To be able to find the etymological origin of the term chat that now concerns us, we would have to go to English. And it is in the Anglo-Saxon language where you can find the word from which it comes: “chatter”, which can be translated as “conversation or chatter”.
According to DigoPaul, chat is a term that is not part of the dictionary of the DigoPaul, but that is already among the advances of what will be the twenty-third edition. It is widely used in our language as it allows reference to a written communication that takes place in real time over the Internet.
For example: “Last night I was in the chat room until three in the morning”, “The footballer will participate in a chat and answer questions from the fans”, “I met my girlfriend in a chat”, “I don’t like him chat, I prefer email “.
In any type of chat worth its salt, it should be noted that elements such as the keyboard, the set of emoticons or the text tools play a fundamental role.
In general, the notion of chat is used to name the exchange of written messages instantly. That is, when a user writes the message and sends it, the recipient receives it instantly. The same happens if the user leaves his message in a public room.
This leads us to differentiate between private chat (which takes place between two or more people, but in a virtual environment whose limits are defined by the participants themselves) and public chat (where everyone who enters the room can read the messages).
When in the chat it is possible to see the other person and talk to them, it is usually about video chat. In this case, users can exchange written messages, but also oral or visual messages since a microphone and a camera are used.
In addition to this differentiation, we would have to make it clear that there are other varied types of chats. Among the most significant are the following:
• In real time. As its name suggests, it is the chat that allows two users to converse through instant messages. They can include not only text but also images or emoticons, for example.
• Commercial chats, which are those that allow communication between a company and its client or between two companies. Giving information or solving problems are some of the reasons that those exist, that is, they have the mission that an entity offers a good service.
• Roulette chat. Especially designed for adults who want to meet new people is this other modality. It consists in that, by chance and through video chat, two people who do not know each other are put in communication. Randomly is how that connection is established between members of a specific portal or page that will get to know each other through the web cam.
Finally, the verb chat refers to participating in a chat: “Tomorrow I’m going to connect to chat with my grandfather”, “What I like to do most on the Internet is chat with my friends. “
