Conversation

Conversation is a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between two or more people. Typically it occurs in spoken communication, as written exchanges are usually not referred to as conversations. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus of language teaching and learning.

Conversation analysis is a branch of sociology which studies the structure and organization of human interaction, with a more specific focus on conversational interaction.

Definition and characterization

No generally accepted definition of conversation exists, beyond the fact that a conversation involves at least two people talking together. Consequently, the term is often defined by what it is not. A ritualized exchange such a mutual greeting is not a conversation, and an interaction that includes a marked status differential (such as a boss giving orders) is also not a conversation. An interaction with a tightly focused topic or purpose is also generally not considered a conversation. Summarizing these properties, one authority writes that "Conversation is the kind of speech that happens informally, symmetrically, and for the purposes of establishing and maintaining social ties."

Conversations (EP)

Conversations is an EP released by Irish band Time Is A Thief. The EP was recorded and mixed by Laurence White at Roughcut Studios in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Time Is A Thief. 

Reception

Personnel

References

Conversations (software)

Conversations is a free instant messaging client for Android. It supports the exchange of encrypted text and picture messages. It is largely based on accepted open standards like the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), Transport Layer Security (TLS), and Off-the-Record Messaging.

Development is focused on secure communication and implementation of XMPP extensions that are important for mobile usage. Specialist publications praised the decentralized and open transmission network and simple, intuitive usage with a workflow that is familiar from other applications. It is regarded as a serious attempt to improve the usability of XMPP-based messaging to a competitive level.

The source code of the software is managed on GitHub and governed by the terms of version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GPL). The software can be installed either free of charge (or rather donation-based) from F-Droid or against a fee from the Google Play store. Google counted over 5,000 paid installations as of 2016.

Rya

Rya may refer to:

See also

Rya (sheep)

Rya, also known as Ryafår or Swedish Carpet Wool Sheep, is a breed of sheep that is native to Sweden. The breed originated from the Swedish and Norwegian landrace breeds. This double-coated breed of Swedish Landrace origin also contains some Norwegian Spælsau heritage. The purpose of the sheep was to use the long, wavy, and shiny wool to produce rya-wool, which is often used to make carpets. In the early twentieth century, few long wool sheep remained in the province of Dalarna, leading to the restoration of the rya sheep breed. In 2000, there was a stable population of about two thousand rya sheep. They can be found in northern and central Sweden. Most of herds are located in Dalarna. They are usually kept in small flocks.

At the start of the 20th century, Dalarna had a population of sheep with long wool, which was popular in the area for decorating national costumes. In 1915, breeding was done to obtain sheep that produced this "rya-wool".

The rya sheep is a medium-sized sheep with relatively short legs, and has strong and shiny long wool fibers. The legs, tail, forehead, cheek, and crown do not have wool. For a three-month-old lamb, the wool can be 6 in (15 cm) long, and for an adult, the wool can be up to 12 in (30 cm) long. Half the fleece should be the hair coat, which should be lustrous with a well-defined, broad crimp. Attaining wool fibers of at least 15 cm in length with a maximum crimp of 3 crimps per 5 cm is the breeding goal. The sheep are white, but there are some grey, black, and brown individuals. The adult wither height is 75 cm for rams and 70 cm for ewes. The live weight is 70 kg for rams and 50 kg for ewes. Both the rams and ewes are polled and have long tails.

Rya (rug)

A rya is a traditional Scandinavian wool rug with a long pile of about 1 to 3 inches. They were made using a form of the Ghiordes knot to make the double-sided pile fabric. Though rya means "rug" in English, the original meaning in Sweden of rya was a bed cover with a knotted pile. The first ryas originated in the early fifteenth century as coarse, long-piled, heavy covers used by mariners instead of furs. As time progressed, the rugs have evolved to be lighter and more colorful. The insulation that ryas provide protect against the cold Scandinavian climate. Ryas are a knotted pile carpet, with each knot composed of three strands of wool, which enables the rug to exhibit rich texture from all the different shades of color. The name originates from a village in southwest Sweden. The term rya may also refer to a breed of sheep whose wool is used to make rya carpets (see Rya (sheep)).

History

In the early 9th to 10th centuries, Islamic silk textiles were introduced to Scandinavia by Viking merchants who traded in Russia and the Byzantine Empire. Subsequently, the Scandinavian region acquired knotted pile carpets from the Ottomans in Anatolia. In fact, the Marby rug, one of the earliest surviving Turkish carpets was found in the Church of Marby near Jämtland, Sweden. Eventually, Scandinavians themselves produced rugs influenced by the oriental rug design.