Chat Rooms

Chat Rooms Versus Forums

Chat rooms and forums serve similar purposes and have comparable formats; however, there are several features that distinguish them. Chat rooms and forums are both online spaces that allow for discussions, questions, and conversation. Both chat rooms and forums also use anonymous screen names for posting chats and threads. The vital difference between chat rooms and forums is the use of time. Chat rooms are a synchronous form of communication, in which communication occurs in real time, while forums are an asynchronous form of communication, in which communication occurs over days, weeks, or even months.

The way in which time is used in chat rooms and forums also contributes to the pace at which conversations take place. The real-time communication in chat rooms causes communication to occur at a fast, conversational pace similar to how face-to-face communication would occur. On the contrary, the nonparallel communication in forums allows for a much slower pace, and as interactions are stretched over time, comments and exchanges can occur that are not relevant to the original posting.

Research Application

Studying chat rooms can be difficult because many of the conversations are private and difficult to access; however, understanding what to expect and becoming familiar with appropriate research methods can simplify the process. While time is what makes chat rooms an organic possibility for studying online conversations, time also serves to work against the researcher. Recording chat room dialogue typically involves the use of screen capture or physically printing the conversation for use with any future research endeavors. The transitive and conversational nature of chat rooms can cause what was viewed only hours ago to disappear entirely, either deleted by users or moderators, or simply lost in the myriad of other conversations occurring online. Chat rooms provide a very time-sensitive and often fragile and temporary stream of discourse.