When Chat Communities Become Heated

Few things sap the fun out of online chat communities like heated arguments and brawls.When these conflicts start spinning out of control, often the best policy is to step back and exercise patience.Unfortunately, most in the group choose instead to fan the flame Any time people get into a chat environment, they bring their own way of participating – or refusing to participate in the argument.In other words, there are five different types you'll find in the midst of these chat conflicts.Some deal with it positively, others not so much First there's the person who hides behind the curtain of anonymity.In a chat room, nobody really knows who you are.You can choose your own name, your own identity. Some may be true or it might all be false. This gives a person the ability to really fan the flames of the argument, since he feels like there will not be many consequences for what he says or does.There are those who don't like hurting people's feelings, but don't really think about it when they're online.Not many people truly enjoy hurting someone, especially if they can see them face to face.However, when you're in a chat room, it's almost as though it's not a real person. Therefore, it's much easier to say things that you wouldn't say to someone's face.You remember these guys in school.Someone probably wouldn't make fun of the geeky kid if it was just the two of them, but when there are a bunch of bullies harassing the geek, he'll join in.The same phenomenon exists in cyberspace. There are people who, as soon as they see someone being attacked in a chatroom, will join right in.There are those who choose to respond to a conflict by leaving the chat room.They know that getting away from the heat is as simple as clicking his mouse.You should know that very few people choose this option.There's a fifth group, similar to the “leavers.”This is the person who stays in the chat room, but simply refuses to be involved in the conflict.He won't take sides one way or the other.This is in many ways the noblest way to handle it, because if everyone chose to ignore the argument—well, there would be no argument left, but there would still be people to keep a friendlier chat going in the room.A chat room has certain built-in safety features to protect your identity from online bullies and stalkers.Unfortunately, these also sometimes give people a sense that it's easy to take part in arguments with no consequences. People become emboldened and are quick to respond if antagonized.The best advice: Remind yourself often that on the other side is a real person just like you.