One of the most frustrating experiences of my life has been the attempt I made at one time to maintain friendships via instant messaging (aka chatting). I felt that, since the hourly cost of Internet access is less than that of phone calls, this would be a very inexpensive way to communicate with people. My experience was that people didn't take instant messaging seriously enough for any meaningful conversation to take place.

I was wondering if there are any rules that one can follow to make for a satisfying instant messaging or chat experience? "Professional chatters", do you have any tips?

At the moment i am maintaining quite a number of friendships through  on line chatting. We chat about anything and everything!. I have had very meaningful /deep conversations through instant messaging but i noticed that the people i chat successfully with are my  very close friends, family and business associates.

Seun:

My experience was that people didn't take instant messaging seriously enough for any meaningful conversation to take place.

Without sounding one kind, my opinion is that the reason these people didn't take instant messaging seriously,was because they didn't take you seriously/ they had nothing important to say!. It's so easy to chat, you simply type whats on your mind and then a reply made.

So, rule no. one is, chat with those that are of importance to you and you important to them. Example- business associates, tight pallies, close relatives etc.

they didn't take you seriously/ they had nothing important to say!

Ouch! (but you are probably 100% right - I don't chat anymore and no-one is complaining!)

I've discovered that what works best is to launch the messenger app only when I have something to discuss with someone in particular. I only log on to Yahoo Messenger (or Google Talk) when someone says "let's chat", and when it's over, I log out. This way I don't put myself in a position to be rude to anyone, and no-one has the opportunity to be rude to me.

Any other tips? We need your tips!

just be nice and courteous.

if it's people you know or close friends, say ******

may not be helpfu at all, just my thoughts rather than tips;

1) Chat without expectation.  Know that you are ONLY chatting, you didn't exchange any contract before you start to chat.  The conversation might become very useful, forming of a new friendship(which is a bonus), or it become very offensive and ruin your day.
2) Chat is one easy communication tool, we don't have to see or hear each other(except in case of video/voice chat), or get to know each other.  That blindness, as usual and always, is the easiness of chat and difficulty of keeping the relationship afterwards.
3) Meeting someone new is easy but keeping up the relatioinship is hard, universal rule for both internet AND real life.
4) If the chemistry works fine, good relationship shall certainly be continued. Must accompanied with courtesy, respect to each other, and honesty to yourself.

I was a "Proffesional chatter".. i would have 14 IM windows at ones, talking and running from place to place. Asking who's this and a/s/l. It was actually fun but i got tired of it (i matured ).

I still chat with people, but those are mainly people i am now close to.. I divide people in sections on my yahoo mess. there's the Nigeria people, Friends for lyfe, unknown people, perverts, online friends. My yahoo block list keeps rising on daily bases.

My only rule for chatting is, if you know there's no root/head/tail on your first chat. Block the person! There's a reason why that block thing is there.

There's actually no much rule to chatting, but when chatting "have at the back of your mind that the person you r talking might not neccessarily be who he'she is". Blah don't fall up on me now.. i know you have to believe in what people say they are.. but hey prevention is better than cure.

Don't give someone your credit card number because s/he is always online to help you. That's so scary! How will someone always be online... that means the person is an online predator looking for a prey. I blocked some people like that. Whenever i sign on.. viola, they r always there. Hello!!!!!!!!! think fast!

I hope you haven't blocked me because I am always online

Anyway, I don't think there are specific rules to chatting. When you go into chat rooms these days, it's always males wanting to chat with a female and vice versa. Therefore, if you are a male and you are trying to chat with a fellow male, most often, what u get is an insult or "bye".

However, there's one important thing to note. Most girls hate it when you buzz them. They also like it when you talk politely. In other words, mind your language when chatting with them. To me, chatting is just more or less like a means of making friends on the internet. (Lizzy and I became friends through yahoo messenger after which she introduced me to Nairaland). I personally have stopped visiting chat rooms for over a month now since most people that get online these days don't have anything to offer.

But then, the only rule I know in chatting is talking politely

_{Thank you}

First rule:
Dont chat anywhere the word "chat" appears.
Nowadays hackers use chat to get at you. Chat is a direct port to port connection and people can actually hack into your system that way. If u want to proove me wrong, go into yahoo hackers lounge and say "rubbish". U might have to sacrifice your Hard drive. Also don't store sensitive infos on a PC connected to the net.

Second rule
Dont chat with too many people at once.
We are humans and sometimes "law of dimnishin returns" sets in when we try to act "customer service". Try talking to several people(at once) in real life and see what happens. Its risky because at a point u might give a secret info meant for A to B. this brings me to the next rule

Third rule:
Dont give out personal info via chat. Anybody can claim to be anybody on chat. Anonymosity rules. Secret info should be given in person.

Fourth rule.
This is what i do. I don't go to chat rooms anymore. I only chat with known people. Get to know each other in real life, get your ID and thats it.

Chat rooms suck. I left that one sinceeeeeeeeeeeeeee.. Just dont do it. They send you lots of spam.

yeah sucks!

nope nope nope

i guess everyone has already given the good tips, group them..yes thats right so people that u don't want to speak to, u don't speak to them..

and don't be a mumu and give your credit card number or anything that could catch you out..i guess we should all be careful, don't fall to the sweet lies they tell because at the end of the day, your life might be crushed..i heard so much stories about these situations where a 15 year old girl was chatting with someone blah blah blah..they met and the man has been tormenting her life every since..shes in the psychatrist hospital now, where my mum works, she tells us stories about her life and anytime she remembers it all, she turns bad and worse

be careful..life is not as always as we view it oo

i cant chat pls help me wat are d procedures

Download yahoo messenger or msn messenger. Get someone to put you through.

Chatting is gud.!

Well SEUN my friend met a wife from net she lives in USA not joke at all bu i was laughing at him.u know one more thing some people can really keep conversation sailing tose guys enter net for full time chtting what do u expert they make their own thing.

the main thing is I dont go into chat rooms, cos my own version of messenger (yahoo messenger with BT communicator) doesnt support chatting... I only chat with those I know or those I got their Id from somewhere or someone.

But when it comes to chatting with the above mentioned ppl, its much of fun.. _{they can testify to that}

And for those who go into the chatroom, you can be lucky and unlucky, theres a guy we receive lecture together, he got here tru a girl he met online and things are working out for him.

I know how to play my own games, the person that will dupe me online is not going to be human maybe something else, cos the moment I receive im's, I know where they come from.._{am not kiddin}, I know where u got my id from I meant.

Those who started chatting programmes made if for a purpose, its just humans are something else... They are some ppl that uses the Holy Bible in Playing gamble, so I cant be surprised when I see you playing pranks on me.

I have spoken

Last don

bro! why d shocker absorber?

so u dont use yahoo chat?

yes, I no dey chat unless for ppl wey see my id for websites or those I know them ID, my messenger no get chat

thelastdon:

bro! why d shocker absorber?

Shocker Absorber...hehe