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Home The Internet History Getting Online Surfing the Net
Viruses Netiquette Email Chat

Chatting
Chat is defined as real-time communication on the Internet or Web. Chats can be continuous, with participants entering and leaving ongoing discussion, or they can be planned to occur at a specific time and to last for a specific duration. Some chats are open to discussion of any topic, and there are other chats which are focused on a specific topic or category. Some chats feature participation by a celebrity or an authority on the chat topic.

As example...
John heard about a chat from some colleagues at an music conference. He thinks that setting up chat sessions with other people interested in music may be a useful way of making contacts.

"Chatting" is done using Usernames or Nicknames. No real names are used. Be careful...with any anonymous encounter the risk of being deceived is high. You can be yourself, have fun, but trust no one.

Chat rooms may seem a little intimidating at first. It is suggested that you listen (or read as the case may be) before speaking (or typing).

Here are some basic chat terms:
Public and Private Chats
A private chat occurs between two individuals. Often, the two individuals participating in a private chat meet while chatting in a group chat area, or public chat.

Internet Relay Chat
Internet Relay Chat (or IRC) was a communications program developed by Jarkko Oikarinen of the University of Oulu in Finland in 1988. IRC is popular with businesses because it can be used for virtual meetings with clients and employees at worldwide branch offices. You need IRC client software to connect to an IRC server.

ICQ Chat
ICQ ("I Seek You") is an Internet chat client. It was created by a small Israeli company, Mirabilis, in 1996. To use ICQ, each person in the chat group must have a copy of the program.

Instant Messaging
Instant Messaging is a real-time Internet communications services that notifies you when one or more people are online and then allows you to exchange messages or files or join a private chat room with them. Some IM services support voice and video conversations. Many IM services also can alert you to information such as calendar appointments, stock quotes, weather, or sports scores. They also allow you to send pictures or other documents to a recipient. For IM to work, both parties must be online at the same time. Also, the receiver of a message must be willing to accept messages.

Internet Telephone
Internet Telephony also called Voice over IP (Internet Protocol), enables users to speak to other users over the Internet using their desktop computer, mobile computer, or mobile device. Simply put, the Internet telephony uses the Internet (instead of the public switched telephone network) to connect a calling party to one or more local or long-distance called parties.

To place an Internet phone call, you need a high-speed Internet connection (DSL or cable modem); Internet telephone service; a microphone or telephone (depending on the Internet telephone service) and Internet telephone software. Calls to other parties with the same Internet telephone service often are free, while calls that connect to the telephone network typically cost about $15 to $40 per month.

As you speak in a microphone or telephone connected to your computer, the Internet telephone software and the computer's sound card or the telephone adapter convert your spoken words (analog signals) to digital signals and then transmit the digitized audio over the Internet to the called parties.

Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing allows computers, cameras, and communication technology to carry on a meeting between people in different geographical locations. Using relatively inexpensive software and hardware, people can hear each other through their PC speakers and see each other on their monitors. Two of the most widely used programs are CUseeMe and Microsoft NetMeeting.

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This site was created by Laura Parcell for the primary purpose of teaching and demonstrating computer skills.
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Any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning this page or this web site should be forwarded to
Laura Parcell, Computer Science/Business Education Teacher
Copyright © September, 2008. All rights reserved.