3 ms·

Chat has not been around since the 90s, not in the form that is used today.

wwweston 4y ago
Now that I think about it, this is correct on at least one front: I can recall chat systems that existed in the 80s. What's the feature of today's chat systems makes them qualitatively different from those that are 30+ years old?
- jeremyjh 4y ago
  emojis?
- pjlegato 4y ago
  Today's chat systems are far more accessible to people with minimal to no technical background. Install an app on your phone and you're good to go. Almost anyone can and does use them. The level of technical knowledge required to connect to IRC or a BBS in the 80s was far higher, which meant that only a tiny fraction of people bothered.
  - presentation 4y ago
    Also everyone has smartphones that they bring around literally everywhere they go all the time, no dynamic of signing out.
  - louky 4y ago
    on my university mainframe in the 1980s it was as simple as logging in and typing 'forum'. had most of the basic features of IRC.
    - saberdancer 4y ago
      The point is that today you are always online on your phone. Whatsapp, Viber or Messenger always work. No need to log onto a mainframe and type forum. I feel that the point made is a good one. Given that we can share what we want directly via instant messengers that everyone has "turned on" all the time, value proposition of Facebook drops dramatically. Anything you want to share you can share directly and immediately get it to whoever you want to see it.
  - jrumbut 4y ago
    Part of that is increased accessibility, but I think the larger part is increased technical background. If I kidnapped a computer scientist from the 1960s and locked them in a room with a smartphone (turned off), it might be a while before they posted their first meme. Now almost everyone accepts that they need to learn how to use a smartphone, while the in 80s/90s it was very possible to live life without touching a computer or mobile phone. In any event, the fact that chat programs are different or more common now doesn't mean they didn't exist in the 80s and 90s. IRC is and was chat as much as Slack or Discord are.
  - Eupraxias 4y ago
    Chat definitely existed in the 80's. One of my first childhood memories was my brother showing me a real-time chat with someone in Germany. It was 1982. The letters appeared one... by... one... on the screen. It was probably a subconscious part of why I went on to study German later.
- themanmaran 4y ago
  The ability to fit them comfortably into a pocket.
Falkon1313 4y ago
It didn't have emojis or videos back then, but otherwise it hasn't changed much.
- tekknik 4y ago
  No, we had ascii art and point to point file sharing (DCC).

Now that I think about it, this is correct on at least one front: I can recall chat systems that existed in the 80s. What's the feature of today's chat systems makes them qualitatively different from those that are 30+ years old?

jeremyjh 4y ago
emojis?
pjlegato 4y ago
Today's chat systems are far more accessible to people with minimal to no technical background. Install an app on your phone and you're good to go. Almost anyone can and does use them. The level of technical knowledge required to connect to IRC or a BBS in the 80s was far higher, which meant that only a tiny fraction of people bothered.
- presentation 4y ago
  Also everyone has smartphones that they bring around literally everywhere they go all the time, no dynamic of signing out.
- louky 4y ago
  on my university mainframe in the 1980s it was as simple as logging in and typing 'forum'. had most of the basic features of IRC.
  - saberdancer 4y ago
    The point is that today you are always online on your phone. Whatsapp, Viber or Messenger always work. No need to log onto a mainframe and type forum. I feel that the point made is a good one. Given that we can share what we want directly via instant messengers that everyone has "turned on" all the time, value proposition of Facebook drops dramatically. Anything you want to share you can share directly and immediately get it to whoever you want to see it.
- jrumbut 4y ago
  Part of that is increased accessibility, but I think the larger part is increased technical background. If I kidnapped a computer scientist from the 1960s and locked them in a room with a smartphone (turned off), it might be a while before they posted their first meme. Now almost everyone accepts that they need to learn how to use a smartphone, while the in 80s/90s it was very possible to live life without touching a computer or mobile phone. In any event, the fact that chat programs are different or more common now doesn't mean they didn't exist in the 80s and 90s. IRC is and was chat as much as Slack or Discord are.
- Eupraxias 4y ago
  Chat definitely existed in the 80's. One of my first childhood memories was my brother showing me a real-time chat with someone in Germany. It was 1982. The letters appeared one... by... one... on the screen. It was probably a subconscious part of why I went on to study German later.
themanmaran 4y ago
The ability to fit them comfortably into a pocket.

Falkon1313 4y ago

It didn't have emojis or videos back then, but otherwise it hasn't changed much.

tekknik 4y ago
No, we had ascii art and point to point file sharing (DCC).