Chatting About This And That

For some people chat has become as much a part of their everyday life as telephone conversations and email.

Among those who have never spent time in a chat room there seems to be a common perception that the only reason people chat is to engage in cybersex. Reality couldn't be further from the truth.

There is, unquestionably, all types of social networking that goes on in chat rooms. I know of people who met chatting and eventually married. Chat for some offers greater potential to meet "the right person" than a matchmaking site. You have conversations with people, not just look at pictures and read profiles.

I have a friend whose little boy had to have a liver transplant. She was able to connect with people in a chat room who had similar experience; they provided her both with beneficial information as well as support. People with mental health issues frequently isolate which tends to have a negative effect. Chatting opens a door to a social support network that can allow them to work around that problem.

Beyond social networking, chat is becoming more and more common in business offices. It makes communicating much more efficient than shooting emails back and forth. At times face to face, or webcame to webcam, communication is not possible. Speaking to a person on the telephone, at times, can make difficult situations worse. That's simple to understand; in a heated moment all too often words flow without thought being given to what is said. That bit of delay, a moment to look at the words on your screen before hitting Enter can make a world of difference.

Given all that, might we chat some time? 8-)