You know how great it is to have the chance to talk to someone about something you are interested in and have it turn out they are interested in the very same thing you are? It's great to find someone with some of the same interests you have; it's like finding someone who "speaks the same language" you do. The Internet allows a chance to have those kinds of great discussions across thousands of miles in gatherings called chat sessions. Through this activity you will have the chance to find out about chat sessions, how to participate in them, and some safety precautions you should always observe when visiting cyberspace.

     This activity will require access to a computer that is Internet accessible. Additionally, before joining a chat session, please read the "Rules for Online Safety" included with this activity. Also, see the previous activity, "News Views" for guidelines on internet safety and communications.

     Chat sessions help people with common interests to come together over the Internet to share ideas and interests and solve problems. They can be very valuable tools. Some chat sessions are ongoing, and available 24 hours a day, each day. Other chat sessions happen at a regular, scheduled time. Still other chat sessions happen only one time.

     For this activity, you will be joining the 4-H Chat Room This is a chat session developed specifically for 4-H members. It is held every fourth Saturday of each month, at 4 p.m., C.S.T. This chat session is sponsored by the National 4-H Council. To find out more, check out the 4-H Chat Web Page: http://www.4-h.org/chat/.

     After you have visited the 4-H Chat Room, write a brief report (1-2 paragraphs) of what you learned from participating, and what other interests you hope to explore through chat sessions.

     Share the report you created with a parent or with an adult volunteer. Explain the process you went through in order to participate in the 4-H Chat Room, and what topics were discussed while you were in the Chat Room.

• Did you find the 4-H Chat Room interesting? Why or why not?



• Did you participate directly, or just observe? Were you hesitant to join in the "chatting?" Why or why not?



• Were there safety precautions that you took while you were on-line? If so, what were those precautions?

     Investigate other chat sessions that are of interest to you. Check with your parent(s) before visiting any chat session.

     Visit with someone who is more experienced with chat sessions. Ask him or her what was the most interesting chat session they participated in. What made it interesting?

     Ask someone from your 4-H club to join you next time there is a 4-H Chat Room session. Teach them what you have already learned about chat sessions. Develop your own set of guidelines for on- line safety. Share your guidelines with other young people who are likely to participate in chat sessions.

     Chat sessions allow us to communicate in real-time with others who have similar interests. Don't be deceived; however, this "chatting" isn't really talking, it's typing. It's different from e- mail though because there is no delay in communication. The person you are communicating with can answer you almost immediately. Chat sessions also are different from e-mail in that usually they are "public". This means that nearly anyone could be reading what you are saying to your fellow chatter. This could mean a parent, a younger child, anyone. Because of this, it is wise to be very cautious when communicating with others through chat sessions.

     Safety is a big concern, especially for young people visiting the Internet. While "surfing the Web" can be dangerous enough, participating in some chat sessions can be even more dangerous. This is because, people sometimes misrepresent themselves, and are not what they appear when they are on-line. The list below are "My Rules for Online Safety" taken from the 4-H Chat page. Please read through them before visiting the World Wide Web.

• I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parent's work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parent's permission.



• I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.



• I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.



• I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.



• I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the online service.



• I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online, and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

     Additionally, never tell anyone your last name or e-mail address while you are on- line in a chat room.

     Here are some other sites you can visit to find out about chat sessions that might be of interest to you:

• Yahoo Net Events -This page has several categories that might be of interest, including: news, science, computers, and sports. It is located at: http://events.yahoo.com/.



• Another general site that lists several chat session is Chat Planet: http://www.chatplanet.com/surf.html.



• The British Broadcasting Company: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio5/index.html.



• ABC's Internet Hourly News: http://www.realaudio.com/contentp/abc.html.

Adapted from material developed by Illinois 4-H. Used by permission.

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