Internet Chat and Chat Room Etiquette

Chatroom etiquette (or netiquette) describes how users should behave when chatting online. These rules are mainly simply common courtesy and ensure that all users remain respectful of other people.

When entering a chat room, picture yourself entering a room full of strangers from all over the world, with varying backgrounds and ages, and act accordingly. It's usually a good idea to watch quietly at first from the sidelines to determine the tone of the room; if you decide to stay, then politely introduce yourself to the group, or if you think that this isn't the kind of party you like, then simply leave as politely as you arrived.

If you decide to stay, here are some of the major Do's and Don'ts when using a chat room:

Chatting Do's:

Respect the rules of the chatroom; keep it clean if it's a room for chatters of all ages and if it's a chatroom with a specific topic, stick to that subject.
Introduce yourself to the current chatters.
Say "Hello" to new arrivals. Try greeting newcomers to the chat room; it will make them feel welcome and may encourage more conversation.
Remember that you aren't talking to a computer; you're talking to real, live people with feelings, interests and moods, who just happen to be communicating via computers.
Remember that everyone may not be in the same time zone you are, and that your native language may not be the native language of everyone else.
Plain text may not express the tone of certain comments, so use abbreviations and emoticons (symbols that indicate various facial expressions) to clarify your meaning.
Be patient with newcomers - they may not know all of the abbreviations, symbols and commands used when chatting. Remember, all chatters were 'newbies' at one time!
Let people know if you need to leave your keyboard for a few minutes. Either tell everyone that you'll BRB (Be Right Back) or set your status to 'Away'. By doing this, nobody will feel ignored if you don't answer them.
Address your comments (in typing) to the specific recipient if there is one. For example: "coffeelover, (or whatever the chatter's nickname is), have you seen any good films recently?"
Be yourself and have fun!

Always be respectful of other chatters and their opinions, even if you do not agree with them.

Chatting Don'ts:

Complain that "no-one will talk to you" or that "the conversation is boring". If you are interesting and join in the conversation, you will be included. If you're not enjoying the discussion, simply leave and find another room that does interest you.
Worry about spelling. Typos and spelling mistakes are to be expected when chatting online, and can be a great source of laughter for everyone. If you carefully proofread everything you type, then you may find that your reply may be out of context by the time you hit the 'enter' key.
Type in all CAPITAL LETTERS. This is considered as 'shouting' and just like in real life, is considered rude. Although occasional use of capital letters can be acceptable to stress certain words, you can also use *asterisks* around the word to show emphasis.
Repeatedly type the same thing over and over again or keep entering text in quick succession (termed scrolling). This forces the chat room to speed up to keep up with your typing and disrupts the room by pushing other peoples' messages off the screen and making the chat harder to read.
Be rude, offensive or engage in personal attacks (flames) or threats. This will usually result in you being ejected from the chat room, either temporarily or permanently. In severe cases it can also result in police involvement. If you disagree with someone's opinion - make sure that your comments respond to the content of their message; don't ever be tempted to make personal comments.
Get angry at people who are rude or offensive. You will find that humour works better at diffusing potential problems, and simply ignoring them may work even better.
Pose as another chatter. Although duplication of common nicknames often occurs, the deliberate act of pretending to be someone else will be seen to be a violation of their privacy.
Use chat rooms to advertise your product, website, or service.
Give out your personal information. While it is good to share your thoughts, opinions and experiences, do not share information that could be used to identify you. Never post your full name, address or any other information that may reveal who you are.