In the past 4.5 years since I started using computers at home, I have made some really wonderful relationships that began in chatrooms. I met my best friends through a car club chat.
It is not an exaggeration to say that being in that chatroom changed my life, because of whom I've met and I always make sure to thank those who have pushed, encouraged and helped me achieve what I never even considered to be possible a few short years ago.
I have realized that there are one or two who will use chatrooms to further their own agenda with no regard toward the people they target, but they are very few and far between and they tend to disappear rather quickly.
I like chat because of the interaction, the commonality found over time and the wealth of information we all possess in one form or another. I never knew what I could accomplish before using chats and, as I continue to participate in them, I continue to grow and learn.
Chats are not for the very young at all. Feelings of being 'an outsider' can fade if you take the time to observe. It's as personal as you make it to be. Myself, I am pretty open about most things; just as in any situation, I reveal what I want to reveal. In some ways, the internet is more pure-if there are judgements, they are based mostly on the words without ever seeing who is behind them, should one choose to not show themselves. We will always tend to judge or guess(note the thread about imagining how TFP'ers sound), but if we understand the limitations and keep an open mind, the world is ours for the taking.
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