Assignment 2: Lets Stare at (observe) that Guy!

In a chat room, one is plugged into a synchronous multiple user messaging service. With conversations about many different things occur simultaneous between just a select group of “chatters” or among the whole room. This is the online space I ventured out to find my target.

Upon entering the chat, I did not immerse myself in the conversations, I merely took a step back and observed the conversations unfold. In this specific chat room, the users were discussing peer-to-peer software, another form of an online space where both discussions and files are shared between users. Most of the users ignored the trivial questions asked by the “noobs” as new users are often called, but my target seemed very friendly and ready to assist any of the other users with his knowledge. The gender was assumed on my part from the nickname used: “Tyler_Durden”. The reference to the main character in Fight Club could easily have been made by a female user, but it seemed unlikely.

As for his demeanor, he was quickly stressed by the little detailed questions for which the users demanded answers. Tyler would often give an emoticon to depict his humor even after rude remarks. The emoticons clearly signified the user’s warmth and agreeableness.

As the conversations became further involved, acquaintances became like best-friends. Even though the users had seemingly just met, their use of sarcasm and good humor led me to believe that my impression of Tyler and the others could not be SIP. The impressions were neither negative nor neutral, in fact the friendly, open users had already grown on me and the jokes that they told induced a few chuckles here and there from my part.

Therefore, I must assume that the impressions that I had formed from the encounter was entirely Hyperpersonal. I had taken the very few minor clues from the user’s textual speech to imagine a guy with a kind and friendly demeanor. It led to the assumption also that the user could not be older than 30 and no younger than a high school student, since his knowledge base was quite strong and his chat "lingo" seemed up-to-date. However, race or social standings could not be assumed from any of the interaction.

As the hyperpersonal model had predicted, I did not learn much about Tyler_Durden in breath but in terms of the intensity of the impressions, I had developed impressions to the extremes.