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The creation of the Internet has allowed people to be able to communicate in many different forms and fashion. The way we communicate has come far from telephones or simple postal mail. In order to get the most out of the options of communication on the Internet people need to understand just what is available to them, the difference in the choices, and how to use each. Lets take a look at some of the more popular forms of communication on the Internet today. We will be discussing chat, instant messaging or IM, and forums.

Chat is a function that has been available online for decades now. People use the chat function by logging into a chat room with their chosen username and password. The login you will use will depend on where you decide to join the chat session. Some common choices for chat rooms are yahoo, msn, AOL, etc. Chat is often used to communicate with people of similar interests or in a specific area. People generally do not know the person they connect with in a chat room environment. Chat rooms are open to anyone with an ID and password and may include people from different states and countries. Many people you meet in chat are only talked to once but it is not impossible to form a companionship and some form of relationship blossom. So many people use chat that there are people to talk to at any given time of the day or night.

Companies such as Yahoo, MSN, AOL, etc offer instant messaging better known as IM service. Software must be downloaded to your pc in order for you to be able to send instant messages. Downloads can be found on the site of your chosen instant messenger provider such as AOL, Yahoo, MSN, etc. The download time will vary depending upon your Internet connection speed. Most messenger downloads are free. Instant messaging can be used to communicate with family, friends, and new people you meet online. In order to communicate with people using instant messaging you must have the people's username or ID. Instant messaging allows users to easily share and send files such as documents and photos. You will be able to see when the people on your friends list are logged into their messenger. Some messenger services will allow stealth settings and some may choose to sign in invisible. This means that you will not be able to see these people online unless they contact you directly. Stealth settings will allow you to choose who of your friends can and cannot see when you are online. Instant messaging is in real time fashion meaning you send

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