Chat (of English tons chat [] "„plaudern, maintain "“) is the name for one within the Internet wide-spread kind of written communication between two or several persons in real time. It concerns here a kind conference of computer, which mostly gets along without pictures and language. As replacement for the missing visual component participants apart from the written word also use selected pictures (Avatare and Emoticons). A special form are Webcamchats, which make a video transmission possible by means of Webcams.

Forms

Today technically seen mainly three Chatformen are differentiated.

The oldest form - which Internet Relay Chat (IRC) - in the eighties one developed. It needs its own Chat server. These are mostly among themselves interlaced. Besides a Client software is needed, which is installed either on the computers of the chattenden persons, or however over a Browser, e.g. a Java Web Client is started. For the controlling of the Clients special IRC commands are used.

The second form is the Web Chat, with which the software is integrated for example already by Browser Plugins directly into the HTML sides. Unfavorable it is however that the Web Chats is limited to the respective web page mostly. This form is used also in live Help systems and/or live support systems, which contain partially further services such as Voice of over IP or functions for remote maintenance.

Besides the so-called Instant Messaging developed as the third form in the nineties. Here the Chat is led usually not in a public channel, but only between those, which installed the appropriate software on their computer.

IRC and Instant Messaging contain mostly further functionalities like a providing of Chatlogs (discussion minutes) or a conveying of data and hyper+on the left of. It is common to all three variants that mostly not under the own name (that so-called material names) GEC-had becomes, but under a self-chosen designation (that so-called pitch name). In the IRC and Web Chats the exchange is mostly organized in Chatrooms and/or Channels, which dedicate themselves to special topics.

Chatiquette

To consider is the Chatiquette. Here it concerns special rules for the Umgangsformen in a Chat. Internet is apparently anonymous, exactly for this reason should rules be kept, in order to avoid misunderstandings due to the missing visual component between the participants.

One calls general rules for the Umgangsformen in the Internet netiquette.

Since one can only converse in a Chat "“virtually"”, Chatter meetings so by some Chat Communitys or also private people mentioned are organized. Here the Chatter meets also in the real life ("“material life"”) around itself to then exchange or organizational things discuss. One calls meetings, with which members of a Chat channel (e.g. IRC Channel) meet, Channelparty (CP).

The first Chattertreffen Europe took place already 1987 and called themselves Relay Parties according to the forerunner of IRC, Bitnet Relay.

Driven and problems

It lies in the nature of the Chat that one can be safe never, whether the opposite is also really that, for which it spends itself. This applies also to Chats, in which the users possess warrants of apprehension. Apparently personal information and photos do not have to agree necessarily with the material person, since the registration data are not verified usually. One calls such information also Fakes. Even if a verification takes place, their reliability does not have to be given always. Straight children and young people should be referred to this possible difference between "“on-line personality"” and reality.

Chatsucht

The fun at the Chatten can become for children and young people - in addition, for adults - a Chatsucht. This frequently with persons observes the straight to have begun to chatten. With persons with a disturbed social surrounding field this problem can solidify itself. The Chatsucht can occur in connection with an on-line craze. This is favoured by the fact that one can spend oneself opposite other participants than personality, that is not one in the actual life.

See also

Instant Messaging, virtual operational readiness level, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), multi-user Chat (Jabber), Idlen, list of the abbreviations (net jargon), jargon file, Leetspeak, Internet craze, 3D-Chat, Browserchat, Quiz in the Internet, ICQ

Related links

• Shoutbox
• Security with the chatten. Protection from Fakern*
• de.com m.chatsystems FAQ
• Surely Chatten - information page for chattende children, their parents and paedagogues
• Website to speak and communication-scientific Chat research
• "“Bibliography on Chat Communication"” (bibliography to the international Chat research)

Articles in category "Chat"

We found here 31 articles.

Related Websites

We found here 4 related websites.

• ICQ
  Welcome to ICQ, the largest multi lingual community on the Web! Download ICQ, meet new friends, find old pals and get together with people around the world!


• MSN Chat
  MSN Chat is not currently compatible with your Internet browser and/or computer ... At this time, MSN Chat does not work on Macintosh, Windows 3.1, ...


• Talk City
  Our chat interface uses Java. You may need to download the latest version of Java from Sun. ... Pop-up blocking software can interfere with Talk City chat. ...


• Yahoo! Chat
  You can still access chat rooms through the enhanced features of Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Just follow the easy steps below to join a chat room. ...