Theory: In each chat there are two conversations
So I have this theory that in each chat session that we have with someone there are always two conversations going. Maybe always is a bit broad. Lets say, all of mine, and my guess is most of yours. I find that it is because of this phenomena that most effective communication can break down in a chat. Largely due to confusion on what the context is of a specific piece of the communication.
Lets look at a completely hypothetical example:
A: Hey, hows it going? Haven’t chatted in a while.
A: Wanted to ask you if you still had that car.
B: Hey, hows it going? Yeah, it has been a while.
B: What are you up to?
B: Yeah I have the car, Why?
A: I am fine, just up to the usual, Work.
A: boss is really on my nerves.
A: Was wanting to know if you wanted to sell the car.
B: Oh man that sucks! I hate my boss. Work is the pits.
B: I wish I could quit my job.
A: Oh man I know. Work is awful.
B: So you like the car? I need the money, I could sell it.
A: I hate it, it is always on my nerves.
It is at this point that confusion comes in. By looking right at the chat it looks like person A hates the car and it is always on his nerves. We can look at the two conversations seperatly and see that each is a logical, straightforward conversation.
A: Hey, hows it going? Haven’t chatted in a while.
B: Hey, hows it going? Yeah, it has been a while.
B: What are you up to?
A: I am fine, just up to the usual, Work.
A: boss is really on my nerves.
B: Oh man that sucks! I hate my boss. Work is the pits.
B: I wish I could quit my job.
A: Oh man I know. Work is awful.
A: I hate it, it is always on my nerves.
A: Wanted to ask you if you still had that car.
B: Yeah I have the car, Why?
A: Was wanting to know if you wanted to sell the car.
B: So you like the car? I need the money, I could sell it.
Each is a self contained conversation.
Has anyone else noticed this in their own chats? It seems that I am not totally alone in my findings, there is a facebook group about it. It seems too the only way to not have it happen is to wait what seems like an obscenely long time for each question to be asked and answered back.
Tags: Random
July 21st, 2010 at 9:30 am
Sounds right to me!
Although sometimes with the females there might be up to 3-4 conversations going on at once!
July 21st, 2010 at 10:17 am
What I’ve found is with a few of my friends, we can maintain 2 conversations at once and its something we do all the time. To me I’ve gotten used to differentiating between the two. But I have noticed that if I’m chatting with say my mom, that two topics will confuse her so I have to make sure to stay on one topic at a time.