How Does a Yahoo Chat Room Work?

Yahoo Chat Rooms are Features of Yahoo Messenger

Download Yahoo Messenger to gain access to Yahoo chat rooms. Once you have Messenger, open it. Then click on the word "Messenger" in the mini tool bar at the top of the window. Then click on "Yahoo Chat" and you will be given the option to join a room, create a room, or find your favorite rooms.

Participating in a Chat Room

Open chat rooms are listed on the menu by category so you can select the chat room you visit based on the topic. There you will also see how many individuals are chatting by voice over internet. This number is indicated with the letter "v." You can also see how many people are using web cameras. This number starts with "w." Finally you can tell how many people are chatting electronically, or typing. This number is in a parenthesis. Choose your room. The others will receive a notification that you have joined the room. Then you can add your opinions, ask for clarification, send information or whatever you want. You can also indicate your emotion using emoticons and other features from your options at the top of the typing box. Type your message. Then hit "send" or the enter key on your keyboard. It will display in the order that it was received in the chat itself with your ID at the beginning.

Chat Room Safety

Because chat rooms are public places on the Internet remember that you have to beware of strangers. The best strategy to protect yourself from online predators is to choose an ID that does not give away your name or any other personal information that you don't want to share with just anyone. Yahoo Chat helps to keep chat rooms safe by restricting chat room participation to adults only. If you are under 18 you cannot participate. Yahoo requires that each time you enter a new chat room you have to click a link to verify your account. Then a scrambled letter and number code is shown that you have to type. If you type it correctly, you get a welcome message and you can enter the room.

Why Visit a Yahoo Chat Room

There are chat rooms arranged around any topic imaginable from business and finance, to games, to hobbies, to science, to religion etc. Some of the broad categories appear in the list like folders with plus signs. This means that there are several choices within the categories. Becoming involved in a Yahoo chat room is like going to a party where there are lots of people who share your interests. It is a way to meet new friends, network for business, and pose or answer interesting or important questions.

Chat Room Activities

Once you are in a chat room you can type, talk, listen, use emoticons and send attached files for the other chatters to download. The whole chat happens in a window on your computer screen. At the top there is a toolbar. When you click on the "Chat" button, you can invite other people to join the same chat you are in. You can also save or print the chat, change the room or change your nickname.

Resources

• Download Yahoo Chat