MISCOMMOONICATION
There are four major causes for miscommunication
within MOO:
TECHNICAL
PROBLEMS
Technical problems may be related to factors
internal or external to the MOO.
Internal factors: MOO Functionality
Players are often unaware of the functionality
provided by different areas of a MOO. This can cause severe communication
problems. For example, if a player is unaware that s/he is in an
area of the MOO which is set up so that groups can work together privately
in the same room without interruption from others - classrooms and meeting
rooms exemplify this type of object - s/he may become offended by being
'ignored' by her/his colleagues. In fact, in such areas, players
must be in the same part of a room in order to communicate with each other
(a special command is needed in order to communicate with others in different
parts of the room). Such types of miscommunication can, however,
be overcome quite simply:
-
ensure that all players involved in
a conversation are aware of the type of virtual room they are currently
in, even if this means that the owner has to state it overtly. While
this might seem to be patronizing, it avoids later misunderstandings.
-
pay attention to what others are telling
you about the room - there may be a clue in there somewhere
-
check your surroundings if nobody seems
to be paying attention to you!
-
keep a 'crib sheet' about types of
room in MOO to hand for troubleshooting
External factors: Lag
Lag, that is, the period of time between
entering text via the keyboard and the appearance of this text on screen,
can cause real frustration for all involved, but, even here, there are
strategies which can be adopted to improve the situation:
If you are lagging:
-
attempt to inform the other participants
of your predicament - they may be able to see what you're typing, even
if you can't.
-
try to reconnect - this sometimes helps
-
reconnect as a guest character - again,
this sometimes works.
If you suspect another player
is lagging:
-
remember that lag cannot be avoided.
-
be patient! Wait for several
minutes before leaving the area you were in when your interlocutor stopped
communicating with you.
-
do not be abusive - it is not the lagging
player's fault!
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LINGUISTIC
AND CULTURAL MISCOMMUNICATIONS
Players may be unaware of different linguistic
or cultural aspects intervening in their exchanges.
-
be direct. While you would probably
not deal with a similar situation in real life in this way, text-based
communication requires a different approach to communication with others
from what might be considered acceptable outside the MOO.
-
be bold. The most effective way
to deal with this type of problem is to ask the player who has caused offence
if it was intentional and to explain the effect it had.
-
be aware. The medium can cause
misunderstanding because of the lack of para- and extralinguistic features.
Phrase what you say more carefully than might be the case in a face
to face exchange.
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AMBIGUITY
The ambiguity of multiply-threaded conversations,
sometimes caused by technical problems such as lag, can be overcome.
-
be ready to question what others meant
or were referring to.
-
be prepared to reiterate what you have
said
-
be patient if asked to repeat or clarify
something.
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REAL LIFE
INTERRUPTIONS
Sometimes, real life interrupts the virtual.
This can lead to long, unexplained pauses in communication - called
idling
- by players. Again, communication breakdown here can be avoided
by following a few simple rules:
If you are called away from
the MOO or have to idle there:
-
remember to tell other participants
that you will be idling from now on
-
remember to announce your return to
the MOO
-
use shortcuts - some MOOs allow you
to use a few simple keystrokes to tell others what's happening even if
you don't have time to type, for example 'I have to answer the phone and
it's on the other side of the room'
-
be prepared for others to be away from
their keyboards too...
if you are multi-tasking
or working in another window:
-
tell those you are talking to that you may
not respond as rapidly as they might expect, and explain why!
Many of the communication strategies applicable
to email and newsgroups are equally appropriate for realtime, text-based
discussions.
The greatest advantage of MOOs, and other
realtime discussion applications, is that, unlike asynchronous media, they
permit misunderstandings to be clarified at once, rather than allowing
them to fester until the damage is irreparable.
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Last updated
30th January 1999
Authors: Lesley
Shield and Markus J.Weininger
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