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Understanding Internet Chatting

You might have heard people refer to chatting on the Internet as being in a “chat room.” Well, you don't have to go into a special room in your house that you designate only for these chats. Chats are divided by subject matter, and the term chat room really refers to the subject area you have entered on the Internet.

Room is an appropriate word to use, however, because it's very much like being in a room full of people, all talking about the same subject. Everything you “say” by typing it into your computer can be “heard” by everybody else in the room—they will see your words appear on their computer screen. That can be a very small group of people, or dozens.

Thousands of different chats are under way at once, ...