Online Chat Community

An online chat community can offer users the opportunity to make rewarding connections with others and even become part of a larger family of like minded communicators. Chatting on the Internet can take a number of forms including discussion forums or instant messaging. But the most frequently used definition will describe a group of people who communicate via text over websites that are geared for such purposes. There can be a number of different types of communities that are open for participation by interested Internet users. A general online chat community will be open to anyone, although there may be age restrictions. Unless the room has been designed especially for children, many sites will not allow participation by chatters who are under thirteen years of age. Some chat rooms and discussion forums may be created specifically for teenagers as well. A discussion board will allow users to read the content that other participants have posted, and add to the discussion if they choose to, or simply remain an interested bystander.

Often an online chat community will be created to cater to the needs of specific age groups or interests. For example, some rooms may be designed for teens and will have very strict age requirements. It can be difficult if not impossible to know for sure that a participating chatter is actually the age that they claim to be. Minors should be made aware of this fact and be careful about the information that they share and the kinds of conversations that they engage in while chatting. Some rooms may be designed for college students while other might be geared toward single adults. But even among single adults there may be certain age breakdowns. An online chat community will often not charge users for the privilege of chatting. But most websites of this nature will have certain rules of use regarding polite and appropriate behavior while chatting. Participants who violate these conditions may find that they have been banned from chatting on the site altogether.

A number of rules of etiquette will apply to participating in an online chat community. These rules of etiquette, or chatiquette, as they are sometimes called, rely largely on common sense and are similar to the rules that prevail in ordinary face to face conversations. Talking in all capitals is seen as the equivalent of shouting and is considered to be very rude. Flooding the screen with text is objectionable as well. Such behavior could mean that a chatter would be suspended or terminated from the chat room. One suggested code of conduct involves basic consideration for the other chatters in the room. One would never walk up in the middle of a face to face conversation and inject something totally unrelated to the discussion. In the same way, it'is considered very rude to jump into an Internet conversation without any regard for the ongoing discussion. It's best to hang back and get a feeling for what is being talked about as well as the general mood of the discussion before making a contribution.

Ignoring other chatters in an online chat community is not a good idea either. Just as this behavior is considered rude in the real world, it is also offensive in the virtual realm. When questions are posed by other chatters, a reply of some nature is generally called for. If another participant has an opinion that differs from other chatters, respect for that person's right to their own opinion is called for. When the time comes to leave the room, it's polite to say goodbye rather than to simply exit without notice. There can be a number of perils that might be associated with written communication. A chatter may assume that others in the group will recognize a bit of sarcasm, but this may not be the case. Since facial expressions are not visible, it's easy to be misunderstood in an online. Remaining positive and relevant to the discussion are also good rules of online communication. And it's always good to remember that no one appreciates a conversation hog.

In spite of the many benefits that are associated with an online chat community, there can be a few pitfalls as well. As with all relationships among human beings, there may be times when participants in a chat room do not get along. There have also been occasions when disagreements and misunderstandings have been taken to the extreme. Anger on the world wide web can spill over into the real lives of chatters. For this and many other reasons, it's very unwise to let a fellow chatter know personal details such as full names and physical addresses. Even personal email addresses should be kept private. Some chatting services will offer users the opportunity to use a separate email address through the service itself so that outside addresses may be kept private. The Bible encourages believers to let go of worry and to have faith. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." (John 14:1)

A number of other safety issues should be observed in an online chat community. Meeting a fellow chatter in person is usually not a good idea, particularly for minors. There have also been reported incidents of crude language and inappropriate verbal behavior in some chat rooms. If this happens, participants should consult web masters or site facilitators and report the offending individuals. If used wisely and with common sense, these opportunities for communication on the web can be very fulfilling.

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