Are there different kinds of chat room?
Yes, there are three main types of chat room: • Internet Relay Chat (IRC) – the oldest and still popular form of chat room is the text-based variety. It is a real time form of synchronised internet chat. It’s specific purpose is group communication in discussion forums or channels, however it also has the capacity for one-to-one communication via private message. • 2D Visual Chat Rooms e.g. The Palace or The Manor – such chat rooms provide a virtual world or graphic background that a user’s avatar can navigate. These environments are capable of incorporating elements such as games and educational material most often developed by individual site owners, who have a more in depth knowledge of the system. Some visual chat rooms also incorporate audio and video communications, so that users can see and hear each other. • 3D Visual Chat Rooms e.g. Habbo Hotel– These are very similar to the 2D variety except that they utilise 3D graphics. This allows the user a more realistic interaction with
