12/12/05

Hope you will visit often to watch me as I endeavor on this new adventure where once again, I hope to learn and grow.

Please, note that I do not profess to be a professional anthropologist. Nor do I claim that all chatrooms are the same.

The idea of Cyberanthropology is a wide open area of study and I consider myself and all who interact in this vast Netosphere to be what I call 'cyber pioneers.'

We are making history. WE the People have created a new language and each chatroom over time establishes it's unique phrases and Emoticons.

Netiquette is a goal, but in reality in chatrooms as in the real world (RW) it's often abandoned. However, that in and of itself is yet another opportunity to observe human interaction. Individuals and groups.

The idea of chatanamics came to me last year via Serendipity due to my tenure of eight(8) years in chatrooms. Specifically, one chatroom.

"Using Serendipity as a sociological method in building on ideas as the fairly common experience of observing an unanticipated, anomalous and strategic datum which becomes the occasion for developing a new theory or for extending an existing theory."

Applying the theories to the chatanamics as related to the various choice of screen names, changing of screen names and the human interactions which result in a group dynamic theme and the forming of cliques. Including the use of font choice, color and size.

The goal for now is to write about my observations in using the Internet and my chat experiences over time. Including the experiences I have had with other chatters who are involved in the same chatanamics.

The building blocks will begin with establishing what I have learned thus far with the goal to be posting the chatanamics as they are observed on a daily basis.

For now I am just getting started and will be using my pioneer spirit in traversing this new road in how I go about posting the information. It seems that the use of links to explain certain events, and the use of the Urban Dictionary will assist me in explaining what I hope to convey.

My premise is that the observations of a specific group of individuals who regularly visit the same chatroom result in the ability to observe and witness a unique human interaction. Chatrooms present a unique opportunity to observe and understand the human behaviors exhibited under conditions never before experienced. Therefore, my thoughts are that this information could be quite valuable to many areas of learning and fields of endeavor. Including, ever day life in the "RW."

During my tenure in chatrooms I have found that I have learned from all and I have learned a lot about myself!

The Fathers of Behaviorism would find the chatroom forum of human interaction to be a veritable feast. And, the pioneers of Anthropology would likely be quite interested in the culture of chatrooms.

Since this is a new endeavor my goal is to post my thoughts and observations using chatspeak. And, I will as best I can describe the chat dynamic (chatnamics) so that visitors to my site are able to decipher what I'm trying to convey.

I write and compose while online. I have no editor. Therefore, you may find this page to be of some entertainment value while reading my typos or poor grammar and my ramblings while I put myself out there as I learn and grow. A study of sorts in it's own right!  LOL (laughing out loud)

I see chatrooms as akin to the old western pioneer towns. And, the chatroom forum provides me the inspiration for many of my ideas and thoughts.

During the reading of this page and other pages on my site you will find words that are not spelled as you would find in the non virtual world (NVW).

Additionally, there will be words and phrases used which were coined specifically due to the chat dynamic by myself and individual chatters. These words and phrases will of course be credited and will be obvious to those who are involved in the chatanamics.

This endeavor is by no means meant to be a professional diagnosis of the psychological, but rather is meant to try understand chatroom dynamics and human interaction in a totally new forum of communication.

All of us visit chatrooms for the same reason; human interaction. All bring to the group dynamic their unique contribution.

Online you look at the  monitor much like a TV screen and the chat flows across your screen. To the right of your screen is a box that houses the names of chatters in the room. If you click on that name of the chatter e, you are able to read their profile, if they have one.