TexasCHLforum.com

IRC has it's perks = mostly in that you can share real time interaction with others. There are good ones and bad ones, we just don't go to the bad ones.

The amount of restriction required is up to the site owner - there are password enabled rooms; invite only, or those open to the whole world. They get a bad reputation because -- we hear about bad encounters - but for our personal experience, we've met a lot of really nice people online.

I used to moderate a Christian chat room and there are automated controls that can be enabled, like booting and/or banning people if the participants use specified words or phrases - so even if a live person isn't 'in the room' - a bot can moderate as programmed.

Another option is to schedule participation during windows of time - so that a moderator CAN be present - one of the message boards I visited only opened their chat room from 8-10 in the evenings.

Similar to meeting people through their posts on this forum, we've met people from all over the country - in real life. It's a weird concept to consider developing friendships 'online' - but the internet has opened up the world like we've never known before.

As someone else mentioned, they are used mostly for social interactions. My husband chats with one of his best friends every night from the Seecamp forum. They mostly send online commentaries back and forth about the tv program they are both watching!

thatTexasLady wrote:Well that wasn't very nice. I have used the chat feature on another firearm forum I am on to learn very important information. It; however, is not a Texas forum. I just thought if folks could ask a question and get an answer quickly that might be a great option. I am sorry it was such "foolishness".

I meant it as a joke, If I affended you in anyway I am sorry. FYI, my wife laughed...

I'm sorry if I took it wrong.

I'm not a fan of the chat rooms either. I like the way this is laid out so I can read up on the various conversations as time permits and gather intel that way. If information was being tranmitted back and forth in a chat room so many of us would miss out on it.

Besides the fact that my personal computer is also my work computer, and the company has a policy against accessing facebook, other social networking sites, and any chat other than the company-based IM app, I'm not much for chat myself. I very much like the forum setup as it is.

I'm also aware that I can stomp my feet, hold my breath, and throw any other fit I want, but people will do what people will do, and if I refuse to be part of the party, the end result is that the party goes on without me. Translation: I can't stop others from doing what they want, and if there is enough motivation for a chat format, the folks that want chat format will figure out a way to have their chats. I can either accept that and choose either to participate or not, or I can deny it till my dying breath and basically "choose" not to participate. Like I say, I prefer the forum setup, and hope that most folks choose to continue with the good information on the forum in the format it is currently in.