Online chat
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While many of the web's well known custodians offer online chat and messaging services for free, an increasing number of providers are beginning to show strong revenue streams from paid-for services. Again it is the Adult service providers, profiting from the advent of reliable and high-speed broadband, (notably across Eastern Europe) who are at the forefront of the paid-for online chat revolution.
For every business traveller engaging in a video call or conference call rather than braving the check-in queue, there are countless web users replacing traditional conversational means with online chat and messaging. Like Email, which has reduced the need and usage of letter, fax and memo communication, online chat is steadily replacing telephony as the means of office and home communication. The early adopters in these areas are undoubtedly teenage users of instant messaging. It might not be long before SMS text messaging usage declines as mobile handsets provide the technology for online chat.
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[edit] Other forms of online chat that are not usually referred to as online chat
[edit] MUDs
A MUD, or a multi-user dungeon, is a multi-user version of dungeons and dragons for the internet, and is an early use of the internet. In a MUD, as well as playing the game, people can chat to each other. Talkers were originally based off MUDs and the earliest versions of talkers were primarily MUDs without the gaming element. Other derivations of MUDs were used that combined gaming with talking, and these include MUSHes, MOOs and MUCKs.
[edit] See also
[edit] General terms
- Chat room
- Web chat site
- Voice chat
- VoIP Voice over IP
- Live support software
- Online discussion
- Online discourse environment
[edit] Protocols/Programs
- Talker
- Internet Relay Chat
- Instant messenger
- PalTalk
- Talk (Unix)
- Meetro
- MUD
- MUSH
- MOO
- Google Talk
- Yahoo! Messenger
- Skype
- SILC
- Windows Live Messenger
- Campfire
[edit] Chat programs supporting multiple protocols
[edit] Online Chatting Sites Supporting Multiple Protocols
- RadiusIM
- Meebo
