Overhear is a proposal for a new type of Internet socialization. This is my thinking about how to do it using the existing context of instant messaging (IM).
At its heart, IM is person to person. Almost all IM systems have some form of group chat. But, they’re anemic additions because there are no established cues for their use.
In real life, conversations are initiated—someone just starts talking! And any growth beyond two people takes on a life of its own. There are a couple ways: invitation, or presumption. Most IM programs offer an invitation action; but, none offer a presumption action.
Think about how it works now. Your buddy list is all your contacts and their availability status. The status is the potential for responding to you. By selecting a buddy, you are starting a new and private conversation. Few, if any, programs provide an easy way to invite a buddy to an already existing conversation.
Joining by presumption means knowing about active conversations. So, I propose a new type of availability status: party-ness. This announces the buddies with whom you’re currently chatting.
Of course, a privacy issue arises here. Few want any member of their buddy list to know with whom they’re conversing. Preferably, a buddy would only be able to recognize a “party” if they knew the participants. My rough thinking is of broadcasting a bloom filter filled from the names of your active chat partners.
With this new information, a buddy list can include the current conversations between your friends. When you select one, the participants are asked if you may join in. Accept or reject, drama will ensue. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
