Web Chat 1. Participants in chat sessions - In the past: 【T1】______to America Online 【T1】______ - Now: hundreds of websites prov

Web Chat
   Good morning, everyone. Today, we are going to talk about a new way of communication online. First of all, for many years, subscribers to America Online and other commercial online services were able to participate in chat sessions. Now it’s possible to join chats offered by hundreds of websites as well. Actually, the word "chat" may be somewhat misleading, because you are not really talking to anyone, just typing and reading text messages that participants write. Once you enter a chat room, which is really just a web page that runs special software, you can choose to just read the exchanges, but not to participate in the chat, by making your image invisible to others online, or you can join in by posting your own messages.
   Many chat rooms focus the conversation on specific topics, such as health, politics, football and so on. That way, people with similar interests can find one another. Sometimes chat sessions can lead to truly stimulating exchanges, but they are just as likely to be a waste of time.
   Now, we will discuss the procedure of preparation for a web chat.
   The first step is to locate a chat room that interests you. Once you are on the website, you will usually be asked to register. You are free to use your real name, but many people make up a name. Therein lies some of the fun, but be aware that other people may be living out their fantasies online as well. Wild Bill might be a teenage girl. You should also know mat if you don’t sign-in with a name, you may be assigned the default name anonymous.
   After you have chosen and entered a chat room, you will probably find yourself in the middle of a conversation. Take a few minutes to get the gist of the exchange. There’s no harm in lurking for a while before you join in. Once you feel confident enough to participate in the discussion, just type your message in the blank box.
   The same rules of behavior apply in chat rooms as they do to other online communications, so be sure to avoid offending anyone. To minimize the amount of typing, people often use emoticons and abbreviations.
   If you want, you can make a general posting to everyone in the chat room, expounding your views. But just like in the real world, you can also address your comments to a specific person. Although everyone can read your message, it’s clear that it’s intended for a particular individual. Some chat rooms let you have private conversations by clicking on the name of a participant.
   While web chats can offer an engaging experience and proceed with caution. Use common sense. Remember that all your postings are public. OK, in a nutshell, today, we talked about what is web chat and how to start web chat online. I hope after today’s talk, you will have a complete picture of web chat and maybe give it a try in the days to come.