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.
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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
12. ######: IN
THE SOUTH OF
13. ######: CA
14. ######: WE
DO A
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
12.
######: IN THE SOUTH OF
13.
######: CA
14.
######: WE DO A
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.
|
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