Chatrooms & Community Services

Sharing common interests

Email and instant messaging are just two of the ways you can keep in touch with your friends and family, but they're not so good when you feel like catching up with the latest news on a particular subject that interests you, or want to chat to people who you don't already know. This is where chatrooms and community groups shine, enabling you to meet and talk with people from all over the world with whom you share a common interest.

What is a chatroom?

A chatroom is usually an open forum that you can enter by registering on the site that hosts it. All that's asked is that, once registered, you log in before you start chatting with the other users. Given that chatrooms and community groups are often themed around a certain subject, it's likely that you'll find plenty that'll interest you and once you've joined, other users are always on hand to offer advice. When you've got a shared passion or hobby that's led you to a particular chatroom or group, you've already got something in common.

But the very fact that chatrooms and associated community services such as newsgroups and email lists are completely open, means that you need to be sensible and stay safe. Many chatrooms aren't moderated, which means that there's no-one filtering or monitoring chatters' comments, so sometimes inappropriate language can be used and you'll need to be aware that, sometimes, not everyone in a chatroom is there for the same reasons you are.

Safety first when chatting online

Consequently, there are few points that are worth remembering when using a chatroom or group that will ensure that it's an enjoyable experience. Firstly, you should always be aware that one of the attractions of chatrooms is that you're essentially anonymous! While this is no big deal to most people, some users will pretend to be someone or something that they're not. It's for this reason that children should not use chatrooms unsupervised.

However it's worth noting that here are some fantastic chatrooms and communities that have been created especially for children and they're closely monitored with a moderator on hand at all times.

Use your common sense - and keep your private details private

You should also remember that your anti-virus software and firewall aren't going to be able to protect you against what you yourself might do. So keep hold of those personal details – don't give out your phone number or email address, for example.

But you shouldn't ignore or avoid chatrooms because of the potential risks. A community group or chatroom can entertain you, inform you or support you in many cases. Groups and chatrooms offering advice and guidance to people going through personal problems can be invaluable in helping them through whatever difficulties they may be experiencing, for example.

Just remember that you're in control at all times and you can leave a chatroom whenever you want. But it's unlikely you'll want to, as in most cases you'll be too busy finding out new things!