Newsgroups

   Newsgroup messages are stored on a news server where people post messages just like placing a message on a bulletin board. People do not need to subscribe to the newsgroup to read messages. Anyone with access to a newsreader can read and respond to posts. Newsgroups exchange messages in a format similar to that of a bulletin board, through direct information "feeds" between participating computer sites. According to information posted to the newsgroup news.lists, there are more than 58,402 different sites that send and receive newsgroups, more than 10,696 different newsgroups worldwide, and more than 20 million different users. Many universities and online service providers support newsreader software.

Chat Rooms

   Chat rooms are places where people meet online. Live chat is an interactive feature of computer networks because it occurs in almost-real time. Chat is exchanged between two sweethearts, or, according to Fox (1995), "it can be party-like: a roomful of people talking at once, the mingled messages reading like a script. Everybody types what they want to say and their words are immediately printed on everybody else's screen". Many online services make chat rooms available to their subscribers. Some people meet in the same chat room at the same time on a given day. Others move from room to room looking for inteesting conversations.

Instant Messenger

   A popular new trend in CMC is a feature called instant messenger (IM). This feature enables people who are logged onto their computers to exchange short messages in synchronous communication, or real time, with their friends. For example, the America Online Service allows users to create "buddy lists." When an AOL member connects to the Internet, the AOL software will identify the buddies on their list who are also online. Buddy list members can then start exchanging messages with each other. Instant messenger brings together at the same time individuals who are physically separated.

   Embedded computing and wireless communication now extend instant messages beyond computers. For instance, people can now receive instant messages on their cell phones. At home or walking down the street, we can share short instant messages with our friends.