A real time conferencing capability between two or more users on a local network (LAN), on the Internet or via a BBS. The chat is really a "text chat," because the conversing is accomplished by typing on the keyboard, not speaking. Each keystroke is transmitted as it is pressed. The chat rooms of the 1980s were the forerunner of the "instant messaging" craze of the 1990s. See chat room, instant messaging, IRC and voice chat.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- ROFLthing 2008
- Have you ever been to an internet culture conference? Earlier this year, Harvard senior Tim Hwang threw one in Cambridge, Mass., and it was a massive success. This time, Hwang wanted to have a smaller get together in San Francisco to chat about memes. Welcome to ROFLthing...
- Blog posts 2008-08-29
- Comcast's Web limits: Saving bandwidth or stifling innovation?
- The first computer I ever bought had a whopping six-gigabyte hard drive inside - far more storage capacity than anyone might have ever dreamed of using some ten years ago. Back then, no one was really downloading music or uploading digital photos, let alone streaming video or placing VoIP phone...
- Blog posts 2008-08-28
- What SaaS can teach us about customer service
- What SaaS can teach us about customer serviceGood Advice!As someone actively engaged in the software as a service industry, I can confirm that Archie Black's advice is spot on. I work for PayCycle, an online payroll company that embodies the SaaS model. Our customers don't make distinctions between...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-28
- EIC Podcast: Apple-Psystar; Cisco vs. Microsoft; DNC; Dell
- On this week's EIC squared podcast Dan and I talk about that ongoing Apple-Psystar legal showdown, Cisco and Microsoft's collision course, the Democratic National Convention and Dell's plans for the cloud. On Wednesday Psystar--that little Mac clone maker in Florida--sued Apple for antitrust violations. The big question:...
- Blog posts 2008-08-27
- Google Suggest goes live, will people like it?
- Google Suggest goes live, will people like it?I got lost...In trying to figure out whether Google Suggest had anything to do with weather or if your spell checker doesn't check grammar and no one gave the article a visual check. The 'weather' in the first paragraph kind of lost...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-26
- Vkernel's catchphrase "performance lifecycle management"
- I recently was introduced to a new catchphrase during a discussion with Vkernel. The phrase was "performance lifecycle management." Although at first, it seemed the result of running one of those buzzword generators. I'm sure you know what I mean - software that selects three random words from a list...
- Blog posts 2008-08-26
- Office 2.0: Eating our own dogfood...
- It's been a fascinating experience helping Ismael Ghalimi organize the third Office 2.0 Conference, which runs from September 3rd to 5th at San Francisco's St Regis Hotel. As well as the terrific group of sessions and speakers we've organized, plus the action packed 'unconference' ...
- Blog posts 2008-08-25
- Mandatory email
- Mandatory emailWe need better emailFrankly, email is currently broken - spam and scams and phishing make it a mess to wade through, even with the best spam blocking stuff.Problem is, we decided to use "adaptive filtering" statistical junk rather than solid encryption and digital signatures. What do the spammers do?...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-25
- Open source microblogging
- If I had to explain Twitter to someone for the first time, I would say that it's an addicting social news feed of my friends' status or commentary. It's micro-blogging. Pushing out a tweet to 10 or 10,000 people is as easy as sending a text message. ...
- Blog posts 2008-08-24
- Google and Sirius XM: Build my "Dream" Handheld
- The current rumor-mongering seems to indicate that HTC's "Dream" will soon be making landfall in the US. Based on the initially leaked specs of this device, it still sounds like it doesn't do what I really would want it to do in order to replace by Blackberry 8820. ...
- Blog posts 2008-08-24
- 2012 Olympics: Give Us Webcams On the Wall
- 2012 Olympics: Give Us Webcams On the WallInteresting proposalI like your idea. some thoughts:First: two separate approaches 1) a media center PC to output to the TV & 2) use consolesSecond: Allow for user created chat rooms (audio/text) like IRC channels with audio. That allows the end user...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-22
- 123-Web-Messenger-Server-Software (gz)
- 123 Web Messenger is a Web browser based instant messaging software for your site, enables one-to-one chat to your users. It brings the Web site to life, make it interactive between users. It retains members and increases loyalty of them, so it's ideal solution to build the community for a...
- Software downloads 2008-08-22
- 123 Live Help Chat Server Software (gz)
- 123 Live Help offers stronger features to you. Staff can invite Web site visitors on their own initiative and begin one-to-one chat with visitors, to promote sales with online customer support. Also client can choose sales. The advantage of 123 Live Help is that its chat clients are created by...
- Software downloads 2008-08-22
- Zoho Share(point?)
- If there's one thing I really like it is what I term 'self evident' applications. These are apps that have a clear purpose and which are blindingly simple to use. Zoho Share falls squarely in that category. The company prefers to think of...
- Blog posts 2008-08-21
- Microsoft launches 3-D photo viewer Photosynth
- Microsoft Live Labs' latest project is actually an old one with a new twist. Photosynth lets you stitch together an entire roll of photos into dazzling 3-D environments. CNET.com's Ina Fried sits down with Microsoft's Gary William Flake to chat about what you can do with this new technology.
- Videos 2008-08-21
- 123 Flash Chat Joomla Module/Component (zip)
- Joomla is good CMS, and 123-Flash-Chat-Server-Software is a full-featured Java chat server with a neat flash client with custom skins, linkable to external databases. 123FlashChat is fast, easy, secure and high-load support, and scalable to support business of any size. HTML edition is available as an alternative chat client now....
- Software downloads 2008-08-21
- FlashPioneer Video Chat (zip)
- FlashPioneer Video Chat is a non-client, audio & video chat solution based on FMS. It helps you deploy an online community with features in text, sound & video communication, real-time doodle and animation smiley besides advanced functions of database integration, multi-language and multi-platform support. It is a white brand system...
- Software downloads 2008-08-21
- 123FlashChat-for-Firefox (xpi)
- A simple to use tool for your Firefox browser that allows you to chat with your friends. It is fast, easy to use and dynamic display online chat user list. People using Firefox can chat together in rooms sorted by locations. This version is the first release on CNET Download.com.
- Software downloads 2008-08-21
- What SaaS can teach us about customer service
- In the SaaS model, the power is with the customer and vendors need to take a very different approach to both sales and service, here's how to do it says Archie Black, President and CEO of SPS Commerce. Commentary--Software-as-a-Service SaaS is one of the fastest growing segments of...
- News items 2008-08-20
- Mandarin Module One (mod)
- Studybase Mandarin is a database and a viewer application that contains a vast array of resources with which to study Mandarin. These include FlashCards, Lessons, Tests, Chat interpreters, IME, and dictionaries. This module is a data file that contains the first group of lessons.Version 0.45 adds data and security improvements.
- Software downloads 2008-08-20
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