Tech Insider: David Wolfgang-Kimball

Chat Isn't Hard.

Chat has always been one of my favorite aspects of the Internet. In a chat room you can meet all sorts of people from all over the world. The relationships you forge in chats can be just as strong and long-lasting as friendships in the real world. Indeed, because there is nothing exchanged between chatters except words--no body language, no eye contact--those words are often more honest and heartfelt than a conversation one would have in a real café.

Nevertheless, chats can be just as intimidating as walking into a party where you don't know a soul. What's worse, you can't see anyone's face, and you can't reliably determine who is male and who is female! But once you get used to the interface, and the speed at which text can fly across the screen, chat is quite enjoyable. To help get you started, I will go over a few good guidelines to keep in mind when chatting. Next: 1. Be Patient >

More columns by David Wolfgang-Kimball