FAQ - Internet Chat

The popularity of the Internet is due in large part to its ability to connect people and allow them to communicate affordably over long distances. E-mail of course is another way to do this but those of you looking for a more immediate, interactive experience will want to explore chat as a way to make contact with others in faraway places.

What is Internet Chat?

Internet chat is a form of communication that is carried out over the Internet in "real-time". Two or more people are connected and can type back and forth carrying on a "keyboard conversation". Just a couple of the most popular forms of chat are IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and World Wide Web-based chat. IRC requires special IRC software available for download from the Internet, while Web-based chat can be accomplished with your existing Web Browser (usually Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer).

One of the advantages of Internet chat is that as long as you have a local Internet provider you won't have to pay a large phone bill to communicate with friends all over the world. It's even possible to speak over the Internet without long distance charges provided each person has a sound card, microphone and the same brand of "voice chat" software installed on their computers.

Some things for parents to keep in mind about Chat

Due to the fact that the Internet is a resource for the free exchange of all kinds of ideas (good and bad), you might run into chat sites that have less than desirable graphic images and/or graphic text. Your kids will have the opportunity to communicate with unknown people from all around the world, so some supervision and guidance is suggested.

Chat channels or chat rooms are organized by areas of interest. People use the channels or chat rooms to discuss hobbies, business-related topics or often to meet other people for personal contact. Discussions in some of these chat areas can be of a sexual nature or otherwise offensive to some people. You'll need to keep in mind that most chat servers carry many channels (or chat rooms) of a questionable nature.

If you want your kids to have access to the Internet but not to objectionable material there are several software programs available for a reasonable cost that you can install on your computer to screen these sites. Just go to the following web sites to learn about and shop for one of these software programs:

Surfwatch

Net Nanny

How do I get started chatting?

There are several forms of Internet Chat but we recommend beginners start with a World Wide Web-based chat site. For this form of chat you can use either Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.X or Netscape Navigator 2 or higher. These software programs have the ability to handle Web chat for both Macs and IBM compatible machines. Following are some lists of chat-related Internet sites. Once you select a chat site from one of these lists just use your Web Browser to navigate there and in most cases the site is set up so that it's self explanatory as to how to begin chatting.

Some places to look for Web-based chat rooms

http://www.yepa.com/empo/empo.html
http://sweb.srmc.com/simple/chat.forums.html
http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/Chat/

Internet Relay Chat (IRC)

Of all the forms of Internet Chat, IRC has the most users with the largest variety of interests and the most servers available for Internet users to connect with other people. You'll also have a choice of more available software programs that are compatible with the IRC system, although we're only going to cover a couple here.

A short list of the commands needed to use IRC

The following commands can be typed where you see the cursor on your screen while using most IRC software programs:

/nick nickname - Allows you to change your own nickname. (just replace the word, "nickname" in this command with whatever nickname you want to use).

/list - this will list all of the channels currently available on the IRC server that you're using.

/join #channel - this will join you to a channel that you specify.

/whois nickname - will allow you to locate a friend that is currently using the same IRC network as you. (Type the nickname of the person you're looking for instead of the word, "nickname").

/query nickname - allows a private conversation between you and the person whose nickname you type (instead of the word, "nickname").

/help - gives you a listing of help topics

/join #newbies to join a channel where new users are practicing IRC and helping one another learn.

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) using mIRC 5.02 (Windows only)

*NOTE* this help file was written for mIRC 5.02. If you don't have this version of mIRC, you can download it from www.mirc.com . Once you have downloaded and installed mIRC 5.02, when you start the program for the first time you'll need to fill in some information about yourself. Click here for a sample picture. After you have set up the chat options, you'll need to select which chat server you're going to connect to. mIRC 5.02 contains a list of some IRC servers or there's a more complete list of servers located here. Once you connect to a server you'll be presented with a screen that looks like this.

Ircle, an IRC program for MacIntosh

We can't begin to provide you with any more information on how to acquire and use Ircle than you'll find at the official Ircle home page at www.ircle.com. Read the material offered there and follow some of the links provided to learn how to download, install, configure and use this full-featured IRC software program for MacIntosh.

Some other specialized chat software

Time and space don't permit us to provide detailed instructions for all of the following chat systems, but information is available at these sites that should easily get you started playing with some additional, fun forms of chat:

www.tribal.com - Powwow is an easy-to-use, free program developed by a Colorado indian tribe. They distribute the free software here and provide a server where users can connect for either keyboard or voice chat. Pictures, sounds and other files can be exchanged using this software as well. Another fun and useful feature is the ability to "Cruise" the Internet together while chatting. In the "Cruise" mode, two people can connect and surf the Net together seeing the same World Wide Web sites on their screens while typing back and forth to discuss where they're going and what they're seeing. In other words, your more experienced friend in another city can take you on a tour of the Internet to show you what's out there! Available for IBM compatible PC's only.

www.worlds.net & www.activeworlds.com - Worlds Chat and Active Worlds are two "Virtual Reality" chat systems where users each pick an animated character to represent their own appearance while these characters interact on the screen like cartoons in a "virtual" world. Software to use this system is available there to download. - For IBM compatible PC's only. The Worlds Chat software is a functional demo but doesn't contain all the feathures of the commercial version. Active Worlds software is free and fully functional. It will automatically update itself to new versions as you use it.

www.globalchat.com - Global Chat has easy to set-up, real-time chat software that can be used from the World Wide Web. It's a standalone program that works together with your Web browser to give you instantaneous live chat when connected to Global Stage and IRC servers. Global Chat can navigate either Global Stage or IRC chat channels in two ways: Traditionally, as on large Internet Relay Chat (IRC) networks, you can use a command to list all channels on the server you're on. Or, alternatively you can use the World Wide Web to navigate "ChatSpace" by clicking on "links" to open the channel. You can download free trial software for either Macs or PC's but eventually you'll have to buy the software to continue using it.

ICQ (I Seek You) - If you've ever wished you could tell when your friends are online so you'd know when they're available to chat, this is the one for you. ICQ continuously monitors which ICQ users are on the Internet and alerts their friends as soon as they sign on. You can chat, send files, or play games. A great tool for either fun or business. Free trial software is available to download. Available for both Macs and PC's.

CU-See-Me - This software allows slow-frame video-conferencing through a combination of software and either an inexpensive "Quik Cam" or your home video camera. You can see the person you're chatting with and they can see you. This one's available for either Macs or PC's. The downloadable demo software limits your connections to 15 minutes at a time and will stop functioning entirely after 30 days, then you'll need to purchase the commercial version.

That's it! Have fun but don't take your chat too seriously.

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"Chat FAQ" by Jan Michael Pearson & Mark Carrier

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