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In this essay I would like to describe the CHAT-SL (Student List). I am going to focus only on the program itself, what it is about, what its (dis)advantages are.

The CHAT-SL is part of a apecial international program, of Pegasus Mail, which enables people to correspond via computer networks. In other words it is electronic mail. You type, send, receive messages on computer. It is not time or money consuming (do not need to buy envelopes, stamps and go to post offices when sending a letter). It takes maximum three days to receive the sent message. (It is safe until computer pirates manipulate the program). Briefly saying it is economical.

Subscription to the list is easier than anyone thinks. Having a USERNAME (for instance
bbali@btk.jpte.hu; usually the abreviation of the user's name and location/place of study) you send messages to Chat-sl@latrobe.edu.au.

The "chat" notion refers to the list's character.All walks of life having subscribed to this
list can make connection, can chat/compute on every issue he/she is interested in. There are some lists arranged for certain areas, specific ones like sport, music, movie or theatre (of
course there are more topics, but I do not intend to list them).

Most people subscribe to these lists with the aim of collecting more information about their interest fields. Chat has no distinctive area, it covers up all "fond-ofs". The people who are on CHAT are usually computer fans coming mainly from itellectual sphere, mostly students or lecturers / professors. Since the CHAT is international people subscribed are from nations of all kind (Turkish, Brazilian, Canadian or whatever).

The relationship between the subscribers is virtual. This type of connection excludes non-verbal features the users, strike up acquaintances with each other by computers, therefore communication is impersonal. Individuals - actual receivers - can form their picture on the sender - if they have not met before - only on the basis of the written contexts.

The contexts are introduction-like first. They are brief in length containing the sender's most important data: name, nationality, locality, profession, main interest.

Their language (skills) vary since the subscribed have different nationality, but 90% employs English well. Their vocabulary indicates the user's level in English as an acquaired second language. The letter's grammar is usually primitive, reduced to simple tenses. This shows that the used styles are, so to say, free as in spoken language. It might reflect one of the goals of the project - to deepen personal relationships despite distance.

Following the introductions people tend to get closer to each other, they tell personal events or start a game (as a Hungarian student, whose username is "Artemis" has started the
"BEACH' game in the 1993/94 spring semester). Some even reply to the actual sender and does not send his message to all subscribed. In this case you need to use REPLY function,
therefore the username remains the same.

These repliedletters are more colourful from the point of relationships, haveemotional content.
As an assumption I say that Chat-Student List is useful beside those preffering communication in "natural" sense (when dialogue is in situation and we talk about
"speaker" and "listener" instead of sender and receiver) will not be able to appreciate any form of "artificial" relationship. I myself rather prefer the conversation in the
natural sense.

I accept the fact that computer is a friend of man- if I am allowed to use the term "friend" for a mechanical machine- helping his everyday job making it more convenient. Those who do not share this point of view the only argument they have is "man was created to think not to let others do it".

I do not know which side to follow. When someone says that computer is the best thing man ever created, I am convinced. When someone agitates against it I also become the advocator of destroying them.

My viewpoint is the mixture of the two sides. We need them, but we must not forget we handle them and it can never be vice versa.