Text chat from April 26, 2000
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Teaching for Webheads
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Text chat transcripts - April 26, 2000

On April 26, 2000, a landmark event took place wherein members of the listservs TESLCA-L, Neteach-l, webteachfl, and tfw were all invited to participate in a practice chat taking place in the following venues:

·        A text chat site at: http://www.homestead.com/vstevens/

·        A voice chat site at: http://www.chariot.net.au/~michaelc/hearme.htm

Further instructions for accessing these sites can be found at http://members.tripod.com/vstevens/efi/software.htm (or its mirror: http://www.homestead.com/vstevens/files/efi/software.htm)

The following are transcripts from the text chat and, further down the page, the text chat transcripts from the voice chat client.

Text chat transcripts

The text chat is not a very good client as chat clients go, but its main advantage is that it is easily created and accessed. (It was created by opening an account at http://www.homestead.com and in the web page builder simply dragging a chat icon from the choices available onto the page a-building; the guest book was created in the same way).  As far as access is concerned, visitors can join the chat simply by browsing to the url, so that no application software or registration is necessary other than a browser.

There are two caveats to what you read below.  First, keep in mind that the chat is interleaved with what was going on in the voice chat, and so the threads are, well, threadbare.  Secondly, I grabbed a copy of the chat buffer at the beginning of the chat, when Geoff left it to join the voice chat, and again only at the end of the evening, an hour later.  By then, the buffer had overflowed so that I was left with only the first and last parts of the chat.

So, with that in mind, read on … (or visit the voice-chat text transcripts)

Members of room: vance at MLI

Anonymous8425 has joined the chat room.

<vance at MLI> hello

<Anonymous8425> Hi Vance, this is Geoff Jordan

<vance at MLI> hey Geoff, nice to see you. Long time.

<vance at MLI> Type a name and click on change

<Anonymous8425> Yes indeed - I'm trying to catch up with all this good stuff you're doing

<vance at MLI> This is the way.

<Anonymous8425> Looks god. Has the session started yet?

Anonymous8425 is now known as Geoff.

<vance at MLI> You'e the first to arrive

<Geoff> Does one normally sign in??

<vance at MLI> Not at this one. It's just a homestead drag and drop

<Geoff> OK

<vance at MLI> sounds like you have a great conf. coming up

<vance at MLI> I will try to make it.

<Geoff> Yes, I'm starting to get nervous about it!

<vance at MLI> You've got plenty of support, can't lose

<Geoff> I hope you can make it - let me know if you need any help

<vance at MLI> Would you like to try the voice chat before it gets busy?

<Geoff> Sure

<vance at MLI> http://www.chariot.net.au/~michaelc/hearme.htm

<vance at MLI> Best thing it to open a second browser window

<vance at MLI> is to ...

<vance at MLI> which browser are you using

<Geoff> explorer

Geoff has left the chat room.

The foregoing was recorded at 13:00 GMT, the scheduled start of the chat - I didn’t check the Homestead chat buffer again till the end of the session.  At that time, this was all there was in it. 

As we pick up the discussion, Hanim has just said something to suggest to Vance at MLI that she is listening to the voice chat while typing to Vance in Homestead.  So Vance is telling her how to open the text chat in the voice chat client so that she can join the conversation taking place on that client.  Behavior of this nature is common in chats, where slightly more experienced users assist newcomers in using the clients.

Anonymous1527 has joined the chat room.

Anonymous1527 has left the chat room.

<hanim> How do I do that?

<vance at MLI> You click on Text Chat

<vance at MLI> Hi 1527, you can type in a name and click change

<vance at MLI> if you want

<hanim> I might be guest 623 but I can't speak...no mike

<vance at MLI> I'll tell them. If you click on text chat, you can tell them yourself

<vance at MLI> Are you in the voice chat text box yet?

Anonymous4778 has joined the chat room.

Anonymous4778 is now known as vanessa.

<vance at MLI> hi anon, type a name and hit change if you like

<vanessa> I finally got everything loaded & adjusted

<vanessa> so now I have speech... am loaded for sound

vanessa has left the chat room.

Anonymous70 has joined the chat room.

Anonymous70 is now known as vanessa.

<vance at MLI> great vanessa

Anonymous88 has joined the chat room.

<vance at MLI> Have you found the text chat in the voice chat client?

<vanessa> I had to use highest settings and hold the mic... may need a new mic or mic + headset like I used to wear at airlines res desk

<vanessa> & did find text chat

Anonymous88 has left the chat room.

Anonymous88 has joined the chat room.

<vanessa> one of my ss (Russian) expressed serious reservations about plug-ins

<vance at MLI> I don't blame them, but this seems pretty safe

<vanessa> & automatic launch

<Anonymous88> Hi! Everyone. Youre still here.

Anonymous88 has left the chat room.

Anonymous88 has joined the chat room.

<vance at MLI> yep, still here

<vanessa> how does hearme compare with talknation & firetalk?

<vanessa> or Windows' NetMeeting?

<vance at MLI> Don't know those two

<vance at MLI> http://www.hearme.com

<vanessa> one is the voice for "old" eGroups voice chat & the other is the one on the EFI voice chat (a real memory hog)

<vance at MLI> I'd like to know more about those. Basically hearme is free, simple, and effective

vanessa has left the chat room.

Anonymous272 has joined the chat room.

Anonymous272 has left the chat room.

Anonymous48 has joined the chat room.

Anonymous48 is now known as vanessa.

Michael C has left the chat room.

Peter has left the chat room.

<vanessa> are these gaps an inevitable side effect of being (or trying to be) in 5 "places" at once?

Vanessa had apparently by then been kept waiting a long time while I was in the Voice chat.  Fortunately she signed the guest book in the Homestead chat site and I was able to get back to her and apologize for keeping her waiting.

Return to the beginning of the text chat transcripts

Voice chat text transcripts

The voice chat client (available from http://www.hearme.com) provides both voice and text chat options.  Users without microphones can therefore follow the conversation via their sound cards and type their responses. It’s also useful for people in the voice chat to get a word in edgewise, and to write info such as urls without having to dictate them.

What you find below is a transcript of what went on in the text window while people were speaking in the voice chat.  What transpired in the voice chat has not been preserved.  Therefore what you see below again does not faithfully preserve the threads of the conversation.

Vance at MLI has joined

Guest615 has joined

Guest615 has left

Guest596 has joined

Guest596 has left

Guest601 has joined

Guest601 has left

Vance in lab has joined

Vance at MLI: testing

Michael has joined

Guest531 has joined

Guest531 has left

Geoff has joined

Vance at MLI: Geoff, have you found the text chat?

Geoff has left

Geoff has joined

Vance at MLI: http://www.homestead.com/vstevens/

Geoff has left

Geoff has joined

Peter has joined

Geoff has left

Geoff has joined

Guest372 has joined

Peter: right well there seems to be a bit of a lag on the voice chat

Geoff: Hey guys I've got to go now - I'll try and join you next week - Very impressive

Geoff has left

Michael: See you Geoff. Nice tom meet you.

Vance at MLI: You can also type helpful information here.

Vance at MLI: exactly

cc has joined

Vance at MLI: This is authentic, purely communicative

Michael: And welcome to cc

Guest372 has left

Clau has joined

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Vance at MLI: Congrats Anne

Guest796 has left

Anne has joined

Vance at MLI: http://mli.cjb.net

Michael: Good question Peter.

Guest169 has joined

Vance at MLI: Are material is on a web site

Vance at MLI: http://www.netword.com/webheads

Guest169 has left

vanessa has joined

Vance at MLI: http://www.netword.com/teaching4webheads

vanessa: loaded now & can hear you...

Anne has left

Michael: Can you turn up your microphone volume?

Michael: Can you see it Vanessa?

Guest524 has joined

Clau has left

vanessa has left

Guest623 has joined

Felix has joined

Guest524 has left

Jason has joined

Clau has joined

Vance at MLI: mailto:vstevens@emirates.net.ae

vanessa has joined

Jason: Hi everyone...Can't get a word in edgeways here...I'm Geoff Jordan's sidekick here in Barcelona, Spain

Vance at MLI: Hi sidekick

cc: Hi to Jason

Vance at MLI: This here's the edgewise window

Michael: LOL

Felix: just a sec

Felix: someone at the door

Vance at MLI: Felix, Michael asked you to talk about all this

vanessa: back again... I had to download another something for config & crashed

Michael: Jason?

Michael: What's for dessert?

Jason: Hi Michael...r u hungry?

Felix: talk about what?

Michael: No. But Peter's having dinner.

Felix: uh???

cc: Do you usually have a topic to focus the conversation?

Felix: What do you want me to talk about MC?

Jason has left

Jason has joined

Michael: Yes Felix - why are you still here?!

Vance at MLI: What did you mean by that Michael?

Michael: Why are you still a Webhead?

Vance at MLI: ah ...

Michael: What do you get from it?

Peter: I like the way the chat and the voice work together

Michael: Its' great isn't it Peter.

Peter: excellent

Michael: So what are you having for dessert Peter?

Felix: did you hear me ppl?

Peter: lol

Michael: Yes we did Felix.

Vance at MLI: Only one person can talk at a time

Felix: I will type ok Jason...

Michael: It's like a quiz show - first to the buzzer!

Vance at MLI: Can't hear Jason

Vance at MLI: You can write here if you like.

Felix: What I think it's interesting about a voice chat like this is that you can learn the way ppl speak, pronunce words

Michael: Obviously the noderator could use the text chat to ask someone to stop talking and give someone else a go.

Peter: right

Felix: and most important... is to improve your speaking..

Vance at MLI: If he can get it

Peter: quite simply if someone pressed the enter button like this

Felix: your fluence in English.

Michael: That's right Felix.

Peter: that could mean tis their trun next

Jason: One of the interesting things about non-verbal communication as a teacher in a "class" forum is how to control the chat..and I think it's important to set some rules

Jason: Yes VAnce, I think etiquette is very important

Michael: I agree jason. Especially if you have a large group.

Peter: if people took the chat box as their cue

Peter: that might be the signal

vanessa has left

Felix: Because in my personal opinion, when we use a written chat.. We have time to think in a word or a sentence to type in BUT when you are speaking you have to be fast.. you have to THINK fast.. So if you are good or partially good at speaking, your writting

Vance at MLI: What can we do in a what context?

Felix: skills will show up

Vance at MLI: I could hear Jason just now but I can't hear Peter

Peter: sorry vance

Felix: Am I "talking" too much?

Vance at MLI: Too little LOL

Felix: LOL

Vance at MLI: Naw, as you know I keep the log. We'll look it over later

Peter: was saying the voice chat allows authentic dialogue between speakers in different countries

Jason: Do you think though this is a good medium for small groups or one - to - one only...don't you think that it'll get a bit out of hand with a large group?

Clau has left

Peter: something we cannot provide in the classroom

Felix: I will have to go now... Does anyone have any question to me? LOL

Jason: Nice to be here and chat with you all too :-)

Peter: no but Felix thanks for coming

Michael: If the Whiteboard thing happens let me know....

Michael: Yes - thanks Felix.

Felix has left

Michael: Made in Japan!

Michael: Jason is Geof's sidekick.

Vance at MLI: Ah, he's left the edgewise area

Michael: 623 - would you like to say who you are?

Vance at MLI: I'm Vance Stevens, http://www.netword.com/vancestevens

Jason: BTW... a little plug for myself here. If anyone is interested in reading my dissertation it's here: http://www.geocities.com/jefirestone/master.html

Vance at MLI: way cool

Vance in lab has left

Vance at MLI: We have Peter, cc, Guest623, Jason (above)

cc: Good Michael, I love to knowthe same thing

Vance at MLI: And cc? Who are you?

cc: Hmmm.. YOu want my life story? :-)

cc: I am Chin-chi Chao from Indiana University

Vance at MLI: welcome

Jason: I actually think that as "lurking" is an accepted etiquette for behaviour on discussion lists then maybe we should also accept / expect lurking (no negative connotations attached) in voice chat

cc: I am teaching a CALL teacher education course and also doing my dissertation on online learning communities.

Vance at MLI: Guest623 is Hanim in New York. He's listening in the voice chat and chatting in the homestead chat

Vance at MLI: Hanim are you here?

Guest623: Yes, I am here.

Vance at MLI: OK, welcome

Michael: Can you hear us Hanim?

Guest623: Yes, I'm listening

Vance at MLI: Yes, he can. He's been commenting in the homestead chat on the voice chat

Michael: Motivating, authentic, purely communicative

Peter: michaal sadly i missed that whole contribution

Vance at MLI: I'm glad we started this conversation this week

Vance at MLI: I think if we come back next week at the actual conference, we could have an interesting discussion

Jason: I can't hear u at all Michael

Guest623: I'm not a he. I'm a she. I agree with the authenticity but technologically, the voice is not clear all of the time, it may be difficult to understand.

Peter: sadly I seem to have lost the audio now

Peter: and I can't catch Micheal's comments

Michael: Sorry to hear that jason. Seems like I'm fading. Butn then Vance CAn hear me!

Michael: Jason and Peter - Can you hear Vance?

Jason: I've lost Vance now...evryone was loud n clear b4

Michael: We seem to be having problems.

Peter: yeah starting to crack up now

Peter: a shame!

Vance at MLI: yea, y not?

Michael: I thnk it's fine to use abbreviations like b4. It's another form of the language...

Vance at MLI: ok by me

Michael: ...and I think an increasingly valid one.

Michael: They need to know when to use the various forms though.

Michael: Like formal/informal; register, etc

Guest623: encouraged what?

Michael: Did you say encourage the flow?

Jason: i think it's gr8 actually :-)

Michael: LOL

Michael: I haven't seen that one b4!

Michael: I have to go too.

Guest623: No

Jason: Vance said he had to go 10 minutes ago ...will he ever leave?

Michael: Vance is a slow leave-taker!

Guest623: He is still talking

Michael: That's one of the nice things about him!

Peter: lol

Michael: LOL as well.]

Guest623: Whal does LOL mean?

Vance at MLI: be bringing out the hook again in a minute

Vance at MLI: laugh out loud

Vance at MLI: and then there's ROFL

Guest623: What does that mean?

Vance at MLI: http://www.netword.com/webheads

Michael: rolls about the floor laughing!

Vance at MLI: 11:30 or Noon every Sunday GMT

Guest623: Do you meet at netword or the Palace?

Michael: Jason I hope you can hear what about to say......

Jason: all's quiet on the western front

Michael: Did anyone hear me apart from Vance?

Jason: sorri Michael I completely missed u

Guest623: I heard you Michael.

Michael: Peter?

Guest623: Did Vance finally leave?

Peter: yup got you michale

Michael: I'm just curious to know about the technology.

Michael: Great - no gr8!

Jason: Vance... yeah right you're going...

Vance at MLI: yada yada

Guest623: Who's honey.

Jason: can now

Michael: Night and good day to you all!

cc: Thank you!!

Peter: thanks everybody

Vance at MLI: Goodnight / bye / afternoon, and thanks very much for coming

Michael: Thanls Jason.

Guest400 has joined

Guest623: It's good morning in New York. Time for breakfast.

Michael: I'm outta here!

Michael has left

cc has left

Peter: good night to you all and thanks, it's been an interesting experience

Peter has left

Guest623: Good question Jason

Jason: thanks

Jason: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.................

Vance at MLI: http://members.tripod.com/vstevens/efi/software.htm#doit

Jason: thank u

 

Entries from the guestbook at http://www.homestead.com/vstevens/

So that readers of this chat can now more about its participants, I have reproduced here messages left in the Homestead chat page guestbook after the practice.

Claudette Hepburn, Wednesday, 4/26/00, 6:57 AM

 

Missed the rehearsal conference today, but enjoyed the voice chat. Will be present next Wednesday. Interested to know how I can use any aspect of the Net to get my French students to learn English in a lively way.

 

From: France

E-mail: hepburnclau@wanadoo.fr

 

Peter Williams, Wednesday, 4/26/00, 6:18 AM

From: Tokyo Japan

E-mail: hdep65@yahoo.com

 

Vanessa Vaile, Wednesday, 4/26/00, 5:49 AM

From:  new mexico

Web Site: http://philo.ucdavis.edu/~vanessa/

E-mail: vcrary@uswest.net

 

Anne Fox, Wednesday, 4/26/00, 3:09 AM

 

We have just opened a fairly high tech self access language learning centre and are hoping to extend this soon to distance delivery. Any info or experience of how you can communicate effectively with EFL students on line very much welcome.

 

Half French and British, living in Denmark

Web Site: Grenaa Handelsskole http://www.ghs.dk/

E-mail: af@ghs.dk

 

 


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Last updated: April 28, 2000