In light of my recent article about the dangers of chat rooms, it seems only fair to present the other side, which covers the unique resources available in the many chat rooms that exist in our cyber culture.
Truth be told, chat rooms are a wonderful and unique form of communication and exchange between people with like interests; kind of like a club with invisible members! Talking over the computer can be a very positive force in anyone’s life and psychologically, it is a way to really know someone without being influenced by outward appearances. You can’t see who you are talking to, but you can know them in a way you can’t know others; that is, in your mind’s eye where impressions and feelings merge into a kind of inner vision.
The Internet and its vast resources can be thought of as a grand cyber-garden, and its chat rooms are some of the flowers that grow in it (and need to tended, nourished and sometimes weeded out). Its digital resources are one grand library of knowledge and one in which no identity card is necessary. Search engines abound with all types of resources and helpful information needed anywhere and anytime throughout the world. Some notables include: Google, Lycos, Ask Jeeves, Yahoo, Dogpile and Altavista. Plugging in a name to get information has made even the library down the block too far to go for information even for the most industrious student or researcher (this author included).
Of course, privacy is and always will be an issue with the use and sometimes abuse of the Internet. It is still not a good idea to give credit card information over cyber waves due to hackers and other unethical cyber-thieves. (I know many people do it, but I would hesitate.) Cyber bullying needs to be addressed as well. Because of the anonymity the Internet provides, bullying is easier to do than it would be face to face. (It is no less wrong, however.) This is considered a crime and can be fodder for a harassment lawsuit.
The Internet is a wondrous cosmos that can be and sometimes is addictive. Just in terms of its magnitude, there is always something new to learn and discover and “just one more thing to check out.” Hobbies can be creative and rewarding outlets for learning as well.
Therefore, the Internet is as safe as we permit it to be. Its good points far outweigh the bad, and it would be difficult to envision a future without it.
Happy Cyber…whatever!