Instant Messaging is not completely unregulated, although members do have almost completely free rein. AOL Instant Messenger allows members to "warn" other members. If someones warning level reaches a certain percentage, their ability to communicate with other members is temporarily disabled. Members can also "block" other members; this means that both members will appear offline to each other, even if they are online. Instant messaging members can also appear "invisible," which means that they can see who is online and choose to communicate with them, but they will appear offline in other members' buddy lists. This is an extreme version of visual anonymity. However, it will not have any stronger visual anonymity effects because once an "invisible" member communicates with another member, they have broken the idea of being "invisible," and have made their presence known. Although these are all ways that members can control their instant messaging experience, people rarely "warn" other members or "block" them. These functions are intended for extreme cases of annoyance or stalking.
Although the examples above prove that AIM is somewhat moderated by the Leviathan (formal regulation), the main reason people use jargon in instant messaging is the "human willingness to conform and our eagerness to preserve a productive online group environment" (Wallace, Ch.4). Humans inherently conform so that things can continue without unnecessary complications. Also generally, people who communicate via instant messaging will continue to use its jargon regardless of if the person they are talking to uses it. This means that with enough exposure to the jargon over time, each member will eventually conform and use it as well. Jargon of instant messaging is a social norm, and even if people don't initially intend to conform to the social norm, they inevitably will.
AIM can be viewed as a its own network; people communicate to other members on their "buddy list." Members on buddy lists are generally friends of the person, whether they have a weak or a strong tie to them. Some people instant message with certain people very frequently, and others remain on a persons buddy list even though they rarely talk. Either way, the network formed by AIM enhances the social norm of jargon and abbreviation online. Since members are on a person's buddy list in the first place, it means that they share some sort of common ground with this person. If they talk to the person frequently enough, and to other people within their own buddy list network, they will tend to conform to the norms of that network.
4 comments:
I feel that we use abbreviations and jargon so much nowadays it just seems like the normal thing to do. I know I use it enough that I forget who I'm talking to sometimes and the fact that they may not be familiar with it.
I like your evaluation of aim abbreviations in this post. I remember when people started using the abbreviations regularly in face to face conversations in high school, which I always thought was pretty funny. After thinking about networks and how we define a society from this week's readings, I definitely see the connection to why things like aim seem to define certain aspects of our generation because of the network feel the jargon creates.
To extend further into the reach of AOL IM jargon, a couple of my professors have, at times caught their students writing these abbreviations in papers that were submitted to them. Also, this phenomenon has actually transcended into speech as well. There are people that I know who would even used 'lol' or 'brb' in everyday speech. Even if you are not speaking to people via a form of IM, there is now even the possibility of picking up the jargon on the streets! How ridiculous is that?!
You have great thoughts on the Leviathan of AOL instant messaging. I just had one other thought. The jargon definitely speeds communication of certain ideas, just as, capitalizing and correcting spelling are time-consuming tasks when typing. If you don’t use the normative jargon, you would look like a novice. Maybe if it takes too long to type your thoughts you appear mentally slow. So, you conform to appear more intelligent.
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