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Online chatting has always been a favourite pastime of many Internet users. Broadband ADSL has only served to increase the interest in this electronic form of socialising. With faster, stable connections online chatting has come a far way from the simple text-based boards where it all started. Today users can share files, videos and pictures while chatting and can speak face to face with video streaming and webcams.

 

Online chatting generally refers to text-based group chats using various tools like instant messengers and Internet Relay Chat (IRC). The Internet offers users a plethora of possibilities to chat with people online. Some require that software be downloaded onto the user’s computer while others run through a web browser. The one thing that is a requirement is an Internet connection and a broadband connection is much preferred.

 

Online chatting was there before the days of broadband ADSL and stable connections. Internet Relay Chat, or IRC as it is more commonly known, is a form of real-time Internet text messaging – also known as synchronous conferencing. Originally designed to allow group communication it also allows one-on-one communication with private messages and data transfers.

 

IRC client software is freely available on the Internet and there are thousands of servers worldwide where people can log on to chat with one another. Many of these servers are not closed and simply require registration to join. While this allows users to literally speak with just about anyone in the world, it also opens up users to the predations of unsavoury characters that lurk on the Internet.

 

Instant messaging is a form of online chat that most people will be familiar with as most operating systems come with some form of instant messaging software installed. Instant messengers allow users to add people to a list of contacts. These contacts can see when the user is online and available. With broadband connections today that usually means that most people are essentially ‘logged in’ permanently but software allows users to ‘log off’ or ‘appear offline’ for privacy.

 

At its most basic instant messengers allow users to speak with one another by sending short messages back and forth. More advanced instant messenger software allows users to form groups to chat. Unlike IRC chats, instant messenging is private. A person cannot chat with you if you have not authorised them as a contact beforehand. Some of the more well-known instant messengers include GoogleTalk, MSN Messenger, ICQ and Skype.

 

Other online chatting applications exist on the Internet for a variety of different users. As the technology surrounding online chatting has improved the dependency on a broadband ADSL connection has become almost a prerequisite to chat online with some applications. No matter where you chat, though, there are a couple of rules – so called ‘chatiquette’ – people need to be aware of.

 

Aside from the basic rules of etiquette that apply to normal human social interaction, online chatting has a few extra rules that apply. These rules are generally self-evident and every chat room or server may have their own list of rules that users need to be aware of. Some of the common rules include:
• Do not write in capital letters as it means you are yelling.
• Don’t repeat yourself over and over again to get attention (called spamming).
• Don’t harass someone needlessly or go looking for arguments (called flaming).
These are just some of the rules to be common courtesy where online chatting is concerned.

 

With broadband ADSL the practice of online chatting has only grown in strength. People all over the world are chatting to one another online on a variety of subjects. It is a fun way to make learn something new, broaden your horizons or even make a new friend.

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