Participate in an online chat
A chat room is a Web site, part of a Web site, or part of an online service
such as America Online, that provides a venue for communities of users
with a common interest to communicate in real time. Forums and discussion
groups, in comparison, allow users to post messages but don't have the
capacity for interactive messaging. Most chat rooms don't require users
to have any special software; those that do, such as Internet Relay Chat
(IRC) allow users to download it from the Internet.
Chat room users register for the chat room of their choice, choose a user
name and password, and log into a particular room (most sites have multiple
chat rooms). Inside the chat room, generally there is a list of the people
currently online, who also are alerted that another person has entered
the chat room. To chat, users type a message into a text box. The message
is almost immediately visible in the larger communal message area and
other users respond. Users can enter chat rooms and read messages without
sending any, a practice known as lurking.
Moderators
Because chat room messages are spontaneous and instantly visible, there is a potential for abuse, which may or may not be intentional. Site hosts typically post a frequently asked questions (FAQ) list to guide users to appropriate chat room behavior, such as introducing yourself when you enter a room, making it clear when you are directing a question or response to a specific user, and reporting disruptive users, for example. Disruptive users may verbally abuse other chatters, monopolize the conversation, or even just disable it by repeatedly typing the same word or phrase into the conversation, a practice (much frowned upon) known as scrolling.
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