6- AIM convo

A standard or social norm for the online world is saying goodbye to the people you are talking to before you exit off AIM. This is something that most everyone knows and respects. It is something that does not need to be taught, but is the polite and social thing to do. This action lies parallel to the real world. People do not just walk away without saying goodbye or at least saying something to indicate that the conversation is ending. There is always the exception to this rule if two people are in a fight and one walks away angrily without saying goodbye, but usually there is at least a “FINE, bye” or “I’m leaving” which is said. The same is true for AIM. Unless there is a bad fight or a technical problem with the internet and people get kicked off, there is usually some sort of conclusion to the conversation.
In Patricia Wallace’s book The Psychology of the Internet, “Thomas Hobbes proposed the concept of the Leviathan, defined as ‘that mortal god, to which we owe under the immortal God’ out peace and defense’.” (p.69) The Leviathan enforces the norm in a different way on AIM than it does for bulletin boards and other types of chat rooms or gaming sights. There is no overlying power, or supervisor, on AIM. There is however, a system which enables the people involved in the conversation to be their own Leviathan. This includes “warning” the person they are talking with, and for the extreme measures, “blocking” them and allowing no more conversation to take place. These are ways for people to be their own enforcers and police the area they are in.