YET ON THE FALL OUT, BUT I HAVE HIT SPIRITUAL ATOMICS AND IT PUCHES HOLES IN THE ATOMOSPHERE LIKE THE EARTH ATOMICS [22>18]

23. ######:   HOW DID YOU KNOW MAMA MY HAIR IS THINING, BUT ONLY ON THE HEAD HE HE LOL [23Ù 20]

24. ******:        I'm sure........we could invent a fix a flat for sub atomic stuff and get rich then, huh? [24Ù 22]

25. ######:   HUUUMMMMM??? NOT BAD IDEA [25Ù 24]

26. ######:   IF I GET RICH I M DOWNIN THE CARRIBEAN. WELL I WAS A PIRATE IN A PAST TIME HE HE .. IT WAS STILL GREAT AND WORTH IT. [26Ù 24Ù 6Ù 1]

27. ******:        sorry........cant rewind that one....so forget it ever happened....your here now big guy! [27Ù 26Ù 6Ù 1]

28. ######:   WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY 4 RULE? [28Ù 10]

29. ******:        but I got your parrot...hahahaha [#]

30. ######:   HE HE I LOVE TUCANS, THE BIG BEAK ONES [30Ù 29]

31. ******:        dont get it...please explain better for us illiterate unpsychic ones                         4 what?....ask i thus [31Ù 29Ù 10]

32. ######:   THE WOMAN HAS FOUR ORGASIMS, A LEAST ONE VERY BIG TWO MEDIUM AND ONE OR MORE SMALL THE MAN HAS ONE BIG AND MAYBE A FEW SMALL ONES [32Ù 31Ù 29Ù 10]

33. ######:   THIS RATIO KEEPS THE NIGHT ALL NIGHT. [33Ù 32Ù 31Ù 29Ù 10]

34. ******:        oh my god!...thats what i thought you were going to say.....but i didnt want to go there! [34Ù 33Ù 32 Ù 31Ù 29Ù 10]

Already evident is the increasing degree of regression in the dialogue. By line 24 participants are referring back across more than one exchange to continue the discussion. By the end, they refer back to multiple exchanges. Part of my analysis will focus on how far this is a specific condition of IRC/IM chat, not depictable in spoken texts.

EXAMPLE V.

This is another example of an Instant Messenger dialogue. And as I was one of the participants I am able to give a different interpretation than I would for Example IV. With any conversational analysis the interpretation is key to the understanding of the textual interaction. There are limitations to how people speak with others they are already familiar with. One of the areas of on-line conversation I will investigate is the differences between conversations of known participants and unknown. Most chatrooms conversations are between participants unknown to one another. Because of nick-names in chatrooms it is often difficult to know the gender, nationality or social positioning of the "speakers". In IM, the "speakers" are generally known to one another as they establish IM contact for a specific purpose. Instant messenger is thus similar to face-to-face talk in that participants already are familiar with each other, even if through only a few correspondences.

One person, with whom I no longer dialogue, I got to know quite well over a short time period on IRC. This person has a history of psychiatric illness, confirmed not only by her, but also several others on my buddy list. (IM has category lists such as Buddy, family, Class-mates) Most of our chats were just bantering and at times quite silly. Our IMs were more entertainment than anything and provided me with a break from the stresses of every day life. However, there were times when this person drifted into suicidal talk, wanting 'to return to her home in the cosmos', her cue that she "wanted to die." Mood and directional changes affect the dialogue even without having tonal or gesture signals. This can be read back within the flow of talk by creating a string of text of lines 1, 7, and 9, or as coded above: 1>7>9. It is line 9, when the person says "on this plane", that the message becomes clear. Even though it is using the same text: "on this plane", by line 9 it has taken on new meaning, following line 7 "I am am (sic) not going to be around too much longer". It is now clear the person is thinking of dying.

The following has the other party's name deleted. Until this scenario begins the respondent was telling jokes and seemed quite happy. As this stage I have only arranged the text into single exchanges, omitting the full transactional coding (as above.) Instead I have added interpretive commentary, to indicate the response processing I will undergoing as I anticipated in the exchange. At a later period I intent to use the more objective "coding" on this transcript as well, to test the efficiency of my own "intuitive" conversational responses.

1.      @@@@@@: Terrell......we will probably never meet on this plane

2.      @@@@@@: realize that

3.      T Neuage: really we will never meet [at this point I thought she meant because she lived in California and a I lived in Australia - and due to the distance this would never go beyond a cyberfriendship.]

4.      T Neuage: why not

5.      @@@@@@: I dont know

6.      T Neuage: but you believe that?

7.      @@@@@@: I am am not going to be around too much longer [here I first realize she is talking about leaving the world]

8.      T Neuage: that is not true

9.      @@@@@@: on this plane

10.  T Neuage: why do you say that

11.  @@@@@@: it is so

12.  T Neuage: that is silly stuff

13.  T Neuage: it is not so

14.  T Neuage: for what reason would you leave

15.  @@@@@@: it ois time soon

16.  T Neuage: i am not into control but you can't go

17.  T Neuage: it is not time soon

18.  @@@@@@: but I will always be with you [a metaphsical translation being that she believes she will die and her spirit will be with me]

19.  T Neuage: who told you that that you will leave

20.  T Neuage: it is not true

21.  @@@@@@: I am not sure.....but I am am being taken soon [here begins the 'I will be taken' beliefs. She claims to be an 'experiencer' - an abductee.]

22.  T Neuage: you need to be around different poeple

23.  T Neuage: by whom [this refers back to 21]

24.  @@@@@@: it is not people [this confirms she is not talking about earthlings]

25.  T Neuage: if they take you can they come and get me too

26.  @@@@@@: I have had a good life [proclaiming her death sentence here]

27.  T Neuage: and you will have a better one Here on this planet

28.  @@@@@@: I have to go home soon

29.  T Neuage: where is your home

30.  @@@@@@ : inside my heart

31.  @@@@@@: because.....this is not my life

32.  T Neuage: It is not fair for you to have information that yhou won't share with me

33.  T Neuage: I thought we were mates

34.  T Neuage: mates share

35.  T Neuage: tell me

36.  @@@@@@: I gave up my life.....so what is left is not up to me

37.  T Neuage: what

38.  T Neuage: come on you can't believe that

39.  @@@@@@: I should be dead.....should be....and am not [proclaiming her death sentence again]

40.  T Neuage: no you should not be dead

41.  @@@@@@: yes

42.  T Neuage: you can not trade or sell your soul

43.  T Neuage: that is myth

44.  @@@@@@: no

45.  T Neuage: reality is what you are in right now

46.  @@@@@@: my daughter was my dear friend and she died 26 years ago from an overdose of heroin

47.  T Neuage: what about your daughter now

48.  @@@@@@: I really better not tell you anymore

49.  T Neuage: up to you

50.  T Neuage: we can change the subject

51.  @@@@@@: she is still my friend.....we are not like mother and daughter....not at all

52.  T Neuage: what about the daughter you said died

53.  T Neuage: mixed me up

54.  @@@@@@: never mind

55.  T Neuage: ok

56.  T Neuage: how is your bird [time to # - change the topic]

The next day this respondent was back on-line, seemingly with little memory of the day before conversation. Apart from the psychological implications of such conversations, systematic analysis shows that such conversation may seem aimless in structure, but it is in fact a structured conversation. "Casual" format is carrying serious social, and maybe psychological, consequences. Yet I have never met this person. Nor am I sure of how our interaction operates within this construction of a social self.

 

 

 

contact Myanmar 2014

NEW SITE = JULY 2014 - http://neuage.us/2014/July/ - Today working on picture poem links starting around "better" (19 September 2014). Picture poems are the digital format of work I did as a street artist in New Orleans in the 1970s, as well as New York City, Honolulu, San Francisco and Adelaide South Australia. .

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