Friday, July 7, 2006 at 6:53 PM 1. Introduction The electronic age has changed our lives, as communicating human begins. New methods of sending and receiving information enable us to communicate with a bank or supermarket, interrogate a library catalogue or encyclopaedia database, or select from a series of menus, as in television data displays (teletext). In each case, we have to learn conventions of communication – new techniques of accessing or asking, new techniques of reading and assimilating. Interacting with a computer is (at present) not the same as interacting with a human being. And strange things can happen to conversational language when people let an electronic device come in between them. (Crystal, 1995: 392) It is what Crystal refers to as the ‘strange things’ that can happen to conversational language when electronic devices come in between people which is the focus of my dissertation. Indeed it is the impact upon language from these machines, or more precisely chat rooms, which is the foundation of this study.
During the 20th century society has perhaps undergone some of the most radical advancements in technology known to man. The advent of many new technologies, for example computers, mobile phones and the Internet have all instigated major societal changes. These social changes it seems have led directly to language change. Language change often goes hand in hand with social change; therefore it possibly comes as no surprise that these new forms of technology have had an effect upon language. Indeed a language is never fixed at any one given time; it is constantly changing and adapting in line with societies needs.
Although it is not known exactly how many people use chat rooms worldwide, past studies and surveys have formulated estimates as to the number of online chatters. In 2000, TV program Lateline put the number of chat room users at 140 million worldwide (http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/s150338.htm) In 2002, MSN reported that 3,275,266 people used its chat rooms in the month of April alone (http://europe.advantage.msn.com/flattened/7569C662-610F-4E51-89FF-6A457B1070C8.asp) What is interesting however is not the sheer amount of people who are engaging in online chat, but the way in which Internet chat combines writing and speech together at an unprecedented level. It is this combination of spoken and written language, and the new medium in which it takes place, which is focused on in this study.
Throughout the course of the study I will be aiming to answer my research questions, which are stated below: -
What are the linguistic features of Internet chat rooms?
How is language used to compensate for lack of audio and visual input?
To what extent can the language of Internet chat rooms be considered a new variety of language?
Is there a common desire to create a type of language as speech like as possible?
Are chat rooms evidence of the creativeness of individuals when language rules are removed? In order to achieve answers to these questions, I shall conduct my analysis based upon three key areas. A linguistic analysis of chat rooms, a paralinguistic analysis and also a focus on the conversational structure of chat rooms, in order to assess whether Internet chat is indeed ‘chat’ in the truest sense of the word.
It is from this analysis that I believe the findings will conclude that indeed the language used in Internet chat rooms is a variety which is far from its standard written counterpart. I believe that the analysis of the data will prove that indeed Internet chat constitutes a new hybrid form of language, which draws upon features of both spoken and written language, in order to form a variety of language which is best suited to communicate within the demands of the new medium. I also believe that the analysis will support the view that Internet chat rooms show how creative individuals are when rules and regulations regarding language usage are removed, allowing them to express themselves freely. Table 1: The main situational features of both spoken conversation and chat rooms.
† Channel One way/ Public/ Prepared/
Type of interaction Limitation Two way Private Impromptu
† † † † †
Chat room conversation Some Two way Public Impromptu
Spoken conversation No Two way Private Impromptu
Review of the literature
Considering that Internet relay chat along with numerous other new forms of Computer Mediated Communication technologies arose towards the latter end of the 20th century, academic work as such is still largely scattered in terms of research and studies into the field of Internet chat. However, as chat rooms have increased in both numbers and popularity over time, Internet chat is now attracting the attention of both the public and academics alike. I shall now outline the previous work carried out with regards to chat rooms in order to provide a context for the present study.
One of the most recent papers on the subject is Dr. Neil Randall’s ‘Lingo Online: The Language of the Keyboard Generation, 2002’. This focuses on how English-speaking Canadians communicate online and the language they use when emailing, sending instant messages and communicating in chat rooms. In his study, Randall examines the blending of spoken and written language, a theme which is investigated during my study, and also examines how people are using the written word to express body language and emotions, which is of further relevance to my study. For his study, Randall used telephone conversations and two focus groups to collect data, with particular focus being paid to messaging services on the Internet. Randall reports that online language combines writing and speaking in unique and unprecedented ways.
A further study into the field of Internet chat (Cherny 1999) focused on the language of one specific chat community for a two-year period. Cherny conducted an ethnographic study of a MUD (Multi User Domain) of which the users were closely linked in terms of history, background and language use. Cherny became a member of this community. Cherny’s study bears relevance to mine, as she investigated how language is affected when confronted with certain limitations of the medium. However, Cherny also questioned the idea of ‘community’ and its place in a virtual world, an area of study, which I do not go into. Furthermore, whereas Cherny openly took part in the group she analysed, I remained silent whilst taking data. Amongst the findings were the use of contracted forms and word abbreviations, believed to be a method towards economy in word usage. Also reported was how the mis use of certain linguistic features can alienate one from a group and prove one to be an outsider.
An earlier study of chat rooms, yet one which has been very influential, is Christopher Werry’s study of the “Linguistic and interactional features of Internet relay chat” (Herring,1996:47) In this study, Werry investigates both the linguistic and non linguistic features of the language of Internet chat. Indeed his study is similar to that of mine and also the study by Dr Neil Randall in 2002. However, since Werry wrote the paper, chat rooms, like most technological creations, have evolved and developed. Werry does not include a complete analysis of emoticons, as they were not a feature of chat rooms at the time of his work, thus leaving room for scope, which my study has explored. Amongst Werry’s findings were the streams of numerous conversations taking place at any one time along with a desire by users to create a language as speech like as possible.
3. Methodology
3.1 Data collection As the focus of this study was based on Internet chat rooms, the only data that I needed to collect was transcripts from Internet relay chat rooms. However, there a number of possible ethical concerns which arise from obtaining data from Internet chat rooms. Firstly, the use of Internet chat data for study purposes often means that permission of the participants to use the data is not obtained. This is because informing participants that they are being monitored for Linguistic purposes may well have detrimental effects on the types of data collected. Users of chat rooms therefore are not aware that what they are typing may well be discussed months after the event has taken place.
However I believe that it is acceptable to use the data without permission or consent from chat room participants. It has to be remembered chat rooms are open to any member of the public with Internet access, at any time of the day. Therefore what is being said is accessible to anyone within the room. Furthermore, chat room users are fairly autonomous in terms of identification. The majority of users chat under a nickname, and there is little chance of gaining E-Mail addresses or personal information merely from this nickname, making it almost impossible to tract statements to individuals.
In terms of the amount of data to be collected, it is important to consider the nature of chat rooms. Internet chat rooms constitute a continuous stream of conversation, which are open to the public 24/7. Therefore it is virtually impossible to obtain a transcript of a whole conversation. Conversation in a chat room will take place as long as there are participants inside the room. Therefore there has to be some sort of limit as to how much data you can collect. Although this means that a limit on the amount of data collected could result in a limit on the amount of data available for analysis, I believe that as is the nature of chat rooms that whether you obtain two hundred hours of data or twenty minutes, the twenty minute data may indeed be no less limited in terms of scope for analysis than it’s larger counterpart.
With my study focusing both on the language of chat rooms and how some of these features are affected with participant age it was important to obtain a cross sample of transcripts from chat rooms targeting different age groups. I decided to place the data into two age categories, the first group being a combination of teen chat and 20’s and the second group combining the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s chat rooms. The chat program which I used to collect the data was ‘Excite chat’ (http://communicate.excite.com/chat.html) This was because Excite chat is a popular chat resource and also requires user registration, therefore possibly slightly reducing the risk of people assuming wrongful or misleading identities.
To collect the data I entered each individual chat room under the nickname of ‘chatuser2002’, a nickname I made up when registering with Excite chat. I waited until each member who was originally in the chat room when I joined had left until I begun collecting data. This was too ensure none of the participants had witnessed me enter the room. I remained silent and merely observed the chat taking place. My aim at the beginning was to collect approximately 20,000 words of data in total, 10,000 of which would make up each age group. I believed this to be ample for reasons previously stated. 3.2 Data selection In terms of data selection, I intended from the beginning to consider all of the data I had collected for use in the analysis. Internet chat is continuous; therefore data collected will possibly be little different from any data collected at another time. The only difference may be found in the participants of the chat room. Furthermore, it is likely that chat rooms and the features found within will possibly be fairly consistent regardless of the chat room, with the exception of cases such as foreign language chat rooms. Therefore my decision to use ‘Excite chat’ would perhaps have resulted in similar findings had I used a different chat provider such as MSN. 3.3 Data analysis Internet chat rooms and the linguistic features of them are a fairly recent phenomena with regards to linguistic research. Furthermore, there are even fewer studies which pay attention to the affects of age with regards to Internet chat discourse. Although my prior research into Internet chat room language at A-Level has given me some basic foundations, I have used past studies in the area as a foundation for my research. This gave me something to build upon in terms of analysis.
One study I used to aid my analysis was Christopher C Werry ‘Linguistic and Interactional features of Internet relay chat’ (Herring, 2000:47). Werry states that, “the conventions that are emerging are a direct reflection of the physical constraints on the medium combined with a desire to create language that is as “speech-like” as possible”. This is relevant to my study and will be useful in terms of data analysis.
A second study which will aid my analysis is Lynn Cherny, ‘Conversation and community; chat in a virtual world’. Her study is concerned with a particular speech community, which she became part of, and the linguistic and social features within this community. Although the focus of this study is not directly related to my own, the linguistic issues raised will be relevant to my study. Furthermore whereas in my research I remained anonymous and did not become part of a chat group, Cherny was a member of the community she studied for two years.
Furthermore, the Online Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication offers quarterly readings on CMC related topics, with numerous articles focusing on different aspects of Internet chat rooms. Of particular interest is John Paolillo and ‘The virtual speech community: Social network and language variation on IRC’, which studies both linguistic features and participant relations. Furthermore an Internet study titled ‘Conversation analysis of Internet chat rooms’ is also relevant to my study and analysis.
The Internet appears to be host to numerous online studies of Internet relay chat. This is possibly because it is easier to publish research online rather than in literature, in terms of speed. Furthermore, with chat rooms taking place online, it is possibly understandable that that studies of this medium are placed on the Internet. 4. Background of chat rooms The advances in computer technology and the rise of the Internet have resulted in a wave of computer-mediated communication. Computer mediated communication is defined as: - The process of using computers to enhance communication between students, instructors, experts and learning resources. Includes hypermedia, e-mail, conferencing, bulletin boards, listservers, Internet, world wide web, audio conferencing and videoconferencing. (http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/EDIT572/Zglossary.html#C) Internet chat rooms are a prominent feature of the Internet today. Johnson 1998 found that of American Online’s 15 million users, 19% regularly spent their time in chat rooms. Furthermore, it was estimated in 2000 that around 140 million people worldwide use Internet chat rooms.
It is at this stage I believe it to be important to differentiate between the two types of chat room, asynchronous and synchronous. In an asynchronous chat room, messages will be stored on screen regardless of whether or not the intended audience is online at the time. In a synchronous chat, of which this study is based upon, communication, unlike that of an asynchronous chat room, occurs in real time. Of the synchronous chat rooms, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is the main type. This type of real time online interaction is unique to Internet chat rooms. People from different countries and different linguistic backgrounds are involved can hold a conversation with someone they have never met or indeed will never meet. Internet Relay chat is further unique in that it allows unregulated chat, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, something, which is unprecedented for a conversational arena.
In an IRC chat room messages appear on the chat screen almost immediately after a user has entered their contribution. Messages are transmitted via the server to each participant at the same time, regardless of their geographical location. The only delay to a message appearing on the screen may come from a LAG (delay) in ones Internet connection. However, this delay is still considerably less compared to other forms of online chat. It is the sense of real time interaction, which sets IRC apart from other forms of CMC, and has seemingly resulted in numerous linguistic features.
Users connect to an IRC server and then choose from a list of chat channels, all of which are held on the server. These channels usually cover all interests, age groups, and locations. IRC is host to hundreds of thousands of users from over 70 countries who are speaking in a variety of different languages. Often the chat rooms available on a certain server will be displayed as below: -
14-19teens
142 now chatting
adult_sexy_flirts
61 now chatting
MarriedNLonely
42 now chatting
TalkCity-20s-30s
41 now chatting
40sPlus
25 now chatting
Adult_Fun_Zone
24 now chatting
Games-Ridiculist
21 now chatting
Friendly_Flirts
19 now chatting Despite chat rooms being ground breaking in terms of the ways in which they have advanced communication, it is at this point I believe it necessary to note the darker side of chat rooms. Internet chat has been perceived by sceptics to be a place where sexual predators and paedophiles can assumed false identities. In September 2003, MSN shut down its chat rooms in a move to improve personal security. Sceptics also see Internet chat as a haven for paedophiles, stemming from publicised cases of Internet chat abduction. However, linguistically speaking, chat rooms are evidence of ways in which spoken and written language is being combined to an extent unprecedented before. The interaction which takes place between people from numerous linguistic backgrounds make chat rooms an intriguing area for research.
5.0 Linguistic analysis
Possibly one of the most distinctive features of the language found in IRC is the way in which language is abbreviated and shortened in comparison to standard written English. Merely from observing a chat room for a matter of seconds it is possible to observe that there are indeed a number of unique linguistic features occurring.
The medium of IRC is hindered with constraints, which affect the type of language and communication found in chat rooms. Werry (1996) points out that there a number of influences on the size and shape of communication. Indeed there are a number of constraints on chat rooms, which have resulted in participants adopting and using new forms of abbreviated language. It appears that users of Internet chat rooms are either creating a new language or finding different ways of writing using an existing language.
Davis and Brewer (2000:2) comment that ‘electronic communication written on keyboards and read on computer screens has many characteristics of both speech and writing’. This is something which the linguistic analysis will pick up on. Of further relevance is Biber’s work on variation in spoken and written English, in which Biber spoke of a continuum with both spoken and written language being two poles on this continuum. Biber reported that ‘there is no single, absolute different between speech and writing in English, rather there are several dimensions of variation, and particular types of speech and writing are more or less similar with respect to each dimension’ (Davis & Brewer, 1997:4) This will be considered with regards to assessing whether or not the language in a chat room is closer to spoken language or written language.
In this section, I use a linguistic analysis to analyse the ways in which language is abbreviated in used, which will aid my conclusions with regards to the research questions.
5.1 Initialisms Firstly, a feature which regularly occurs throughout the chat data is the frequent use of initialisms by chat room users. Initialisms are a cluster of letters, usually ranging from three to eight letters in length, which represent an expression or saying. For example the initialism ‘BRB’ stands for ‘be right back’. It as at this point I believe it to be important to state the difference between an acronym and initialism. These are two different concepts which are commonly mistaken. An acronym is a series of letters, which join to form a pronounceable word, for example NASA or RADAR. An initialism however does not stand as a pronounceable word on it’s own, moreover it represents a series of pronounceable words. Below is a table of the initialisms found in the chat room data, including the number of times each occurred and also the meaning of each initialism.
Table 1. Initialisms present in the chat room data.
Initialism Definition Number of occurrences Percentage%
† † † †
LOL Laughing out loud/ lots of laughs 195 60
BRB be right back 15 5
FFS for fucks sake 1 0.3
WTF what the fuck 1 0.3
Pmsl pissing myself laughing 1 0.3
pmslrofl Pissing myself laughing rolling on the floor laughing 1 0.3
GTG got to go 1 0.3
OMG oh my god 1 0.3
ASL age sex location 18 6
LMAO laughing my ass off 3 1
WB welcome back 7 2
GM good morning 81 25
TY Thank you 4 1.2 Although the table lists the thirteen initialisms found in the data, it is important to note that the number of initialisms in use at anyone one time across the Internet is possibly endless. There are hundreds, if not thousands of known initialisms which are used in chat rooms on the Internet, many of which are created on a daily basis. Below is a table of some of most common initialisms used in chat rooms, which however were not present within the data.
Table 6.2. List of common initialisms in chat rooms
2U2 to you, too
AAMOF† as a matter of fact
AFAIK as far as I know
AFAIC As far as I'm concerned
AFAICT As far as I can tell
AFK away from keyboard
AFU all fucked up
AMF Adios, motherfuckers!
AOL Army Of Lamers
ASAP as soon as possible
BBIAB be back in a bit
BBL be back later
BCNUL8R be see'n you later
BITMT† but in the meantime
BOT† back on topic
BRB† be right back
BTW by the way
BYORL† bring your own rocket launcher†
C4N Ciao for now
CFD Call for discussion
CFV Call for vote
CRS Can't remember shit
CU See you
CUCME See you see me (video conference program)
CUL8R See you later
CWOT† complete waste of time†
CYA† See ya† / cover your ass†
DAMIFINO† damn if I know†
DILLIGAF? Do I look like I give a fuck?
DIY† do it yourself†
DWL† Dying With Laughter†
EMFJI† excuse me for jumping in
EOD† End of discussion
EOT† End of transmission
F2F† face to face / flesh to flesh
FAI† frequently argued issue
FAQ† frequently asked questions†
FBOW† for better or worse†
FOAD† fuck off and die†
FOAF† friend of a friend†
FOCL† falling off chair laughing†
FUBAB† fucked up beyond all belief†
FUBAR† fucked up beyond all reason / recognition / repair†
FWIW† For what it's worth†
FYA† For your amusement†
FYI† For your information†
FYIV† fuck you, I'm vested†
FYYSOS† fuck you, you sack of shit†
GAL† Get a life†
GBTW† Get back to work†
GFC† going for coffee†
GFETE† grinning from ear to ear†
GJIAGDVYFCN† go jump in a god-damn volcano, you fucking cave newt†
GLLA† great lovers love alike
GMTA† great minds think alike
GR&D grinning, running & ducking
GRMBL† Grumble
GTG† got to go†
HAB† hot Asian babe
HAND† have a nice day†
HHOK† ha ha only kidding†
HTH† hope this helps†
IAC† in any case†
IAE† in any event†
IC I see
IDGI† I don't get it
IIRC if I remember correctly
IMCO† in my considered opinion†
IMHO† in my humble opinion†
IMNSHO† in my not so humble opinion†
IMO† in my opinion†
IMPE† in my previous/personal experience†
IMVHO† in my very humble opinion†
IOTTMCO† intuitively obvious to the most casual observer†
IOW† in other words†
IRL† in real life†
IYKWIM† if you know what I mean
IYSWIM† if you see what I mean
JIC† Just in case†
J/K Just kidding†
JYYC Just yanking your chain
KISS† Keep it simple stupid†
LAGNAF† Let's all get naked and fuck!†
LMAO Laughing my ass off
LMK let me know
LOL† Laughing out loud†
LTNS† Long time no see†
LTNT† Long time no talk
MfG† Mit freundlichen Gruessen
MTCW† my two cents worth
NAP not a problem
NC no comment†
NP no problem
NRN† no reply necessary†
ONNA† oh no, not again!†
OOTC† obligatory on-topic content†
OTOH† on the other hand†
PCMCIA† people can't memorize computer industry acronyms†
PITA† Pain in the ass†
PLS† please†
PMFJI pardon me for jumping in
PMP† peeing my pants†
POETS† Piss on everyone tomorrows Saturday†
REHI† Hello again / re-Hi
RO(T)FL rolling on the floor laughing
ROFLMAO† rolling on the floor laughing my ass off†
RSN† Real soon now†
RTDox† read the documentations†
RTFM† read the fucking manual†
SAPFU† Surpasses All Previous Fuck-Ups
SHTSI† somebody had to say it
SNAFU† Situation normal; all fucked up†
SO significant other
TANSTAAFL† There ain't no such thing as a free lunch†
TAFN† that's all for now†
THX† thanks†
TIA† thanks in advance†
TLA† Three letter acronym†
TMA Too many acronyms†
TMFA Too many fucking acronyms†
TMI† Too much information†
TMK† to my knowledge†
TOS† terms of service
TPTB† The powers that be†
TSWC† tell someone who cares†
TTBOMK† to the best of my knowledge†
TTFN† ta-ta for now†
TTWIG that's the way it goes
TTYL8R Talk to you later
TWIMC† to whom it may concern†
URW You are welcome
WB† Welcome back†
WIIWD† What it is we do†
WILBI† wouldn't it be lovely if†
WRT† with regard to†
WTF† What / who / where the fuck
WTFRU Who the fuck are you
WTFWT What the fuck was that
WTG† Way to go
WTMI† Way too much information†
WWDWIIWD† When we do what it is we do
WYSITWIRL††††††† What you see is totally worthless in real life
WYSIWYG What you see is what you get†
YA† yet another
YABA† yet another bloody acronym
YAFIYGI††††††††† You ask for it, you get it†
YGIAGAM† your guess is as good as mine†
YGWYPF† You get what you pay for†
YMMV† your mileage may vary
YW† you're welcome
This list, although far from a comprehensive set of chat room initialisms, is an indication of the complexity and sheer amount of initialisms in use within Internet chat rooms.
Below are examples of the initialisms found within the chat room data and also the context in which they are used: - da_lanky_strokes_boy : dont push it casp
Niceguy_Matt2020 : but if we park me mates caravan at urs
da_lanky_strokes_boy : lol Niceguy_Matt2020 : whooops
§B“LL”XS§ : yes my code was right
F_ŗєvєŕ٭Fļ_ : ffs xx__macky__xx : lol
_§¥__ƒruity__¥§_ : Hi all
´Chidš_Egoª : pmsfpmsl Although it is easy to merely state and list which initialisms are found within the chat data, it is questioning why initialisms are used so frequently which is the key issue, and what effect they have upon the language used in chat rooms. The constraints of the medium of Internet Relay chat have much to do with initialism usage I believe. In a chat room, it is these spacial, temporal and social constraints a as reported in Werry (1996) that I believe have led to the use of initialisms.
The effect is chat room conversations taking place at a high tempo. The very pace of the interaction makes it imperative for utterances to be replied to almost immediately or else statements will fastly become irrelevant as the conversation moves on. This pressure for speedwriting I believe in turn has resulted in participants adopting and using initialisms in chat rooms. Indeed it is fair to say for a type of speedwriting to take place, it is economically faster to abbreviate and shorted certain aspects. In order to keep up with the conversation in a chat room, it is possibly the case that users are constantly forced to think of and use ways of reducing the number of keystrokes needed at all times. One of the ways of achieving this appears to be via initialisms, which greatly reduce the number of keystrokes used, whilst also sustaining the tempo of chat room conversation, as they make utterances quicker to read and respond to. For example, ‘BRB’ only use three keystrokes, compared to typing out, ‘be right back’, which would use eleven keystrokes. Therefore in a way initialisms are serving two functions, to reduce the number of keystrokes needed, which goes hand in hand with sustaining the conversational pace.
With regards to the type of language used, initialisms cannot be said to constitute a representation of spoken language, as they are not words, which can be phonetically reproduced. However, with regards to the role of initialisms in terms of reducing the number of keystrokes, thus in turn increasing the speed of conversation, initialisms can be considered to be a way in which the tempo of a typical spoken conversation is artificially reproduced, thus creating the effect of writing that reads as if it were spoken. This in turn ties the language of chat rooms in with that of spoken language, thus possibly forming a variety or hybrid form of spoken written language.
Furthermore, I believe there is an underlying social issue-taking place in chat rooms with regards to the use of initialisms. As well as increasing the pace of a conversation by reducing the number of keystrokes, initialisms may also serve a purpose as a marker of both group identity and social status in chat rooms. Those who understand what each initialism stands will be able to follow a conversation in its entirety, whereas those who are new to the Internet chat rooms will find it almost impossible to make sense of what is being said. This idea of initialisms being used a marker of group identity is supported in Cherny (1998) who in her study of an online community suggested that ‘the use of abbreviations and shortenings is highly culturally dependant…misuse or use of forms not accepted in a particular community marks one as an outsider’ Cherny, 1999: 92) 5.2 Phonological reduction Further in line with this desire for participants to constantly strive towards reducing the number of keystrokes needed is the way in which whole words are often reduced to a single character that is phonetically representative of the word itself. Patricia Wallace reported in (Crystal, 1999:169) notes that IRC (Internet Relay chat) is ‘a domain in which we can see written language in its most primitive state’. By this, it is implied that users of chat rooms are in a way stripping language down to its bear bones, whilst leaving it both recognisable and comprehensible for others to understand. Below are examples from the data of words which are reduced to a single letter form: -
Niceguy_Matt2020 : u see casp, if we go to cov, sum1 has to drive cos it's too far Sexy_babe_0211 : so how old r u have THE_KNIGHT_2_REMEMBER : yalll r lucky i got booteddddddd Shag me : y OK_cop1 : hey there single, how r u??
Again I believe that the ‘temporal, spatial and social structures imposed by IRC’ (Werry, 1996:52) are factors for the phonological reduction of words. Again, the pace of the interaction and the need for speed typing I believe has resulted in users opting for single letters rather than typing out whole words words. Furthermore, with words being typed out in a similar fashion to how they would be pronounced, this further suggests that the variety of language being used in chat rooms is a combination of speech and writing. The analysis so far has reported two ways in which language is heavily abbreviated in chat rooms. These are through the use of initialisms and the phonological reduction of words. I believe these two features are interesting with regards to the ways in which language is seemingly being used in chat rooms when traditional standards and rules regarding language are removed. Wallace quoted in (Crystal, 1999: 169) suggests that in chat rooms ‘we can see language in its most primitive form…language in its most spontaneous, un-edited, naked form’. This I believe is true of what we see occurring in chat rooms with regards to the phonological reduction of words. It is not often that we see language in its most natural, un-edited state.
Indeed evidence from the data seems to suggest that a lack of rules regarding language usage in chat rooms has resulted in people returning to spelling words in a fashion similar to how they would pronounced them. This is nothing new however, as it was common routine for people to write based on how they spoke before the standardisation of written language. The fact however that we see people spelling words based on the spoken form clearly ties in the language of chat rooms with spoken language, and indicates that people are in a way speaking with their fingers. It is clear evidence of the written language being influence severely by the spoken variety, with possibly a type of written phonetic script being used in chat rooms. With regards to Biber’s continuum, the phonological reduction of words would place chat rooms closer to the spoken pole on the continuum. Tied in with the notions of a type of phonetic script in use and a written language which reads as if it were spoken is the way in which letters and numbers are often compounded together in the data to replace words.
5.3 Compounds of letters and numerals
Similar to the way in which users spell words in a phonetic manner, there is evidence from the data of chat room users combining both numerals and letters to create hybrid forms of words. Examples of this are below: -
yourstarwillshineagain : c u l8er sk8ers xxxxx byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
xxx: I REALLY H8 blacks, so fuck off ne blacks ben: ne1 from stoke on trent The three above examples are further evidence of how the language in chat rooms indeed reads as if it were spoken language. Furthermore it also suggests that again users of chat rooms are drawing upon all corners of language in order to create a form which bets suits the environment by sustaining the pace of conversation.
The compounding of letters and numerals is also further evidence of the levels of creativity with regards to humans and their usage of language in chat rooms. Patricia Wallace quoted in Crystal, 1999: suggests that what we see in chat rooms is ‘evidence of the remarkable linguistic versatility that exists within ordinary people.’ People are using a combination of their knowledge of language combined with their innate creative abilities to write an existing language in new and original ways. They are using the limitations of a keyboard to invent a new online lexicon, taking the best features from certain aspects of the written language and combining them to create a new variety of language best suited to the chat room environment.
It also shows how language can dramatically change when there is a lack of rules regarding its correct usage. Indeed when there are letters and numbers being used together to represent words it is clear that it is like no current language variety.
The words ‘later’, ‘hate’ and ‘anyone’ are reduced from fifteen characters in total to nine via compounding numerals and letters which when joined together, sound phonetically similar to the spoken word. I believe that the reasons behind the compounding of numerals and letters are two fold. Firstly, it is inline with the continual desire to reduce the number of keystrokes. The combining of numerals and letters reduces the amount of time needed to type out words in their entirety, thus increasing the speed of conversation. Secondly, it is this increase in speed of conversation and the way in which when combined, numerals and letters read like spoken language, which further ties the language of chat rooms with that of the spoken variety.
5.4 Vowel omission Another feature which has been observed from the data is the tendency for vowels to be omitted from words. Below are examples of this from the data: -
BadbabyBoi: cnt u wusper on these chat rooms 1 bad girl : ne fit lads from uk wanna cht whisper kebabdonna : racist bastard I nt black but dnt dis em xXkitieyXx : they wont i jst swapped it anfd they wrk either??? jayceee_1 : I wnt let it tho I just dnt like to This again I believe is linked to with that Wallace described as ‘language in its most primitive form…language in its most spontaneous, un-edited, naked form’ (Crystal,1999:169). Again, as previously stated with regards to the phonological reduction of words, in terms of vowel omission, users of chat rooms are again stripping words down to their bare minimal recognisable forms. It is as if participants sense a sort of competition for attention in chat rooms. There is a constant drive towards reducing words into there smallest recognisable form. It is possibly the case that users who continue to use the most creative and unique forms of spelling will be the ones with the social prestige within the chat room, and will ultimately receive most attention. 5.5 Deletion of first singular pronoun ‘I’ The chat transcripts show further evidence of language being heavily abbreviated with the regular omission of the first singular pronoun ‘I’. This is an interesting linguistic feature, as it is could and possibly should lead to confusion in conversation, especially when there are no visual clues as to who is saying what. Below are the examples of the deletion of the first person singular ‘I’ in chat rooms: -
Niceguy_Matt2020 : used 2 go thru there on da train InfamousVickster : Just got busted by my boss _§¥__ƒruity__¥§_ : May not know the answer though F_ŗєvєŕ٭Fļ_ : oh it doesnt matter, fixed it
In his study of chat rooms, Werry (1996) points out that deletion of subject pronouns possibly comes about as a result of the drive towards abbreviation in chat rooms.
Although it is fair to say that the need for abbreviation is a reason for the deletion of subject pronouns, it is more concerned I believe with the nature and features of an Internet chat programs. For example, in a chat room, it is clear to all those present in the room whom is saying what. This is because the users name is given at the side before each and every utterance. For example: -
fire...fly:†hey zuchie, snake, teach, tcg, stand, rob new, kal, irish, ace, wann..
zucherro_:†got to quit using stach tho ..went jogging allmost cut myself in half
fire...fly:†you too teach...what a day, huh?
zucherro_:†mama mia
Therefore with this information given, the use of the first singular pronoun ‘I’ is neither essential nor relevant for chat room communication. With the nickname provided, the lack of the first singular pronoun ‘I’ will not lead to any confusion as to which utterances are attributed to whom. It is clear from the nickname at the beginning of the utterance that what is typed is related to the person it came from, therefore in a way nicknames in chat rooms have replaced the grammatical singular pronoun.
The chat data also has evidence of other ways in which the first person singular pronoun ‘I’ has been replaced. From the data, it seems to be the case that users have adopted a system whereby the arrow key is used to refer back to their username to express a personal feeling or view, thus removing the need for the personal pronoun ‘I’. Below are three examples of this: -
allan2k:†<-totally cares †its-joni:†<----needs help PatientFlower_ : << feels like having fun
Although this is evidence of chat room users creatively finding alternatives to using the first person singular pronoun ‘I’, it is a feature however, which occurs invariably throughout the chat room data. Furthermore it is interesting to consider the fact that even by using an arrow instead of the pronoun ‘I’ in chat rooms, it possibly saves little if any time at all, and also is not a feature of spoken language. This leads to question why exactly are arrows used at all. I believe that the use of arrows ties in with the idea of group identity (Cherny 1998) and are possibly used to make a nickname appear more human like rather than just a serious of letters on a screen. It also gives the chat more of an informal feel, further creating a more speech like feel to the environment.
Furthermore, it is yet more evidence of how people are using their creativeness to reinvent language using existing language and set symbols on a keyboard. Indeed when a system of written language has emerged where ‘<’ has replaced the first singular personal pronoun ‘I’ then indeed language change has been quite dramatic. Again, with no rules regarding language usage the use of ‘<’ is evidence of the creativity and playfulness of the language in chat rooms, and how the keyboard has become a tool for language play and creation.
5.6 Utterance length
Discussion of the ways in which language is heavily abbreviated in Internet chat leads to consideration of the length of utterances. If indeed language has been abbreviated then it would be expected that message length should in turn be short. Werry in his study of chat rooms found that message length in chat rooms was short as a result of the need to respond quickly and as a result of the competition for floor space. For all of the chat data, the average message length was calculated to be 5.14 words per utterance. This I believe supports the idea that language is heavily abbreviated. Furthermore, it points towards the idea that the language of a chat room is similar to a spoken conversation in terms of utterance length, and in turn conversational pace. The pace of the interaction on IRC results in short utterances in order to keep up with the conversation. There is also a need to respond quickly to utterances to keep in context with the conversation. Short utterance lengths allow this.
I believe it interesting to consider the utterance length with regards to participants age.
Below are the findings: -
Table 6.3. Average turn length for each set of data
Chat room Average utterance length
Teen chat 3.86
20's 4.11
40's 4.9
50's 4.94
60's 7.9
Below is a table concerning the respective ages and utterances lengths: -
Table 6.4. The relationship between average utterance length and age.
Chat room Average utterance length
† †
Teen chat + 20's 3.9
40's+50's+60's 5.18 The findings show a clear correlation between the average utterance length and targeted age of the chat room. As the targeted age of a chat room increases, the average turn length decreases. The reasons for this I believe are concerned with societal changes and age generations.
The new technologies and forms of communication, such as text messaging are more closely associated with teenagers than older generations. With the sudden surge in technology towards the end of the 20th century, computers are now an important part in everyday life. Indeed many teenagers now have grown up alongside computers, and could possibly have become computer literate as a result. This is in comparison to older generations (60’s+) who were not brought up with nor did the majority possibly use computers in their everyday lives.
However it is fascinating I believe as to why utterance length should differ greatly between younger and older generations. Both sets of participants are using the same keyboard, the same chat program, yet the language differs in terms of utterance length. It is as if the younger generations have successfully completed language acquisition of the features of Internet chat rooms, whereas the older generations, although being able to use chat rooms, have failed to grasp a full command of the language. Furthermore, the use of mobile phones and in particular text messages by teenagers is also a likely source behind the difference in utterance length. The language of text messaging and that of Internet chat is based on similar conventions. Therefore it is possibly the case that with younger generations texting more and therefore using the language more, they are better suited to communicating in chat rooms.
6. Paralinguistic and prosodic analysis
Although a linguistic analysis of the Internet chat rooms has suggested similarities between both spoken and written language, there are many key situational differences between spoken discourse and Internet chat rooms.
The two main differences between a spoken conversation and conversation in a chat room are the lack of a visible physical presence and the lack of verbal communication. Although a linguistic analysis may have shown ways in which the language of chat rooms shares similarities with spoken language, the lack of both physical presence and also speech will always limit the extent to which Internet chat resembles speech.
Taking away the two of the main features of a spoken conversation, visual and audio clues, it is surprising that a conversation could still take place and be coherent. However despite this lack of visual clues and verbal feedback, Internet chat remains both popular and comprehensible. Real time conversations are taking place in chat rooms whilst at the same time possibly ignoring two of the most basic ingredients needed for a spoken conversation. What is interesting is considering how chat rooms continue to function effectively and how they use language to compensate for the lack of visual and oral input.
6.1 Capitilisation
One way in which the lack of prosodic features in chat rooms are compensated for is by the use of capitals to express emphasis or shouting on a particular part or all of the utterance. In spoken language, loudness is controlled via air pressure from the lungs. Spoken language allows us to express our feelings by raising our voice and shouting, which usually implies anger. However within a chat room there are no verbal clues, therefore it is more or less impossible to assess tone. It appears to be the evidence from the data that capital letters are used to compensate for a lack of prosodic features in chat rooms, such as loudness. Typing in capitals is indeed recognised as shouting in general Internet chat room etiquette. Below are examples of the ways in which capitals are used in chat rooms to compensate for prosodic features of everyday speech: - 1. CuTie : where are all the SCOTS at? 2. janskelton:†I've told you before, armani, GO TO A DOCTOR.† 3. ´Chidš_Egoª : I BELEIVE IN A THING CALLED LUUUUUUURRRRRRVVVEEE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 4. Xxx : I REALLY h8 blacks, so fuck off ne blacks 5.BustyBabe30101 : afternoon people
BustyBabe30101 : I SAID AFTERNOON PEEPS The above examples from the data show how capitals are used to replace prosodic features of speech in chat rooms. Examples 1 and 4 I believe are evidence of the use of capitals to place emphasis on certain words in an utterance. This compensates for a lack of intonation and loudness. Example 2 I believe is again evidence of emphasis however I believe taking the context into account capitals here are used to represent both shouting and a command. Again shouting is a prosodic feature, which is not available on IRC as a result of the lack of audio input. This is evidence of chat room users having used their creativeness with regards to language combined with the limitations of a keyboard to compensate for the lack of spoken input. Example 3 is also interesting in that what is expressed are lyrics from a recent pop song. The use of capitals here give the impression of the song being sung out loud. Also interesting are the reduplicated letters in example 3, however this will be looked at as a separate issue later on. Lastly, example 5 is of particular interest for a separate reason.
Below again is example 5: - BustyBabe30101 : afternoon people BustyBabe30101 : I SAID AFTERNOON PEEPS The first part of the example is what ‘Bustybabe30101’ says upon entering the room. However there are no responses from other participants. This leads to the next utterance which is typed fully in capitals. After a lack of replies to the first utterance it is interesting to see that the second utterance is typed completely in capitals. This appears to suggest that the user is somewhat annoyed, and using capitals indicates this, whilst also emphasizing loudness in expression.
6.2 The reduplication of letters
Another linguistic device that has arisen to replace the lack of prosodic elements in chat rooms is the use of reduplicated letters to represent a drawn out expression. This indeed appears to be a common feature in chat rooms and was common in most of the chat data. Overly exaggerated drawn out expressions are often a common feature of spoken language. Therefore it is possibly no surprise that we see a desire to include them in chat room language. Below are examples of reduplicated letters in chat rooms which serve as a simulation of the sounds of speech: -
xx__macky__xx : BBQ Sauce is wellll nice Keyboard_cowboy3 : goooooooooo nancy Old_Rat : byeeeeeeeeeeeee Arlene Sazzy: yes I loooooove bagpuss errolg3:†awwwwww hell yolly, only one team mate just now? startingover56:†soooooooooooooooo true max gm yourstarwillshineagain: c u l8er sk8ers xxxxx byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Evidence from the data seems to suggest that indeed users of chat rooms are again accommodating for a lack of prosodic elements by changing their language accordingly. In this case it is the excessive reduplication of letters, which represent overly exaggerated expressions in speech. Indeed it also ties in the language of chat rooms with the spoken variety, in that the excessive reduplication of letters further gives the language of chat rooms certain speech qualities. It is yet more evidence of writing, which reads as if it were spoken language.
6.3 Simulation of sounds of speech
Further in line with the attempts at compensating the lack of prosodic features in chat rooms appears to be the simulation of certain sounds. Werry (1996) points out that users of chat rooms are frequently reproducing the sounds of spoken. Many of these sounds, such as laughter and sympathy all involve using varying levels of stress, pitch and intonation. However as this is not physically possible in chat rooms resulting from the lack of voicing, it appears that users of IRC still however represent these sounds of speech in a written form. Below are examples of this: -
´Chidš_Egoª : sshhh Fly nvr2l81:†lol fire...mmmm... very nice. sweetcamia:†ha ha ha ok w_shade:†ohhhhhhhhhh i remember you FADGES: cyu later shirlie baby!!! Mwah druidwoman:†heeheee, allan! †-yo11y-:†ewwwwwww sunie, keep it ty lol errolg3:†awwwwww hell yolly, only one team mate just now? This I believe is evidence again of how users of chat rooms are using both language and the limitations of a keyboard in new and creative ways to make up for the lack of prosodic elements. Indeed the constant drive towards artificially recreating numerous features of the spoken language such as a simulation of sounds I believe brings tiest the language of chat rooms very closely to that of the spoken variety. YOU'RE A HUGE FAGGOT! Furthermore the representation of prosodic elements in chat rooms further help to add to the sense of real time interaction and add to the sense of a spoken conversation.
6.4 Colloquial spelling
One of the most distinctive features of IRC from the data appears to be the forms of spelling that are consistently used. The spelling that is used on chart rooms is often informal. It appears to be the case that chat room users are adopting highly colloquial ways of spelling with both informal ways of spelling and contracted forms of spellings also being used. below are examples of this from the data: -
Niceguy_Matt2020 : ses so here xx__macky__xx : kate im gonna dek u soon lol SuntannedGreyhound : been beat shitless wiv the ugly stik 1 bad girl: boyz talk to me SASSY LASSY: I am fine wat u look like Dammit: ne1 wna tlk w/a very bored 15/f/uk plz wispa me shaggnasty: glad he moved to New Yawk for sure blonde: I luv u Jamie fryer: black hair tand and built aussieguy: ne chiks wanna chat SEXYCRAIG19 : HI ANY GIRLS WONNA CHAT SAY HI Niceguy_Matt2020 : mebbe things have changed sugarcookie1: Michael..whatcha doin here..just coming to express your opinion? Bailey: any fit single ladies wanna chat? SSASSY LASSY: hiya bailey how r u baby cakes These examples show how the language in chat rooms, in particular spelling, is highly influence by the spoken variety of language. Indeed it is clear from the data that words are often spelt in a very colloquial, in-formal manner. These forms of spelling are indeed non-standard, which are not explicitly learnt. Therefore it is interesting to consider why exactly these forms occur. Taking into account that the majority of the chat room participants will have been brought up with a knowledge of standard written English, it is then interesting to see a strong prevalence for other forms of spelling rather than the standard form.
Perhaps again this lack of rules as to what can and can’t be done in chat rooms in terms of language has led to the use of highly colloquial forms of spelling. Before spelling was standardized it was common practice for people to write based upon how they spoke. This is possibly similar to what is happening in chat rooms with regards to the colloquial, almost speech like forms of spelling that we see.
Spelling words in contracted forms such as ‘dunno’ and ‘wanna’ also makes the interaction more speech like. It acts as to give the interaction an in-formal, spontaneous speech style, which reads like speech.
6.5 Punctuation
Punctuation is a traditional feature of standard written English, and is an integral part of the majority of day-to-day writing activities. However it appears that in chat room’s punctuation is often omitted and rarely conformed to. Often for example it is the case that proper nouns lack a capital letter at the beginning: -
´__CÂßp__ª : im in coventry BoltonFella25 : kate u bored lady Niceguy_Matt2020 : i used to go to uni in nottingham TweakyManeater : Anyone from birmingham???
I believe that the lack of capitilisation for proper nouns results from the need to type both quickly and efficiently. In chat rooms, unlike in many other written genres, one will not be punished nor corrected for grammatical errors. It also takes less time omitting capital letters, thus increasing the speed of the interaction. To produce a capital letter a user either has to either press ‘Caps Lock’ on the keyboard or hold down ‘shift’ and press the key accordingly. Therefore it is possibly no surprise that capital letters are often omitted, as it is less time consuming to do so, nor is it wholly necessary either.
Further in line with the notion the lack of punctuation in chat rooms resulting from the desire to type quickly and efficiently is the way in which apostrophes and full stops tend to be omitted in chat rooms: -
´Chidš_Egoª : Ive been in the same place for 21 years havent moved ever PrincessLear : hi there alll, hows everyione today? xXkitieyXx : i wont ask then I believe again the reasons for this lack of punctuation stem from the need for speed typing in chat rooms in order to maintain the pace of the conversation. Grammar is a distinct feature of standard written language. Therefore with it appearing to be lacking in chat rooms, a written domain, it suggests that the language is not written language in the truest sense of the word. Patricia Wallace cited in Crystal (2001) reported that in chat rooms “we can see language in its most primitive form…it’s spontaneous…naked form” (p169). This I believe is true of what we see happening in terms of punctuation. Another way in which punctuation is used in non-standard ways in IRC is the way in which the use of question and exclamation marks are exaggerated: -
WOODY10676:ANYONE FROM BRIGHTON????????????????????????????????? da_lanky_strokes_boy : need cup of tea. anyone else????? errolg3:†that was a parabolic staement fire!!! da_lanky_strokes_boy : yay!!!!! These examples show how punctuation and question marks are used excessively in chat rooms. This is an interesting feature as it is something that is both uncommon and ungrammatical in standard written language. Perhaps one reason behind the excessive use of punctuation and question marks is a result of the competition for attention in chat rooms. Therefore over using exclamation and question marks could be a way of highlighting an individual utterance and fore fronting it to the attention of the chat participants. Furthermore they could also be a way of making up for the lack of prosodic elements in chat rooms. For example, it is hard to tell where emphasis is placed on utterances in chat rooms. One way in which this is achieved is by placing exclamation marks at the end of an utterance to indicate emphasis on the prior statement, and the tone and context behind the utterance. Possibly this, combined, with the fight for attention on chat rooms, has led to an almost manic use of punctuation markers and question marks. I believe there may be a number of reasons for this lack of punctuation as shown in the selection of examples above.
Firstly, again the need for speed typing in chat rooms I believe is one reason for the lack of punctuation as in the examples above. It is essential to type as quickly as possible in order for an utterance to make sense in the immediate context of the chat.
Secondly, removing punctuation and periods at the end of an utterance possibly gives the conversation more of a face-to-face feel, in that it makes it seem like spoken written language. Indeed grammar is a pivotal feature of standard written language. Therefore with it appearing to be lacking from IRC texts, which is a written domain, it suggests that the language found on IRC is possibly more closely associated to spoken language.
Thirdly, as stated earlier there is neither punishment nor necessity for standard written English to be adhered to in chat rooms. I believe the lack of punctuation in chat rooms stems from other everyday writing activities, which are increasingly being performed on word processors. On word processors, when a word requiring an apostrophe is typed out, the computer automatically inserts the apostrophe. Therefore there is no need to physically type an apostrophe into a word. Considering that word processing is also a computer based writing practice, it is likely to be the case that most people will write in chat rooms as they would on a word processor. However, unlike word processors, chat rooms will not automatically place the apostrophe in words, thus often resulting in the forms we find on the Internet.
6.6 Actions and gestures
Further in line with the need to simulate real time interactional and prosodic elements of speech is evidence of the expression of physical actions in chat rooms. There are two ways in which actions are portrayed in chat rooms. Firstly, an action or gesture can be typed in as in the examples below: -
nvr2l81:†hello jans, hugggs janskelton:†HUGSSSSSSSSS nvr! However certain chat rooms allow users to enter actions and gestures, which are then shown in the third person: - SpikedRunedragon whispers its a shame apple aint here with us ´__CÂßp__ª nips off on his daily profile perv topseecurvee doesnt want to leave spike but there no other way if everyone wants apple on ™SheWolf clears her mind of the trampoline image
Depending on the chat room, a user will have to type in a command and then follow this with the action. For example, the intended username of the action, followed by ‘*’, and then the text, for example ‘hugs’. This then is translated into the third person narrative. Language again is being used to compensate for the lack of physical presence, and in this case physical actions.
6.7 Emoticons
Thus far, a paralinguistic and prosodic analysis has found ways in which users of chat rooms have adopted a set of techniques in order to simulate many of the features of a spoken conversation. A relatively recent way of achieving this is through the use of emoticons, or smilies. These emoticons, although still a relatively new phenomena on chat rooms are however fastly becoming prevalent. Emoticons in their simplest form consist of a combination of keystrokes on the keyboard which are used in a set way, which create a facial expression when viewed from the side on. For example, using a colon, hyphen and bracket creates the emoticon shown below: -
: - )
Below are firstly emoticons which were present in the chat data and secondly a general list of recognised emoticons which although did not appear in the data, are recognised throughout the Internet on various chat rooms: -
havegotawoppa : ;d th-jazzzzz:†hey u kiddies... :-) FADGES: shirlie baby!!! :)
General recognized emoticons: -
Table 8.1. A list of some of the most common chat room emoticons.
an angel/saint 0 :-)
a rose @>-->--
amazed, surprised, shocked, uh-oh! :-0
big smile, wry smile or sticking your tongue out :-P
bye-bye (^^)/~~~
Confused %-)
Crying (T_T)
dancing together :)(:
Disappointed :-\
Drunk :*)
frown, sad, boo hoo †:(
frown, sad, boo hoo (with a nose) :-(
hi! (^_^)/
Hug ( )
laughing, big smile :-)))
laughing, grinning :-D
smiling, happy †:)
smiling, happy ^_^
smiling, happy (with a nose) :-)
very sad :(((
wearing glasses 8)
winking, joking, being sarcastic or flirtatious ;-)
winking, joking (-_^)
winking, joking †^_* Emoticons have been introduced as a further means of compensating for the lack of facial expression and gestures in chat rooms. David Sanderson reported in Crystal 2001:38 noted that:- ‘you might include a smiley as a reminder of the ongoing context of the conversation, to indicate that your words don’t stand on their own. a smiley can point out to the other participants of the conversation that they need to understand you and your personality in order to understand what you’ve said’. Although the data did not provide many examples of emoticons, they are indeed fastly becoming a pivotal feature of Internet chat, especially with regards to private messaging programs such as MSN Messsenger. Many programs now use graphical emoticons, whereby typing out the colon, hyphen and bracket combination will result in a graphical image of a smiling face appearing on the screen. Indeed emoticons have developed inline with the general development of chat technology. At the time of Christopher Werry’s study of Internet Relay Chat, emoticons were not a feature of Internet chat. Thus it is important to consider research in the context of the time it was written, as ideas and features of the medium can change quickly.
6.8 Use of periods and hyphens
By speeding up or slowing down the rate at which we say syllables, words, phrases, and sentences, we can convey several kinds of meaning, such as (speeding up) excitement and impatience, or (slowing down) emphasis and thoughtfulness (Crystal, 1995:248).
A further way in which the lack of conversational features are compensated for is the use of periods and hyphens in IRC to simulate pauses and pace of face-to-face conversation. Indeed the pauses and pace of real time conversation are a key feature of spoken language. It is interesting to see users of IRC attempting to rein act these features of spoken language through the written medium. Ways in which this is done through the use of periods and hyphens to break up utterances are shown below: - ´Chidš_Egoª cant breath,...hyper ventil...ating,....too....funny ,... must be serious †-re-bar-:†yeah......the same...but was happy for kstate..... mongo23:†fire..i do that sometimes too...dont think i will go there though Ariana_54 : please tell me ya'll aren't talking about the gov stuff in Cal......gosh that's getting old, so tired of it fire...fly:†nice...i start at the top....then work up from the bottom, and end in the† middle...
The examples above are a selection from the data, which show how periods and hyphens are used to create a sense of spoken delivery. Periods in particular break up the text and control the pace of the utterance. This gives the feel of a spoken delivery. It also I believe puts across the image that the speaker is consciously thinking about what to say, thus further giving an impression of spoken conversation.
7. Conversational structure
Indeed if we are to refer to Internet chat rooms as a ‘conversation’ in the truest sense of the word, then it is important to consider a conversational analysis of the data collected. Chat rooms and the uniqueness of the medium raise a number of interesting features with regards to conversational analysis. To begin with I shall consider Grice’s conversational maxims and how these relate to chat room language.
7.1 Grice’s maxims
Grice’s conversational maxims are considered to be the overlying guidelines for a conversational interaction. For any conversation to be successful, these conversational maxims must be observed and obe —hash-is-gay | 
