This discussion took place Sept 6, 1999 at a weekly online discussion presented by Trace Online at LinguaMOO.

Cybele says, "I wanted to start out here because most of the collabs I have done in the past are email & I see collaborations of multiple people in a moo as being decidedly different"

curiousweaver says, "email is not so engaging"

Helen says, "I have done both. You are right about intensity/duration. You can get a lot done in a MOO: there can be a time in an email collaboration when an hour in a MOO can move the project along by giant leaps"

Saada says, "but moo is more emotion without thought"

Cybele says, "the email collabs I did, I would write something one day & then wait a whole day before I got it back."

Helen says, "So it is better suited to certain types of project or phases of a project?"

Cybele says, "saada, can you explain yr thot more, I dont understand. why emotion without thot?"

Saada says, "In a moo you tend to type your first reaction. In e-mai you have time to think and be tactful"

Cybele says, "ah yes, a very good point....perhaps spontanaeity would be another way to think of it."

curiousweaver says, "perhaps email is more considered and could be used to support collaboration after MOO"

Helen says, "In email you can write and have people edit: in a MOO you can brainstorm ideas: role-play characters, try out text manipulations"

Helen nods at curiousweaver.

MazThing [to Cybele]: "I think your presentation shows that you can also bring thought and preparation to the MOO as well"

entropio says, "MOO for text generation, email for editing?"

Helen nods at entropio.

entropio says, "Cybele, could you please talk more about impingement"

Helen says, "Or MOO for development"

Cybele says, "I think both are necessary & fine, but the more we define the differences the more we will get out of both processes."

curiousweaver says, "the differences are defined by time"

Cybele says, "impingement was Elizabeth Jame's thot, I think what she meant by it woas that you are right there with someone in time...email is distanced."

Saada says, "Can you create at the same time as you are speaking or do you have to bring creations in readymade?"

Cybele says, "that would be hard saada, simply because you cant do 2 things at once."

Helen says, "Last week I created a bot right in the middle of the dicussion - but it was only a start. Let's say a start at creation can be made?"

Cybele says, "but you & I can co create & discuss it back & forth, but you have to move between editing windown & the log window."

Cybele says, "maz & I have been working on Mrs Burden (a robot) a bit, & weve used email & moo so far to talk about our ideas."

Helen says, "Does it depend on your knowledge of MOOing and programming?"

MazThing says, "I think earlier points about speed are definitely true - decisions get made faster in the MOO"

entropio says, "It sounds like impingement could be a way of reading, allowing contributions etc to affect. (Allowing others' typing to have an influence)"

Helen says, "Particularly if there are multiple collaborators - it can take ages to get a consensus by email"

Cybele says, "I have done several writings where we wrote the piece & edited it right then & there. it was great."

Cybele says, "good point entropio, the sphere of influence."

entropio says, "I only meant that part of the collaboration is agreeing on attitudes towards it"

MazThing [to entropio]: "I guess impingement is a good word....if you don't agree approaches - a contribution IS an impingement"

Cybele says, "I think one thing that is important to remember is that this is all new, that we cant even imagine all the things that can be done, because we are breaking new ground as we speak."

Helen claps.

Cybele says, "right maz"

MazThing says, "So it's about taking risks"

entropio [to MazThing]: "I wasn't taking impingement as a negative, more that it's important to let others' contributions affect you, affect your approach, language etc"

curiousweaver says, "I agree we are simulating "

MazThing says, "No, I'm sure it wasn't meant in a negative sense - but we need to avoid it becoming that"

Cybele says, "that is my main reason for collaborating entropio, so that I can get outside of myself."

Cybele says, "it tends to provoke a lot of discovery about what is creatively possible"

entropio says, "and it becomes performative. I like that feeling"

Helen says, "I have never learned as much in a writing workshop as I did in one hour in a MOO with Aussies and Yankees participating. It was really eye opening to discuss different responses to words"