Practicum #4-Wanland

Today on Senior Chatters I entered the site's chat room for the first time.  There were approximately 10 other members in the chat room as well and as soon as I entered, the members immediately welcomed me even if they were in mid-conversation.  Although the members were extremely welcoming and friendly, I found the chat room to be a little chaotic because there are multiple conversations taking place between members.  For example, when I entered the room there were a couple of members discussing the process of getting divorced, while there were two other members discussing what they had planned for the rest of the day.

Below is an example of the chat room to give you an idea of the multiple conversations taking place, while you can also see how members will stop mid-conversation to welcome anyone that enters.

patricia says: awanland where you from
 johnnybravo says: hi dede
 patricia says: hello dede
 mez1650 says: well its been chuckin it darn john.but ive been at cleggy and it was gorgeous there
 dede1946 says: hi everyone ....
 awanland says: Madison, Wisconsin...where are you from?
 Laine says: GOTH WEEK Johnny... in 2 weeks
 mez1650 says: no ed..i was with r laura

daisie says: uk here awan, welcome!

While in the chat room, one of the first questions I asked the members in the chat room was how long they have been using the site. This was a question I was curious to know the answer to because after observing the conversations taking place before asking the question, it seemed as if some of these members have known each other for years...especially if a couple of the members were discussing why their marriages failed, when their divorce will be finalized, etc.  Of the two members that responded to my question, one said she had been on the site for nine days, while the other said he had been using the site for a long time (pretty vague answer).

I have learned that this chat room is exciting for members and is used for a variety of purposes.  This chat room allows users to meet different people who share common interests, while it is also a place for users to discuss issues in their life with people who can relate to them.