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Web Awareness
Modes of Communication: Chat
- Chat - A method of communicating in "real time" (near instantly) with other people.
To "chat" usually means going to a special website called a "chat room," where other people
meet to discuss certain topics, or simply to talk in general.
- Positives - Chat is faster yet than e-mail and more spontaneous, as people
type and everyone else in the chat room can read and respond to everyone's message.
You do not have to talk to be in a chat room; you can "lurk" (just watch what people
are typing) and exit the chat room whenever you wish.
- Negatives - Anyone can enter a chat room and talk. Chatters are usually
go by made-up usern ames that often resemble cartoon character names
(a recommended practice intended to protect your identity from being shared with
users you do not wish to interact with). Chat rooms quickly get out of hand if there are
no "moderators" (people in charge of the room) to keep the discussion clean and on topic
(such as a chat room on gardening).
- Things to Remember - Never use your real name. Do not interact with offensive users
(use the "Ignore Person" function if it's available). Know anyone can lie about their age,
description, or who they are. Use common sense and remember,
however friendly people seem to be, everyone's a stranger and should be treated as such.
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