Tips for Safe Online Chatting

Chatting online can be a great experience with the right knowledge. Below is a guide to chatting online, the things to look out for, and the proper way to converse with strangers.

Chat servers are made up of many different channels or rooms. Each channel has a members list, usually on the right side of the chat screen. At the top of the list there are moderators. These moderators act as "chat police," keeping the room free of illegal and/or disrespectful activity. They have the ability to kick a user from the room, ban a user from the room, or "quiet" (+q) a user. When a user gets "quieted" they remain in the room, however they can not type anything in the main room until (+q) is lifted. Next on the list of members are the "Voiced" members. The long term is "Strict Moderation Voice." The "Voiced" members do not have any power to kick, ban or quiet another user, but they can help enforce the rules of the room using their voice. Meaning, they can tell someone when they're doing something wrong and ask them to stop. The remaining members on the list are regular users who have not yet been "voiced."

Always read a chat server's rules before entering any room. The people that have created that site have written these rules for a reason. They are to be followed at all costs, and most of these rules require nothing more than common sense.

Acronyms are a huge part of online chatting. And not knowing these acronyms can leave you feeling very left out in an online conversation. Acronyms such as "lol" (laughing out loud) or "brb" (be right back) are very widely used. There are, however, other acronyms that are not use as frequently as others and will require a bit of research on your part. There are many acronym sites on the internet. Parents of children who chat online especially need to research these acronyms. This tool can be extremely helpful in trying to translate your young one's language. Most chat rooms require a user to be at least 13 years of age. Parents should strongly caution their child from entering any chat server without close supervision. There are chat servers for children under the age of 13 for such reasons as homework help. However, people can (and do) lie about their age. Just remember to use caution when allowing your child to enter a chat room.

Personal information is allowed to be displayed in any chat room. However, it is not recommended. Most chat servers have anywhere from 50 to 3000 members or more. Since the owners can not screen each person that enters, allowing others access to your personal information may or may not be a safe thing to do. Use caution when choosing what to discuss with anyone in a chat room. Personal information can include anything from your phone number to home address. But, this information can also be the type of business you do, city where you live, or type of car you drive. You may think it would be safe to tell a stranger what kind of car you drive. But, if this same person knows which city you life in, you will be more easily tracked.

Online chat rooms have certainly obtained a bad reputation due to the immoral men and women who use these places for illegal activity. Be smart about where you chat and what types of information you choose to disclose with strangers. Knowing a few guidelines and rules for chatting can make your online chat experience fun (and safe).