Separation of Ha and Ha
From The Extended Group
The Separation of Ha and Ha was an unwritten, socially enforced online etiquette policy that took effect in the Summer of 2003, but did not finish its administration until recent times.
Institution
Lukas and Jamie, who, having been friends for several years, were in frequent contact with one another on AOL Instant Messenger. Whenever the two would experience humorous dialogue in a conversation, they adhered to an unorthodox "ha ha" policy, or "separated laughs". Although exact reasons for them using this method are unknown, some theorists point to the fact that they had "grown up" using such terms while in their early stages of AIM use, so their dual adoption of this policy would always be present to reinforce its use and a perception of it being normal. By the end of 2003, Lukas had completely phased out separating his laughs, while Jamie held on for a slightly longer period of time. Unsubstantiated reports claim that Jamie had separated ha's as recently as 2005, but physical documentation of the Pre-Separation period altogether is fairly difficult to come across.
Examples
These are some examples from actual saved IM conversations:
- Mercury Mazer: I need someone to get a class for me
Kza4: yeah really Kza4: haha Mercury Mazer: ha ha
- Heidi Lucas Fan: remember how you accuse me of obsession with the middle east?
elporko8: yes Heidi Lucas Fan: you jerk! elporko8: ha ha ha, hey, you know its true
