what is online (text) chatting?

On the Internet, chatting is talking to other people who are using the Internet at the same time you are. The technology developed in 1960's.. but picked up in the 1990's. Now, could this be looked as one specific type of communication?

Basically, verbal/oral & non-verbal (written, sign language, kinesthetic/braille), would be 2 types, communication is segrated into. There are formal, non-formal, etc... also, one-to-one, group etc. Are some other types. But, as a modern phenomena, if we take out, just the 'internet chat' as one type of communication, how will it be analyzed?

Here, i am defining, this 'chat' as, “2 people, typing on keyboards, rapidly, with each other.. reading & typing text”... i am not including video chat, and skype chat etc.. only the text chat. (keeping it very specific, for analytical purposes).

The keyboard is supposed to be, a computer keyboard, big in size. Of course, some people may be able to chat rapidly, on smart phones as well, and whatsapp has 600 million consumers. But, i am trying to keep, a big keyboard in, to indicate, a chat, which goes on for some considerable time... where both people are pretty fast at typing. (which means, just saying couple of greeting &/ few lines of information is excluded as well).

Because, the purpose is, to figure out, what are the advantages of such a rapid text chat, where multiple concepts are discussed, with some element of debate included. Its like intensely discussing an idea or ideas, with multiple insights given and taken. An idea storm or thought storm (a friend recently told me, 'brain storming' is inappropriate term, as its a condition which happens to epileptic patients).

How many of us, have had this experience? Very intense chat sessions, based only on text? (its very important to distinguish, this aspect, as, when you are chatting this way, lots of other cues are missing... visual, voice (tone), etc. This lack of other aspects /shades of communication can be harmful, but it also can help to keep the focus, solely on sharing ideas, concepts, in a rapid way. (of course, both persons should be able to read, type, understand English (or a common typable language), and grasp quickly and respond.

I have had great chat sessions.. upto an hour or more.. where multiple hypothesis, exploration, information exchange etc. Happened very quickly. (of course, i have had massive misunderstandings, and fights as well, but fortunately much less than the positive chats).

And, at times, i feel, its like a computer game (video game). Some of the things, which you are going to say, (going to do) would be familiar to you.. but what makes it all interesting is, you dont know how the other person will react. Even if its an old friend, changes might have happened in them, new viewpoints, beliefs, faith might have taken place... and unexpected debates can happen.. or a question about a small detail, which one of us would have overlooked is taken up, to transform both the concept and ourselves happen. (and sometimes, those chats become boring and very typical, and drag on till one of us becomes busy with something else).

And these chat sessions, the emotions they whip up... the way your relationship with the other person changes... just through reading text, the other person has written. (of course, its always good, when both have similar level of communication, and vocabulary etc. And most importantly, energy levels should be same.. along with free time to be able to chat uninterrupted).

And, i often prefer, this limited, text only medium as a communication... of course, sometimes, i find it easier to discuss sensitive topics, without inhibition... (it can lead to a conflict at times, but, with 2 right people, without much insecurity issues, it can reduce lots of other distractions and become very efficient way of communication). So, now, i've added on the title, (text)... to be specific.

I guess, everyone will have their own preferred ways of communication... and this is one of mine. But, its not easy to find a partner to text chat uninhibitedly.. so i resort to this.. blogging ;)

wish i could blog, some of my best chats... but, i am too lazy to save them... and too excited to think of using it for blog. So, no worries ;)