Virtual Communities - Life in CyberSpace

Life in CyberSpace
Welcome to cyberspace! Your first visit to a virtual community may seem like a visit to a foreign world in more ways then one. As many online communities communicate mostly by text based communication in the form of chat or emails they have developed their own language and ways of showing emotions or "emoticons". Just as dialect can vary from real life community to community, so to can it in virtual communities. It is sometimes best to watch and listen for a bit before having your say.
NOTE: Permission was granted by the IDs used in the examples given. However actual conversations have been created as examples only and do not necessarily represent any actual exchanges between said mentioned parties.

Do You Speak Cyberish?
By Cyberish, I mean the language of the virtual community. Cyberish is not really a word, but it seems to fit the subject or better yet the language. That is also one of the fun things about an online community - nothing is really etched in stone and one can make up not only personalities but words and shorthand to suit the needs of the few or the many.

hearts_r4me: ANGUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
angus9_25: H44444444444444444444444
hearts_r4me: lol - so how goes it gf
angus9_25: ROFLMBO, you just missed a great joke. btw where have you been hiding.

The above is the typical conversation when someone enters one of the lounges I frequent. Here friends greet each other by yelling names. Since the yelling must be done in text the members have chosen to represent yelling ones name by using all caps and exaggerating one or more letters to show excitement. Also, as typing is a time consuming thing and difficult for others many words have been shortened to acronyms. I have listed some of the acronyms used above or others I have seen in the Glossary section of this essay. If in your travels to a virtual community you come across an acronym not listed there, you might want to check out NetLingo - Acronyms & Shorthand for a more complete list.
As I mentioned earlier, the dialect and such can vary from community to community. The above sample is the typical creating in Lobster Lagoon - Yahoo Hearts, whereas the sample below is typical of Hamster Pit - Yahoo Gin. Notice the difference? In the Pit greeting of ones friends is not done by yelling but by using curly brackets which signifies hugging as you greet a friend and *kotc* signifies a kiss on the cheek.

hearts_r4me: {{{{{{{{{{{{Girrrrrr Babe}}}}}}}}} *kotc*
girrafeh: {{{{{{{{{{{{Hearts}}}}}}}}}}} *kotc*

Emotions and Netiquette
Just as words are shortened for ease of typing, so to were symbols and expressions devised to assist in showing of emotions. Such symbols are referred to as "emoticons" - a cross between emotions and icons. I have listed some of the common ones in the Glossary section, you can check out NetLingo - Smileys and Emoticons for a more complete list. It is often easier to figure out what the series of symbols or characters represents by tilting your head.

girrafeh: ------/---@
hearts_r4me: ;) thx

In the above example the id has given a rose to a lady friend and she has thanked him with a wink and a smile.
The emoticons were created not only for ease but to assist friends in portraying feelings. It is difficult to tell with text alone if one is joking or serious so the adding of a happy face or whatever can help clarify the meaning. In real life the meaning of a comment if often relayed not just with the words but the complete body expression. Online one must rely on emoticons to help express the meanings. This often leads to misunderstandings so before you jump to the wrong conclusion of what another member means, it may be wise to confirm what you think.
In cyberland all caps is used to represent the emotion or excitement of yelling. It should be used sparingly as many find it annoying. It is not considered good netiquette to type in ALL CAPS in a chat room/lounge or for that matter in e-mail. Yelling constantly (using all caps) is considered rude and will get you quickly ignored by some. Actually many never use any caps at all and even words like "i" or beginning of sentences are left uncapped.
Much of netiquette is unspoken and learned as you go along. Just like dialect, this can vary from community to community. For example discussing sex in some social lounges is acceptable but you will quickly be banished if you get to vulgar in a lounge where young teens or children are known to visit.
Netiquette also refers to the common courtesy of greeting and saying goodbye to friends, acquaintances and others in the lounge, thanking people and the general manners of real life. If you would like to see more on netiquette you may want to read Yahoo Netiquette Tips.

The "Iggy" Feature
I cannot say for sure what service other lounges and communities provide for ignoring rude or otherwise unwanted IDs, I can only speak to the feature provided by Yahoo, but I do understand other sites provide a similar option.
As in real life, so too in virtual communities there are reasons to ignore an id. It could be for yelling, rudeness - such as swearing, picking on a friend, discussing sex too openly in group chats, or scrolling. Scrolling is when an Id repeats his or her comments so often as to cause the conversation to scroll rapidly off the screen and not allow others to speak or read the conversation.
Thankfully, Yahoo has provided a feature for ignoring such Ids. To do so you locate the offending name in the list of online Ids and double-click on the Id so that a new window pops up on your desktop. Simply click the ignore option and close the first profile window. From that point on you will not see any of the conversation that the offender types. However, those who have not ignored him or her will still see the conversation and may discuss topics you still do not wish to see. There is a limit to how many you can ignore in Yahoo and sometimes it is wiser to learn to tune out the offending Ids much the same way you would in real life. Sometimes easier said than done....lol.

Advantages and Disadvantages
So just why or why not join a virtual community? Perhaps that is best answered by reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of virtual communities and CMC.

Advantages Disadvantages

Anonymity - "no one knows you're a dog".
Such anonymity supposedly reduces prejudices. Anonymity - can also be a disadvantage as makes it easier for the "bad guy" such as pedophiles, perverts and inmates to hide behind the identity of a "nice guy".

Allows for many-to-many communications such as video conferencing or just friends getting together. Has been known to induce addictive nature in some, similar to that of phone chat.

Is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Such availability can create conflicts with real world commitments if not managed properly. Family and friends may complain that you no longer have time for them.

Provides you with the ability to remain in touch with family and friends that move away or are even just away on a "road trip". Because there is no body language to assist in communicating the text is sometimes misunderstood especially by loved ones.

Lower phone bills for keeping in touch with those who live far away. Being online can have hidden costs. Excessive hours can mean high bills unless your ISP provides unlimited hours for a reasonable cost.

Ability to widen your circle of friends to a global level. Expose you to undesirable characters that you may not or probably should not associate with.

Someone to keep you company when no one else is around. Health problems - lack of sleep, backaches, arm and shoulder problems from mousing and/or keyboarding. Also has a mood altering potential.

The advantages and disadvantages are not limited to those listed above. Also it should be noted that without network connectivity or electricity virtual communities would cease to exist. However, I suspect that if we lost electricity on a permanent basis the loss of virtual communities would be the least of our worries.
Next Section: Tales, Wales and Woes

Advantages	Disadvantages
Anonymity - *"no one knows you're a dog"*. Such anonymity supposedly reduces prejudices.	Anonymity - can also be a disadvantage as makes it easier for the "bad guy" such as pedophiles, perverts and inmates to hide behind the identity of a "nice guy".
Allows for many-to-many communications such as video conferencing or just friends getting together.	Has been known to induce addictive nature in some, similar to that of phone chat.
Is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.	Such availability can create conflicts with real world commitments if not managed properly. Family and friends may complain that you no longer have time for them.
Provides you with the ability to remain in touch with family and friends that move away or are even just away on a "road trip".	Because there is no body language to assist in communicating the text is sometimes misunderstood especially by loved ones.
Lower phone bills for keeping in touch with those who live far away.	Being online can have hidden costs. Excessive hours can mean high bills unless your ISP provides unlimited hours for a reasonable cost.
Ability to widen your circle of friends to a global level.	Expose you to undesirable characters that you may not or probably should not associate with.
Someone to keep you company when no one else is around.	Health problems - lack of sleep, backaches, arm and shoulder problems from mousing and/or keyboarding. Also has a mood altering potential.