My earliest recollection of virtual communities was in the chat room. I remember sitting on the computer for hours in middle/early high school typing things like “age/sex check”… or “a/s/l check” (age/sex/location). It seems strange now, but I mainly talked to strangers. The chat rooms didn’t seem to be categorized into much of a theme, and the conversation was totally unorganized (am I sounding like a librarian or what?!). There would usually be a moderator who would throw out a question for the group. Everyone would then throw out their responses, and comment on one another’s brilliance or stupidity. Waist of time? Sure it was.
Upon entering college, Instant Messenger (IM) really took off. It would not be unusual for me to have 5+ chat windows open, where I talked to friends in different states or down the hall. I can tell you that chat rooms helped my typing skills immensely. Up until college I had a strange chicken-pecking typing technique. After IM, I was a regular home-row pro.
Now that I am a working “professional,” I have not found the need to chat. However, I have participated in Facebook, and now blogging. I am still on the fence as to whether I like my information exposed as it is on these two forums. However, I have found my friend relationships to improve since I joined Facebook (for the second time, in December 07). It is a non-threatening way to check in with friends, comment on photos, and make connections with new groups of people.
Those are my thoughts, ma’m!
Til next time, Lindsey
Years ago at the reference desk an internet patron asked what ASL stood for. Out came the dictionaries of acronyms, etc! Of course, he was in a chat room and what he was asking about was “age / sex / location.”
Good post – your history speaks to adoption of the various tools.