Real Time Chatting

Different systems have developed over the years to allow you to talk to friends and other people quickly and get their responses immediately. They are known as Internet Relay Chat (IRC) or Instant Messaging but they all work very similarly. What you write appears on everyone's screens in real time, when you're all chatting together.

Taking part in chat means you first have to download special, free software like mIRC. This opens a chat 'window' in which your screen is divided into three boxes. Everything that you and the other people are chatting about appears in the biggest box. The second part of the screen is just a list of everyone who is currently chatting. Their nicknames appear when they enter the chat and disappear when they leave it. So, if the list is long, you've probably stumbled on a really lively chat! If you see it's empty it means there's no-one there and you'd be talking to yourself. At the bottom of the screen is the third box where you type your message. Just hit Enter, and everyone chatting will see your message.

Loads of people find they like to chat to regularly. You can have your chat software open while you browse the web, talking to your friends as you work.

Instant messaging, or IM, is a newer addition to the ways you can chat with people. Most people use Instant Messaging programs like Net Messenger or Yahoo! Messenger for one to one chats. These programs alert you when your friends are online so, you know you can type them messages, or even voice chat or video conference together, if you both have the same software.

Message Boards

Most large sites have a message board where you can leave your thoughts and ask questions about the site's content. This isn't chat in real time; you post a message on a board (you'll usually find that one board is dedicated to one topic or theme), then you can return in a few days to see if anyone has replied to your message. You can add your own replies to other people's comments and keep the discussion going.

Of course, whether you're in a chatroom, using an instant messenger or posting on a message board, it's worth remembering that you will be talking to people you have never met before so just bear in mind a few basic facts and you can't go far wrong.