Proper Etiquette Online: How Not to Act in a Chat Room

Ah, Netspeak. Perhaps one of the less harmful things about the internet, but surely also one of the most annoying and difficult to resolve.. or decipher. Nowadays it seems that people feel free enough to come online, type how they want and expect others to automatically accept them and understand them. However, there are certain rules of etiquette for chatting online that make it more tolerable and less stressful.

You're all revved up, ready to chat on a new channel and the first thing you do is announce your age, sex and location. Now, if it's an age designated channel I can understand the announcing of age, but in general chat channels, you do not need to announce any of that. First, nobody cares. Second, it's not entirely the smartest of things to do when coming into a new place. Thirdly, it's considered rude by most general chat rooms that aren't designated as 'dating' channels. The proper thing to do when entering any chat channel for the first time is simply to say, "hello!" or "hi!" Be friendly and cordial. Sure, you come in under the name QueenMandy05 - I think they can take an educated guess that you're female. Now that you've properly greeted the channel, hopefully someone responds back with a cheery hello too. 

However, if there is nobody answering your hello, it's considered extremely rude to start messaging people without permission. Some are busy elsewhere and some may be sleeping. You just never know what someone is doing just because they don't respond to you. It's about space. You message someone without permission is stepping into their personal space that is just not yours. In most instances, they won't even respond to you in query even if they are active. You may very well find yourself ignored, told off or even banned from the channel.