Definition of a Chat Room
A chat room is an online location used to conduct real-time electronic correspondence on the same screen. While email can be a quick back and forth exchange if both parties are online at the same time, a "chat" takes place instantaneously with all users viewing the same screen.
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Uses
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A chat room is very useful for conducting online meetings between multiple parties. Much like a conference call, all participants are in the same "location" and can add to the conversation instantly, rather than waiting for a message to arrive and receive a reply.
Warnings
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Because chat rooms are text based, with only words used to describe the message sender, the identity of the person chatting is cloaked. He may claim to be an eighteen-year-old girl, when in reality he's a 45-year-old man. Chat rooms can be especially dangerous for children, as predators often pose as children to lure their victims into a false sense of trust.
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Software
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Chat rooms are accessed through a web browser or a software client that is downloaded to the local machine. When the client is launched, it connects to a chat server that then hosts the conversations.
Slang
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Because online chatting involves a lot of typing, over the years, chat users have developed their own shorthand to say more with as few letters as possible. ROFL means "Rolling On the Floor Laughing," OTOH means "On The Other Hand," and IMHO is used for "In My Humble Opinion."
Netiquette
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Netiquette is the term used to describe acceptable online behavior and is based on general rules of etiquette and common sense. In a chat room, politeness and appropriate language is expected.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Catherine Chant
