What are blogs, chat rooms, social networking sites and virtual worlds?

× × ×   Chat rooms Chat rooms are electronic forums where users can simultaneously share their views on a wide range of topics.  They serve as a place for people with a common interest to form a community where they can communicate concurrently.  A chat room is a website or part of a website that typically does not need a specifc type of software to run.  Upon entering a chatroom, it is common to see a list on the screen with all users who are currently online, meaning that they are currently using the chat room as well.  Chatrooms normally alert users when another enters or leaves the room.  To communicate, a user must enter text in a textbox.  Once the text is submitted it almost instantly appears in a public message area where all other users can read and respond to the message.  What makes chat rooms different from instant messaging is the fact that chat rooms allow for a person to converse with mu