5 Guidelines To Chat

Chat Isn't Hard.

Chat has always been one of my favorite aspects of the Internet. In a chat room you can meet all sorts of people from all over the world. The relationships you forge in chats can be just as strong and long-lasting as friendships in the real world. Indeed, because there is nothing exchanged between chatters except words--no body language, no eye contact--those words are often more honest and heartfelt than a conversation one would have in a real café.

Nevertheless, chats can be just as intimidating as walking into a party where you don't know a soul. What's worse, you can't see anyone's face, and you can't reliably determine who is male and who is female! But once you get used to the setup of the site and the speed at which text can fly across the screen, chat is quite enjoyable.
1. Be Patient

When you first log on to chat, keep in mind that you are walking in on the middle of a party. Conversations will be in progress, and it can be rude to try to just break in. Introduce yourself, wait a minute or two to see what people are talking about, and then jump on in. Be patient and persistent--don't be surprised if no one talks to you right away, but don't give up. Like at any party, you will need to “break the ice" and that can be the hardest part of being in a new chat room.

2. Be Cautious

Unless you know to whom you are speaking, it is always wise to keep your true identity secret until you wish to reveal yourself to somebody. There are people in chat rooms who will immediately try to pick up on any members of the opposite sex, and if you are uncomfortable about that, the best way to proceed is not to reveal your gender until you wish to.

Furthermore, there may be a smaller subsections of people who will take too much of an interest in you... they may try to email you, or call you, or otherwise insert themselves into your life in a way you may not be comfortable with. This is fine once you have gotten to know someone, but be cautious at first until you know the people with whom you feel comfortable.

3. Use Common Sense Netiquette

Remember that the people you are chatting with are real people. They can be hurt, insulted, and offended just as easily as anyone in the real world and as easy as you can.

If you enter a chat room with a bad attitude, pissed off, inebriated, or use a lot of harsh or foul language, or otherwise make the other chatters angry, you will frequently find yourself out in the cold. People may choose to ignore everything you say, and if the behavior is bad enough, you may find an administrator or host talking to you, putting you in what I would call chat jail, or even kicking you offline if you are really rude.

Likewise, if you find that someone is bothering you incessantly, you can choose to ignore that person... Generally, ignoring someone is the best way to make them stop hassling you, but if they persist, there are generally some administrator or chat host floating around in most chat environments--mention that you are being harassed by annoying-user if they are being persistent.

4. Pick the Right Chat Room

Remember that there are many different chat sites to check out but we do hope that you will find the members here to be friendly and happy to help you if they can. You can also invite members to a private chat or go into another chat room to talk with a few friends, where you can talk about a subject that interest you and others. So if you want to be alone you can or if you wish to have others around you just enjoying themselves talking about anything that comes up you can do that to.

5. Be Safe!
Practice the same sorts of safe computing practices in chat that you follow elsewhere: NEVER give out your password, always be aware that any files that someone may want to send to you may have viruses in them, and protect your email address. Some people might just try to use it to sell you something or to track you down.

Finally, remember that if you just follow some of the basic guidelines mentioned above, chat is fun, addictive, and rewarding. I have seen many very positive relationships (and some marriages!) blossom in chat, and you can open your eyes to other cultures and people that you would not normally be exposed to. This is the true power of the Internet: allowing widely separated people to meet and talk with one another, creating communities that are as close knit as your home town, yet spread across the globe.

Hello Dino Dave:
I will be very very caution.

Hey Dave, that was good. Do you have guidelines on posting or blogging?

Hi EastCoast

I like Guideline #3 best!