Internet Chatrooms: A Brief Introduction for the Uninitiated
Created | Updated Feb 20, 2003
Prolific in number and diverse in theme, Chatrooms dot the landscape of Internetland and offer a place for weary net-surfers to put their boards aside and exchange whitty tales of their adventures in cyberspace with their fellows. But for first time users still struggling with their internet-armbands the sight of a chatroom window filled with strange names and fast moving text can be intimidating, so let's see if we can't assuage a few of these irrational fears and set your minds at rest.
As a rule chatrooms tend to be themed, and larger sites will often contain a large number of separate rooms dedicated to different themes and interests. These can include such things as:
SPORTS: where overweight users can attempt to chat up the opposite sex
MUSIC: where tone deaf users can attempt to chat up the opposite sex
TEENS: where adult users can attempt to chat up the opposite sex
FLIRT CENTRAL: where Buffy fans can argue about whatever it is they argue about
The general rule is that the title that has been given to a chatroom is simply that, what is being discussed therein depends upon who's in there at the time.
There are also unique codes of etiquette that must be observed when using a chatroom that at first seem a little odd, but when explained can be easily understood:
ABBREVIATIONS: after the art of text-messaging on mobile phones the chatroom is at the forefront of the valiant war to rid the English language of the vowel. Look out for "LOL" (laugh out loud), "BRB" (be right back), "ASL" (age, sex, location - usually followed closely by up to three consecutive lies by the other party) and "INGGH" (I'm not Gary Glitter, honest).
CAPS: many first time users make the mistake of leaving the caps lock on as they blabber away merrily. In chatroom parlance this is the equivalent of shouting very loudly and being very rude. You should refrain from this unless you are in fact very loud and rude as a general rule.
EMOTICONS: some users may even dispense with words and make use of symbols to represent their emotions and feelings. For example you have :-> (happy), :-< (sad), *$£"><?_+W"&! (having a seizure).
CONSTANT & HABITUAL LYING: one of the most important aspects of using a chatroom is casual and total dishonesty. As a rule of thumb it's safer to assume that nobody is who they say they are regardless of how much they protest that they are a young boy of fourteen interested in Gareth Gates and being your friend. More than one foolish user has lived to regret giving personal details to perfect strangers in a chatroom. Would you give your mobile number to a person you just met in the street? Don't think that this is any different.
So remember that most things are intimidating until you get to grips with them. Using a chatroom is no different from learning to ride a bike or castrate large animals, daunting at first but second nature after you've fallen off or been kicked in the side of the head a few times.
So there you go, happy chatting people.
As a rule chatrooms tend to be themed, and larger sites will often contain a large number of separate rooms dedicated to different themes and interests. These can include such things as:
SPORTS: where overweight users can attempt to chat up the opposite sex
MUSIC: where tone deaf users can attempt to chat up the opposite sex
TEENS: where adult users can attempt to chat up the opposite sex
FLIRT CENTRAL: where Buffy fans can argue about whatever it is they argue about
The general rule is that the title that has been given to a chatroom is simply that, what is being discussed therein depends upon who's in there at the time.
There are also unique codes of etiquette that must be observed when using a chatroom that at first seem a little odd, but when explained can be easily understood:
ABBREVIATIONS: after the art of text-messaging on mobile phones the chatroom is at the forefront of the valiant war to rid the English language of the vowel. Look out for "LOL" (laugh out loud), "BRB" (be right back), "ASL" (age, sex, location - usually followed closely by up to three consecutive lies by the other party) and "INGGH" (I'm not Gary Glitter, honest).
CAPS: many first time users make the mistake of leaving the caps lock on as they blabber away merrily. In chatroom parlance this is the equivalent of shouting very loudly and being very rude. You should refrain from this unless you are in fact very loud and rude as a general rule.
EMOTICONS: some users may even dispense with words and make use of symbols to represent their emotions and feelings. For example you have :-> (happy), :-< (sad), *$£"><?_+W"&! (having a seizure).
CONSTANT & HABITUAL LYING: one of the most important aspects of using a chatroom is casual and total dishonesty. As a rule of thumb it's safer to assume that nobody is who they say they are regardless of how much they protest that they are a young boy of fourteen interested in Gareth Gates and being your friend. More than one foolish user has lived to regret giving personal details to perfect strangers in a chatroom. Would you give your mobile number to a person you just met in the street? Don't think that this is any different.
So remember that most things are intimidating until you get to grips with them. Using a chatroom is no different from learning to ride a bike or castrate large animals, daunting at first but second nature after you've fallen off or been kicked in the side of the head a few times.
So there you go, happy chatting people.
