Online chat can refer to any kind of communication over the internet, but is primarily meant to refer to direct 1 on 1 chat or chat rooms, using tools such as instant messenger applications—computer programs, Internet Relay Chat, talkers and possibly MUDs, MUCKs, MUSHes and MOOes.

Other forms of online chat that are not usually referred to as online chat

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MUDs

A MUD, or a multi-user dungeon, is a multi-user version of dungeons and dragons for the internet, and is an early use of the internet. In a MUD, as well as playing the game, people can chat to each other. Talkers were originally based off MUDs and the earliest versions of talkers were primarily MUDs without the gaming element. Other derivations of MUDs were used that combined gaming with talking, and these include MUSHes, MOOs and MUCKs.

Discussion boards

Besides real-time chat, another type of online community includes Internet forums and bulletin board systems (BBSes), where users write posts (blocks of text) to which later visitors may respond. Unlike the transient nature of chats, these systems generally archive posts and save them for weeks or years. They can be used for technical troubleshooting, advice, general conversation and more.

See also

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• Internet Relay Chat
• Chat room
• Talker
• ICQ
• Instant messenger
• Paltalk
• Talk (Unix)
• MUD
• MUSH
• MUCK
• MOO
• Live Support Software

Internet culture | on-line chat

Xat | Chat | Chat | Chat | Babilejo | Chatear | Txat | Chat (informatique) | Chat | צ'אט | チャット | 채팅 | Chatten (communicatie) | Chatting | Чат | Chat | Chat | இணைய உரையாடல்