Module 2 - Tasks

Chat Task


I chose the ICQ task. It was the first time I had used this form of communication. I had no real problem downloading and using the program. My only concern was what security implications the use of this may have on my computer.

After logging in at the agreed time I was surprised how easy it was to use. The students I had arranged to chat with were there and recognised me straight away. I had a little trouble keeping up with the conversation. I found that by the time I was ready to post a comment the conversation had sometimes shifted to another subject. My fingers were getting tired and I found myself thinking, "It would have been easier to telephone my fellow students."

One of the concepts listed for this task states that this form of communication, "enables a form of 'authoring of the self' that is similar to the process of face to face speech but which is much more amenable to authorial control, experimentation and reflection". (Allen, n.d.) I understand that this would make someone more accountable to what they say and allow them to easily reflect on the conversation (I was able to scroll through the conversation to see what had previously been said), however I found that my occasional inability to keep up resulted in my answers to some questions lacking further details I would have otherwise included.

After the discussion had ended and I was able to reflect on the task and I was surprised to think that I actually enjoyed some aspects of it. I liked the symbols and animations the program provided to show emotions. They added a light hearted character to our discussion. The students I had the discussion with were really helpful when I was having problems and gave me some handy tips.



Allen, M(n.d.). Net 11 The Internet - Communications, Internet Communications Module 2 Communicating in the infosphere, Retrieved April 8, 2009 from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/portal

ICQ (n.d.). Retrieved April 7th, 2009, from http://www.icq.com/

Group Task

I would consider chat would be most useful for casual conversation, especially for those people who do not have friends who live nearby and would like to chat to people they have not met before. It would also be useful for discussions where people were attempting to find a solution to a problem. The ability to scroll through the discussion allows users to access parts of the conversation that become relevant again further on in the discussion. An immediate answer to a question (as provided by ICQ) would enable solutions be found much quicker than in more asynchronous forms of communication.

My fellow students taking part in this chat seemed very comfortable with the use of this form of communication. I found the need to keep up with the conversation a little pressurising (as stated in the previous task). I personally prefer blackboard chat, mainly because that is the form that I am familiar with.

I imagine that my reluctance to embrace ICQ is partly due to my generations lack of familiarity with technology. It appears as though children are now exposed to technology to such a degree that they can not consider life without it. I believe the more a person is exposed to something the more comfortable they will feel about it's use.

Curtin University of Technology (n.d.). Net 11 The Internet - Communications, Study Area, Module 2 Communicating in the infosphere, Retrieved April 8, 2009, from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/

ICQ (n.d.), Retrieved April 7, 2009, from http://www.icq.com/