Thing 6: Chat

JTCC has been using LRC Live, and we are accusomed to talking to students in chat. I earned my MLIS through distance education, and weekly 2 hour chats were built into every class. Like all communication, chat has good and bad elements:

• Confusion. Like many online interactions, the visual social cues are missing.Without seeing someone, what are they really saying? Easy to misconstrue meanings.
• Typing. With chat you need to type fast (or know good abbreviations.)
• Interruptions. Sometimes I am working and do not want to chat--it breaks my concentration. Or I need to get something done and do not want to socialize.
• Frustration. Computer not fast enough for chat sometimes

What's next...with the mobile web? Are we going to make a switch to texting? I find texting very handy, often more convenient than a phone call. It is less of an interruption, and can be faster (heres the address) or slower (too many details.) Right tool for the right job!