One for the ego...

During the presentation, the small little example of "Eliza" and the quite limited interactions we could develop with her made me think about how I am so glad that the chats I have are with fellow human beings. Also, as I was walking home, I was thinking about chat sessions and if it's possible to find some merit in it as a literary form. Based on my own personal experiences, I know this sounds kind of like an ego-trip, but I admit that I have saved past chat sessions which I believe deserved to be recorded and stored. Whether I was able to reach some type of higher thought with the person I chatted with, or whether we were able to develop a witty conversation that could even have a narrative structure, I thought it was imperative that I did save these enlightening chat sessions. As I was walking back to my room I thought of it might be of real interest to examine chat sessions in the light of the discussion we have been having in class regarding authroship. Can a chat session be looked at as a literary form that deserves a place in this debate of authorship? What does the ability to save a chat session influence its authenticity as a literary document?

One thing I like to note is the film form of documentary which in its essence documents real life as it unfolds (without scripts, actors). And it is considered a highly respected form of film. Do then chat sessions mirror that of documentary in the film world? Maybe I just want to place more significance on the times I've spent chatting, but just thought this was an interesting (and at times very creative) medium of communication that we haven't really talked about in class yet. I am interested to hear your thoughts.