Chat

Chatting, also called Instant Messaging (IM), is a way to communicate with people in different geographic locations in real time using text messages. The core idea is that the conversation happens live — as if both people were in the same room. This is different from email, where there is a delay between sending and receiving.

For a chat session to work, both the sender and receiver must be online at the same time and must use the same chat application. The sender types a message and sends it; the receiver gets it instantly, reads it, and can reply immediately. All of this happens in real time.

A chat is essentially a forum where multiple people can connect to discuss common interests. Two individuals can also exchange messages privately. With the increase in internet speed, modern instant messengers go far beyond plain text. They now allow users to send images, documents, audio, and video files. Communicating parties can also talk to each other through an audio call or a video call. Additionally, it is possible to chat through text, audio, and video in a group — this is called a group chat or group call. …