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Chat with Ying-Lan, Felix/Bahia/Brazil, Michael C, and Special Guest Jerry at the Palace

November 8, 1998

At the end of this session I copied my Palace log and pasted it to a Word window. Next day I saw that I had only part of the log. I think what happened was that the size of the log exceeded the copy buffer, so only 256 K got pasted. Therefore, what follows is a description of how the chat began, and then a transcription of the remainder of the chat itself.

At around 11:00 GMT I started my end of the session by going on line. ICQ came up at that point, as I've set it to do, and I saw that no other class participants were online at that moment. I went to the Palace and tried to connect to palace.virtualscholar.com on port 9997 but got the message that says the server may be down (among other possible causes). So I tried to connect on port 9998 but received the same message. So I went to campus.thecampus.com on port 9998 and found no one there.

I saw that Jerry came online on ICQ, so I sent him a message to tell him where I was. He couldn't connect so I suggested (via ICQ message) that he register at http://www.thepalace.com and try again. Meanwhile, I saw that Gosia came on line and I sent her a message that I was at the Campus, but she joined me there almost immediately (Ying-Lan and I had talked her there a few weeks before, so she knew just what to do). Ying-Lan also came online and joined us at the Campus. About that time Jerry arrived.

We chatted for a while at the Campus gate until another pair of cyberfreaks surfed in and started talking in German. We decided then to move to Dorm Room #2. At about this time Bahia came online (visible in ICQ) and I told him where we were. He joined us, and Ying-Lan had Michael C on her ICQ and instructed him to join us. By then, Gosia had excused herself, saying that she had a guest. So except for Gosia, we were all gathered together at the Palace campus.thecampus.com on port 9998, Dorm Room #2.

The conversation below is from about the time that Michael C joined us. He had just asked if I had set up the Palace space myself or if I was just borrowing it. Jerry and Ying-Lan are talking about getting feedback in the writing process. Another thread is that neither Bahia nor Michael C had the graphics for Dorm Room and at times was leaving the conversation to find the files that had been cached on my drive and emailing them to them so that they could see the room. At the time this conversation begins, I had just returned from sending Bahia a batch of graphics files.

Ying-Lan: ^I met someone at this class.. He/she has the same backgroud like you.

Vance: I'm borrowing this

Jerry: Well, that's why we need other people's input. Sometimes we can't see problems that others can, Ying.

Ying-Lan: Yes.

Vance: When virtualscholar didn't work we came to the campus

Michael C: How come the graphics don't download automatically?

Ying-Lan: ^That's why I like to be here to talk to you.

Jerry: Vance can give you a lot of feedback, but the others in the class can too.

Vance: There are some wierdos here

Vance: So a wizard showed me this place

Jerry: Me a wierdo!

Vance: it's supposed to have a lock on the door, but it doesn't work

Ying-Lan: ^Thanks Jerry.

Ying-Lan: It relase now

Ying-Lan: luck again.

Jerry: I'm teaching at schMOOze University...the locks on their doors work.

Vance: I don't know why the graphics don't load. Bahia couldn't get them either.

Ying-Lan: ^Schmooze University?

Michael C: Maybe that part of the lock is working. Where is Bahia?

Jerry: SchMOOze is a text-based chat server.

Jerry: Like the Palace, but with no pictures only text.

Ying-Lan: ^I read the site on Efi web site.

Vance: Bahia left. I tried to send him an icq message .. .oh, he's sending me ...

Ying-Lan: Hi

Ying-Lan: back

Jerry: Yes, efi has rooms there too.

Brazil: I am back

Michael C: Hi Felix Bahia.

Vance: There he is.

Ying-Lan: ^I tried to be there, but failed.

Brazil: Yes Vance. I want the rest of them

Vance: I'm sending the files to MC. He can't see this room either.

Michael C: I'm in the dark!

Vance: Does efi have rooms at Schmooz?

Ying-Lan: ^Really

Vance: Your files are still uploading, MC

Brazil: Ditto Michael

Ying-Lan: It is bad.

Jerry: Yes, Vance...that's what I've heard...I've not visited them.

Michael C: Yeh - but not often used apparently.

Vance: What is bad, YL?

Jerry: I have my own dorm room there...and the use of a classroom.

Michael C: I guess most EFI teachers come here instead.

Brazil: Now I can see the bedroom... and other stuff but there are more things missing

Ying-Lan: ^Mc is in the dark. He can not see the dorm.

Vance: Maybe we can visit you there some time,Jerry.

Jerry: That would be great.

Ying-Lan: great

Vance: OK, MC, your files are there. Do you know what to do with them?

Michael C: No. What now?

Vance: Bahia, I'm sending the rest of them. You can tell MC what now.

Brazil: ok

Jerry: I think this visual environment probably is very appealing to a lot of students...but you don't have to worry about images not loading at schMOOze!

Michael C: I'm listening...

Brazil: Michael you have to save the files in the folder c:/palace/media/thecampus/pictures

Michael C: Do they come by email?

Brazil: yes

Ying-Lan: ^Jerry, When will you be at the SchMooze?

Michael C: I'll check.....

Ying-Lan: ^Are there some Schedulce like EFI?

Jerry: Actually, I only check in there now and then, except when I'm in class. We could set a time.

Michael C: No email yet.....

Ying-Lan: o.k.

Vance: OK, B, the rest of your files are on the way up.

Brazil: thanks VAnce

Michael C: Jerry - it's *very* unusual for files lot to load quickly.

Michael C: I mean "not to load" quickly!

Jerry: Maybe, if you have a pentium or powerPC.

Vance: When you get them you put them in \palace\media\TheCampu\Pictures

Jerry: The president of schMOOze told me she's using a 386 at home.

Michael C: Yes well there is that!

Jerry: Try visiting the Palace with a 386.

Brazil: 386 ??? OH MYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Michael C: No thanks!

Jerry: Laughs out loud.

Ying-Lan: 386 is old computer?

Jerry: Old and SlOW!

Ying-Lan: ^I see.

Vance: Yes, intel 386 is before 486 which is before Pentium ...

Jerry: I think this visual interface has advantages.

Jerry: Look at Windows versus DOS!

Ying-Lan: ^She needs to change her computer.

Vance: Yes, everyone is together in one room.

Vance: MC, you can still see avatars?

Jerry: Maybe she likes it too much, Ying.

Brazil: a 386 it slower than a turtle.

Ying-Lan: oh

Michael C: Yes I can see avatars.

Ying-Lan: ^Only avatars?

Vance: So you've got a dorm room with the lights out.

Michael C: But still no email.

Jerry: Michael C., where are you logging on from?

Ying-Lan: find user?

Vance: Sent to michaelc@chariot.net.au

Michael C: Australia. And I see 4 round heads and your phopo Vance.

Jerry: Avatars in a darkened room.

Michael C: Yep.

Brazil: When my screen was black i could not see any avatars

Vance: Did you get your email Brazil?

Brazil: not yet Vance

Jerry: Hmm...not event the avatars.

Vance: Did you see the balloons with people talking?

Brazil: yes I did Vance.

Michael C: I did/do.

Brazil: Now I can see the room..

Vance: We could go to a different place

Ying-Lan: Where?

Michael C: I don't mind. I'm happy here in the dark.

Vance: I only came here because of the lock on the door.

Vance: Which doesn't work ...

Vance: Ying Lan and I met a strange character here once.

Ying-Lan: yes

Vance: The cyber equivalent of a flasher.

Vance: We were at the campus gate and he followed us here.

Michael C: What did he flash?

Vance: His avatar

Michael C: !!!

Jerry: My students read "Rape in cyberspace" and we discussed it in class at schMOOze.

Michael C: Is that an article?

Vance: It's an interesting concept. This guy used foul language and put his avatar over Ying-Lan's

Jerry: Yes, I'll send you the URL. Its just as unpleasant to be assaulted virtually as in real life.

Vance: So we retreated to ICQ

Ying-Lan: ^I forgot him.

Vance: You can just ignore them.

Ying-Lan: ^I only remember stock... LOL

Michael C: Did you feel threatened Ying? Yes I'd like the URL Jerry please?

Vance: But at the Palace you need a place that's quiet.

Vance: Are you still worried about your stocks?

Ying-Lan: what's the URL?

Ying-Lan: ^Yes.

Vance: Sleeping better?

Ying-Lan: ^I wish I worred it two month ago.

Ying-Lan: ^It is a litte late to worry them.

Vance: As we say, "It's only money"

Ying-Lan: only money.

Ying-Lan: it is o.k.

Vance: What can you do ... ?

Ying-Lan: ^I will get it bakc.

Ying-Lan: bakc

Ying-Lan: back

Vance: That's optimistic

Ying-Lan: ^It helps me to understand myself again.

Ying-Lan: ^I will write the whole story.....

Vance: When you lose a lot of money, it makes you realize what's really important in life.

Vance: That's a good idea!

Ying-Lan: ^I hope so.

Vance: What about you, Brazil? What will you write about?

Michael C: Files are arriving Vance.

Vance: I guess you'll have to upgrade to a 486 Mike

Ying-Lan: ^The problem is I always lost money.

Ying-Lan: ^Another one is I can not find what is the best goal of my life.

Vance: That would make an interesting story: Lessons Learned in the Stock Market.

Ying-Lan: ^Vance... only tears ...

Ying-Lan: ^Tears with my eyes....

Vance: Sometimes when yoy write, you learn things about yourself and your feelings as you write.

Jerry: ftp://ftp.lambda.moo.mud.org/pub/MOO/papers/VillageVoice.txt

Brazil: i am back

Vance: Sometimes you can make discoveries while you write.

Vance: Brazil, glad you're back

Ying-Lan: What is that?

Brazil: i am kicked out

Brazil: i was

Jerry: By whom?

Ying-Lan: ^ABout the reap in the cyberspace?

Brazil: it said terminate session

Vance: That's good too. All of these are interesting topics.

Jerry: Yes, one ftp site is: ftp://ftp.lambda.moo.mud.org/pub/MOO/papers/VillageVoice.txt

Vance: Brazil, YL is thinking about writing about her goal in life, or about rape in cyberspace.

Vance: What do you think about those topics?

Ying-Lan: ^I have not feeling about the reap in the cyberspace.

Brazil: didnt get it..

Jerry: It's an interesting issue...these virtual environments are still SOCIAL environments.

Ying-Lan: no

Vance: It's interesting. Is rape in cyberspace possible?

Jerry: I think so.

Jerry: You'll have to read the article...

Vance: We got the url

Ying-Lan: ^Only emotion... It could not disturb my real life.

Jerry: It's a good starting point for discussion.

Vance: Exactly. Is rape physical, or can it be emotional?

Jerry: Mostly its a psycho/spiritual assualt, isn't it?

Vance: Maybe we can read the article and come back next week and talk about it.

Ying-Lan: ^Well, I just felt angry when someone is unpolicat... Sometimes I was not angry.. just I did not want to talk to him.

Vance: Did you get the url Brazil?

Ying-Lan: unpolicital

Brazil: nope

Jerry: Here it is again. Check your log window. ftp://ftp.lambda.moo.mud.org/pub/MOO/papers/VillageVoice.txt

Brazil: which URL /??

Vance: ftp://ftp.lambda.moo.mud.org/pub/MOO/papers/VillageVoice.txt

Brazil: what is it about ?

Vance: Brazil, I'll put the log of our chat on the web page and you can read what you missed.

Jerry: It's about the whole question of virtual communities establishing rules/laws if you will.

Vance: That's interesting too.

Ying-Lan: ^It is not necessary to put ourselves in bad emotion..

Jerry: What do you mean, Ying?

Brazil: oh ok

Vance: There's a game where people go online to play against each other ...

Ying-Lan: ^Someone did it, I jsut turned down my computer.

Vance: and some people kill another's avatar ...

Ying-Lan: kill????

Ying-Lan: how to kill

Vance: So the OTHER players form vigilante groups and go after the killer

Brazil: goota go now

Brazil: bye

Jerry: Bye Brazil.

Vance: I learned about this at a conference

Ying-Lan: ^Jerry....

Ying-Lan: I am sorry

Jerry: Yes, Ying?

Vance: Bye Brazil, write something for your web page !

Jerry: Sorry...about what?

Ying-Lan: ^I can not express these sentences

Vance: YL, you CAN express yourself. You communicate very well.

Ying-Lan: ^I mean We can judge our emotion.

* Michael C * Vance - I'm gonna exit Palace and see if the pictures load.

Vance: k mc

Michael C: brb everyone!

Ying-Lan: ^I can decide I am happy or sad.

Ying-Lan: ^I choice someone will hurt me or not.

Jerry: In some ways, if you get a strong emotion, you'll remember something better, so it's good for learning.

Ying-Lan: ^In cyberspace, It is not a real dangerous. only emotion.

Ying-Lan: ^I can choice that in cyberspace.

Jerry: That's right...no physical harm is done...only psychological harm.

Ying-Lan: ^I forgot the bad thing.

Ying-Lan: ^I only remember the good friends and nice words.

Michael C: I have pictures!

Jerry: Michael has pictures!

Ying-Lan: ^That's great.

Michael C: It really is a dorm!

Vance: Yea!!

Jerry: Check out the bunk beds; they're just like my sons.

Ying-Lan: ^It is nice, isn

Jerry: Oops..son's.

Ying-Lan: ^Like we are in the University.

Vance: MC, do you have class tonight / morning?

Michael C: We could have an EFI camp here!

Jerry: It must be very late in australia.

Ying-Lan: ^Vance, I forgot to tell you ....Mike

Vance: Oh, I want to know for my web page ...

Michael C: Well Vance this kinda ia my class! It's 11.30 pm in Australia.

Ying-Lan: ^Michael's class is the same time with you.

Vance: what time is it where you are?

Vance: 11:30 in OZ ...

Vance: 11:30? It's 5 pm here.

Jerry: 11:30 pm Sunday?

Michael C: In Adelaide. 12 midnight in Melbourne/Sydney.

Jerry: Time is such a bizarre concept!

Michael C: Our class is the same time??!!

Ying-Lan: ^It is 9:05 p.m.

Vance: So you're half an hour out?

Michael C: We're 30 min behind Sydney...

Vance: That's 9:05 in Taipei?

Ying-Lan: Yes

Vance: Jerry, time please?

Ying-Lan: ^On Sunday night.

Jerry: And its 8:05 in West Virginia...am that is.

Vance: thanks

Vance: Doesn't your class meet in about an hour M?

Ying-Lan: ^ I just watched the HBO..."Maxium Risk"

Ying-Lan: ^Action movies.

Jerry: Who's in it, Ying?

Michael C: Vance - I guess one of us should change our time. No - my class (such as it is) would finish 30 minutes from now!

Ying-Lan: ^Sorry, I can not reconginized these actor and actoress.

Jerry: That's all right.

Michael C: We seem to be scheduled at the same time.

Vance: Did you arrange to meet your students here?

Ying-Lan: ^I am happy to study with both Vance and Michaelc.

Vance: and Jerry, L

Jerry: Vance & Michael, do you guys have the same students?

Ying-Lan: yes

Ying-Lan: ^me

Jerry: An overlap maybe?

Ying-Lan: ^lol

Vance: YL is Vera's student, I think. But she publishes with me.

Michael C: Here as in the usual - EFI room - yes. It's a standing arrnagement for about 6 months now. But I've been wondering about changing times.

Jerry: I see.

Michael C: David originally asked me to set up at this time.

Vance: MC, you're down for 2:30 sunday GMT

Vance: at study.com/schedule.htm.

Ying-Lan: .

Michael C: I'll check what 2.30 pm GMY means here. (David nearly always has the times wrong!)

Michael C: brb...

Vance: He's got me down for 11:30 gmt and you for 2:30 p.m. GMT

Ying-Lan: ^Michael's begins later than Vance's before the day-time saving.

Jerry: That's an hour and a half from now then?

Vance: It doesn't matter really. We share students.

Vance: We try to help whoever shows up.

Ying-Lan: so

Vance: so ??

Ying-Lan: ^it is very nice to talk to you both.

Jerry: That's one difficulty with synchronous classes...the time zones.

Vance: Yes, do you have to run off?

Jerry: Are you logging off, Ying?

Michael C: My class should be 122.30 pm GMT if GMT = London time?

Ying-Lan: turn off

Michael C: I mean 12.30

Ying-Lan: ^I have no idea about the GMT

Jerry: I hope your students no the class time.

Jerry: Oops Know.

Vance: Right now it's 13:09 GMT

Michael C: That's what I thought.

Vance: On your computer YL, is there a date at the bottom right?

Ying-Lan: ^I am wrong?

Ying-Lan: ^It shows the time in Taiwan... P.M. 09:13

Michael C: I'm gonna go folks. Vance - I'll be in touch. I think I might change my time but I need to think about it.

Vance: Ok, if you double click on the date, you'll see a time zone tab

Jerry: Bye, Michael.

Michael C: Goodnight all. See you on the listservs Jerry!

Vance: no prob, MC. We'll work it out.

Jerry: Yeah, I can't keep away!

Ying-Lan: oh

Vance: OK MC, thanks for letting me attend your class.

Ying-Lan: Micahelc , you will go?

Ying-Lan: He is gone.

Vance: Do you see it YL, the time zone tab?

Ying-Lan: ^Yes

Vance: If you click it, you see times all over the world

Vance: Guys, I've got to go shortly.

Vance: Jerry, was this helpful for you?

Ying-Lan: I have to go now.

Jerry: Well, yes and no.

Ying-Lan: ^Jerry, nice to meet you.

Jerry: It's too bad more students didn't show up today.

Vance: OK, YL, nice that you could get by. Send me some writing and I'll help you by correcting it.

Ying-Lan: ^Do you have a good time.

Jerry: Nice to meet you too, Ying.

Ying-Lan: thans

Jerry: Good luck in your English studies.

Ying-Lan: Jerry, you will come here again?

Jerry: If I can find the time.

Vance: See you next Sunday.

Jerry: I'm pretty busy with my courses.

Ying-Lan: see you

Jerry: Bye.

Ying-Lan: oh

Vance: I was on tv

Ying-Lan: see you

Jerry: At least it wasn't a penquin!

Vance: ok

Jerry: Bye, Ying.

Ying-Lan: bye

Vance: Jerry, this is a typical class size.

Jerry: Really?

Vance: Sometimes it's only YL and I

Vance: Or one or two others.

Jerry: When I taught the Academic English, we never met synchronously.

Jerry: Just email and HTML documents.

Vance: Even that doesn't get much response, for free anyway.

Jerry: Partly because of the problem of finding a time that everyone could be there.

Vance: Personally, I prefer online teaching.

Vance: The way this works, I meet people online and find out who's available when I am.

Jerry: I know...when the students don't pay...it's easy to blow off.

Vance: YL, do you remember where we met? Was is at the Palace?

Jerry: You have to enjoy it, to put in the time for no pay.

Vance: Anyway, she wasn't "assigned" to my class. Bahia too. I met him in MAD or MC's class.

Jerry: Synchronous connections are great for practicing the social skills of L2 online.

Vance: I think I might have been "assigned" Gosia, or maybe we just met and I invited here along.

Vance: Really. It's a lot of fun, and compelling.

Jerry: But there are a lot of students listed on your web site.

Vance: Bahia says he's a "freak' for onlin teaching.

Jerry: Are they from previous classes?

Vance: And you can see the last time each has been in touch.

Vance: Some not even this month.

Jerry: Oh, I didn't pay much attention to that.

Vance: That's why I've been tracking it. You can see right away the degree of involvement in the class.

Vance: Some of these guys send email or icq messages.

Vance: But in general, they don't DO anything.

Vance: That makes it easy for me.

Vance: I just meet them. And, I set up each student's web page.

Jerry: I turned in my "Case Study" on your class...I took the liberty of "making up" information when I wasn't sure. Would you like a copy?

Vance: Sure, of course

Jerry: When I taught the Academic English course, I had about 22 students sign up. In the end only about 8-9 participated.

Vance: That's good. Did they have some reason for participating?

Vance: Part of their degree program

Jerry: No..it was an EFI course.

Vance: That's a high level of participation

Vance: about right, I'd say. What did you do to string them along

Jerry: Yes, I had a fairly high level of participation, but irregular.

Vance: I don't really care for email teaching. What I'd really like to do is meet on Active Worlds

Jerry: David set up a listserv, and I sent out assignments with HTML attachments.

Vance: But my machine can't handle it.

Jerry: You know, maybe its because of schMOOze being my first MOO...

Jerry: But I find the visual environment...especially a

Vance: yeah

Jerry: Active Worlds...BUSY

Jerry: Distracting!

Jerry: Almost overwhelming.

Vance: You need a place that isn't busy

Vance: My idea is to go to an empty place and start building. Get the students into building.

Jerry: I thing the students...especially younger ones...probably like the visual environment.

Jerry: oops think

Jerry: I'm lagging a bit...

Vance: Yeah. I've got to run. It's after work here.

Vance: It's getting dark. Family's waiting.

Jerry: I wonder if Visual vs auditory students would benefit more from visual vs text-based chat.

Jerry: Ok, thanks for letting me sit in.

Vance: I smell a thesis!

Jerry: Say hello to Bobby and Dusty!

Vance: Sure, my pleasure. You were an asset.

Vance: This is just for fun.

Jerry: ...Thesis...I just have to get through this dissertation!

Vance: Good luck. I've been making NO progress on mine.

Jerry: That's why I'm determined to get this done, even if it means living in poverty for yet another year!

Vance: Say hi to Colleen and Halley for me. I gotta run.

Jerry: I will....bye.

Vance: ok, bye

Jerry: See you.

Vance: k


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Last updated: November 8, 1998; Internal links verified November 8, 1998