The language of chatgroups 145
message;^28 20% of all messages were just 1 or 2 lines. The aver-
age number of paragraphs per message was 1.45; 70% were just a
single paragraph; the maximum number of paragraphs was 5, and
that happened in only 5 messages. Notwithstanding the gaps in
real time which separate the messages, the dialogue positively races
along, with succinct, punchy contributions. In classroom confer-
ences, the length is naturally greater, as students are making their
points in front of their teacher and peers, and the class teacher of-
ten responds at length. Even so, in a sample of 50 messages from a
group discussion of a novel in a US college, available on the Web,
the average message length was only 8.1 lines, and half of the con-
tributions were 6 lines or less. One student who wrote an emotional
response of 30 lines (the longest contribution in the sample) ended
his posting with an apology for its length.^29
Short responses are one of the features which give a chatgroup
interaction a dynamic, conversational feel. However, the fact that
theytendtobefairlyconsistentinlengthisactuallyadifferencefrom
face-to-face conversation, which is by no means so balanced in its
turn-taking.^30 Everydayconversationisaperpetualcompetitionfor
‘who gets the floor’, which becomes greater as more people become
involved. Depending on the interest of a topic, the personality of a
speaker, and other such factors, so the turn-taking in a conversation
takes on a wholly asymmetrical and unpredictable character. A
short comment from A might elicit a lengthy narrative from B;
or a question from B directed at A might be interrupted by C.
In a common scenario, several people overlap in their speech or
talk at once. These factors simply do not arise in asynchronous
chatgroups, where interruptions and overlaps are impossible, and
nobody can grant anyone else the floor.^31
(^28) A line was full-screen width, in this count.
(^29) InDavisandBrewer’s(1997)conference,lackoffamiliaritywiththetechnologypromoted
shortness of message length. The initial space available on the bottom half of the students’
screens was limited to some 5–7 lines – the top half showed the message being replied
to – and most users stuck to that, until they gained in confidence and began to use the
30 downward scrolling feature.
31 See Crystal and Davy (1969: ch. 4; 1976).
A degree of floor-granting takes place in those synchronous chatgroups where a moder-
ator intervenes and organizes a queue of speakers. See p. 184.