All talk
Oct 23 '01 (Updated Nov 28 '05)
The Bottom Line …
When I first got online many, many years ago, we had this program called mIRC. I don’t recall what the ‘m’ stood for, but the IRC stood for Internet Relay Chat. IRC was basically a simple way to communicate with other people across the Internet. Everyone downloaded a program and used it to connect to servers. On those servers were rooms, in which people gathered based on similar interests. One room might be for Star Trek while another might be on dating. Chat software has come a long way since then.
Basically, chat software is any software that allows two or more people to have a conversation by typing within a short period of time, much like a conversation. Email doesn’t quite qualify because it was meant to take longer periods of time. Chat software, such as AOL Instant Messenger, is meant to be used in real-time. All parties have to be connected to the Internet at the same time.
Because it’s software, there’s going to be some sort of download. The software that you’re putting on your computer is what allows you to talk to others. Many of the current ones are simple. All you have to do is follow the on-screen instructions.
Most chat programs are usable within its own system. For instance, Yahoo! Instant Messenger is good only if the other person is using Yahoo! Instant Messenger or Yahoo! Chat. ICQ and AOL Instant Messenger are both owned by AOL and are thus compatible with each other.
There’s also IRC, or Internet Relay Chat. This is the granddaddy of them all and is a little more difficult to master. Instead of a contact list, people have to log on to servers and go into rooms. It’s easy to meet up with people you know if you arrange to meet somewhere. The down side is that it still usually requires some sort of download and requires a lot more work. The advantage is that it’s generally easier to meet new people.
The programs are basically the same. You have some sort of contact list, which is a list of the other people on the system that you know. I have my brother on my list as well as several friends. Each person has their own screen name and password. Usually, it’s only one person to an account, but I’ve seen people leave it running and let everyone use it.
For some, chat software has replaced the phone. My brother would often leave ICQ open so that his friends would know that he was available and could even leave messages. I generally recommend against this because people won’t be able to tell if you’re really there or not.
There’s one last thing before I go. There are those that would say that chat software may lead to the downfall of Modern English as we know it. While it’s not that drastic, I think that we may be headed in that direction. Most of the people that I speak to online know that I generally don’t use the acronyms, such as LOL (laughing out loud) or FYI (for your information). The abbreviations are meant to save keystrokes. I see it as a sign of laziness and would prefer to type everything out. The problem is that there are only a few that are universally understood.
For more information on specific software, I’m going to include the following links:
ICQ:
http://www.epinions.com/content_172749000324
mIRC:
http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-3E00-CDB1B60-39E7D0E0-prod1
AOL Instant Messenger:
http://www.epinions.com/content_176682208900
What You Should Know About Chat Software:
http://www.epinions.com/content_1321705604
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Member: Brian Kuhl
Location: Biscayne Park, FL, USA
Reviews written: 1177
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About Me:
I'm saving up for a D300.
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