Chatting is an experience you can only do on the internet. It is interesting to interact with complete strangers all over the world in real time. While chatting can be dangerous if you don't take certain precautions, you can find lots of interesting opinions and people if you spend time in internet chat rooms. Follow this guide to learn how to chat, behave in different communities, and protect yourself from predators and other malicious users.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Choosing a Chat Program
Step 1. Think about the purpose you want to give a chat
Ask yourself if you will use it to talk primarily with friends or strangers. For every type of desire there are different chat programs and services. Do you want to chat privately with friends and family? Are you more interested in chat rooms where everyone can enter or chat directly with strangers? How much do you want to protect your anonymity?
Step 2. Get a direct messaging program to chat with friends and family
The most important thing to consider when you want to chat with people you know is the program they use. In order to talk to someone, you will need to use the same program or service that the other person uses.
- Your friends and family probably use Facebook, which offers a built-in chat program. You can use this chat to talk to other Facebook users on their computers or mobile devices. You will need to be Facebook friends with the person you want to chat with.
- Skype is one of the most used direct chat programs in the world, offering a little more anonymity than Facebook. You don't have to use your real name to create a Skype account. Skype has recently absorbed MSN, another widely used chat application, and consequently all of its users.
- There are many direct chat applications for smartphones. Some of the most popular are Kik, SnapChat, and WhatsApp. You will need to add other users to your contacts before you can chat with them.
- AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) is another chat program that has been losing users over the years, but is still quite popular. You will need to add other users, but you don't have to use your real name.
Step 3. Use browser-based chat services
There are many chat services that you can access directly from your browser. These generally guarantee your anonymity, allowing you to use a username and not your real name. The most popular sites include:
- Omegle and Chatroulette are direct chat programs that connect you with another random user. These programs use your webcam if available. You have no control over the person you will talk to.
- There are many websites that offer chat rooms. These include video and text chats. Popular sites include Yahoo! Chat, Tinychat, Spinchat and many more.
Step 4. Use a chat client to connect to different chat rooms
Even though chat rooms are losing popularity, there is still a large active community that uses them. Most chat rooms require special programs to connect, while others are browser-based.
- IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is one of the oldest collections of chat rooms on the internet. You can still find chat rooms for many different interests. You will need to download an IRC client in order to use them, but fortunately they are free programs.
- ICP is a chat protocol that has been around since the days of AOL. You can use many programs to access ICQ, such as the official ICQ client, Trillian and Pidgin.
Step 5. Chat in many other situations
In addition to the methods listed above, there are tons of ways to chat with other users. Online games, school and work environments, technical support and many more, are all situations where you may find yourself chatting with other people. All of these different communities have different standards and ideas of what are acceptable and expected behaviors.
Part 2 of 3: Learn the Basics of the Internet Label
Step 1. Understand the need to follow etiquette on the internet
By etiquette we mean behaving politely. The need to establish a label arose from anonymously published posts that led to an increase in abuse and hostile attitudes. By following good etiquette, you will help improve the online community and contribute to a more productive atmosphere.
Step 2. Remember that there is a person behind every name
Ask yourself if you would say the same things if you came face to face with the person. Just because you can take advantage of anonymity, you shouldn't act like there are no consequences for your words.
A good etiquette is a relative idea, depending on the program you are using and the people you are interacting with. If you're chatting with friends, you probably have your own idea of what's acceptable
Step 3. Say hello when you enter a chat
Everyone will be able to see when you enter a chat room, so say hello to everyone with a friendly hello. If you walk in and remain silent, people may not trust you. The purpose of chat rooms is to interact with other people, so be sure to contribute.
It is considered polite, especially if you are actively participating in the conversation, to greet even when you leave the chat room. Other users will remember this and be more friendly towards you the next time they see you
Step 4. Don't write all caps
This is the equivalent of screaming, and your text will be harder to read. Save capital letters to give extreme emphasis to what you say, and don't use them in every sentence.
Step 5. Don't monopolize the chat
This is especially important in chat rooms with a lot of random people. Monopolizing means writing chat messages one after the other in quick succession. This will prevent other people from starting conversations. Monopolizing a channel will almost certainly result in your expulsion.
Step 6. Don't harass others
There are chat rooms for almost every possible interest. This means that you will find rooms where arguments you disagree with are discussed or supported. Instead of attacking the members of that chat, switch to a new community. While good discussions are key and important, especially on controversial topics, there's no reason to try to get everyone to think like you.
Step 7. Learn internet abbreviations and use them appropriately
There are many common phrases and expressions that have been shortened for use in chat. The most common are LOL (laughing out loug, I laugh out loud), BRB (be right back), AFK (away from keyboard, I'm not at the computer), IMHO (in my honest opinion, in my opinion). In addition to these, each community may have developed its own abbreviations.
- Always make sure you know what an acronym means before using it. Many refer to foul language that could provoke unwanted reactions.
- Make sure the use of abbreviations is appropriate for the situation. Nobody wants to read "LOL" after he tells you he's sick.
Step 8. Use the appropriate grammar for the situation
In most informal chats, grammar is one of the things you need to worry about the least. If you are participating in an academic or professional chat, however, you will need to take a few more seconds to verify the correctness of the syntax and spelling of what you have written.
Use grammar according to the community you are in. If you always write perfect sentences while everyone else uses abbreviations and doesn't care about spelling, you may be left out. On the contrary, if everyone pays attention to what they write, you will attract attention if you do not respect the same style
Part 3 of 3: Protect yourself
Step 1. Hide your identity
Unless you are using programs related to your real identity, such as Facebook, choose a username that masks your identity. Avoid anything that can indicate who you are. Use things like hobbies or names from books or movies to create an identity that you enjoy and that protects your personal information.
Step 2. Don't share your personal information unless you fully trust the other person
There are many bad guys on the internet who will try to profit from whatever information they can steal from you. Protect your privacy as you would with valuables in dangerous situations.
- Never tell your password to anyone, even if they claim to work for the company that runs the chat. All companies can reset your password or access your account if necessary; they won't need you to communicate it. If someone asks you for your password, it is probably an attacker.
- When using a webcam, make sure there is nothing that can personally identify you in the image. People are very good at finding information about others from the most harmless clues. Hide any letters on your desk that may have your address on it, and make sure your real name isn't printed on anything on the wall behind you.
Step 3. Don't meet someone in real life unless you're sure it's safe
Many people use online chats to meet new people in real life, and there's nothing wrong with that. Just make sure, when you decide to meet someone, you do it safely. People can make you believe what they want on the internet, so make sure you trust the person before you meet them.
- Always tell someone you know that you are going to meet someone you met online. Give him the details of the meeting place and its duration.
- Always organize your first meeting of the day in a public place. Never propose a first meeting at your home or the other person's.
Step 4. Remember that everything you do and say is recorded
Even if no one is actively reading the log, your messages and IP address are logged every time you post a message. These recordings can set you up if you break the law in a chat. Always assume someone else is reading your messages, even if they are listed as private.
