Real

• What makes cyberspace interesting? by John Suler, 6/26/97
  • Real by Me, 7/6/97
    
    

I don't think the 10% rule really apples to cyberspace. That concept was determined offline. Although, at the surface, it would appear that it would naturally apply to cyberspace, in fact, it does not. First, written (only) communications in cyber space have a new dimension in the form of emotocons. Emotocons provide a great deal of inflection normally determined by visual observation. Additionally, cyber space is not limited to written communications. The chat program Palace, for instance, (as John has written extensively about) is a graphical chat environment complete with avatars. This environment offers many other visual components to communications. For instance, the type of avatar chosen, the physical proximity between users, there is even a noticeable body language. Granted, cyberspace, as we know it now, does not provide as much of what face to face communications provides, however, there is certainly more the 10% communications being exchanged.

• re:Real by John Suler, 7/10/97