Chats

Chats are real-time or near real-time exchanges of text and media between two or more participants through digital devices. They occur as one-on-one messages, group conversations, chat rooms, or public/private channels within platforms. They emphasize immediacy and presence, though many systems support asynchronous replies.

Online chat began with Internet Relay Chat (IRC) in 1988, enabling multi-user channels. Instant messaging grew in the 1990s, and mobile messaging in the 2000s expanded access. Smartphones and cloud services have since integrated text, voice, and video in unified platforms with bots and apps.

Types and features include synchronous chats (real-time) and asynchronous chats (delayed replies). Common features are presence and typing indicators, read receipts, media attachments, search, and bots. Chats can be private, or organized in groups, channels, or rooms.

Technology and security: Chat systems use protocols such as XMPP, Matrix, or proprietary ones, often over WebSocket. Many services offer end-to-end encryption for messages. Multimedia and voice/video are frequently integrated, using technologies like WebRTC.

Impact and challenges: Chats support personal communication, customer service, and collaboration. Privacy, data collection, and moderation remain concerns, balanced against safety and freedom of expression. Trends include AI chatbots, ephemeral messages, cross-platform interoperability, and richer media.