Tools for Communication

E-Mail, Forums and Chat

The interactive communication tools are both useful and fun. You can keep in touch with family, participate in discussions and make new friends. Standard protocols have been developed for mail, newsgroups, and chat that can be accessed with your choice of programs. Web based programs have also been developed for easy access to these features.

Usenet Newsgroups - these are not really "news", but are discussion groups. There are thousands of them on any topic you can imagine - mostly un-moderated. With  newsreader like the one built into Outlook Express, or Agent you can filter objectionable material, and use the Edit/find feature to search out your posts and replies, and you can download the posts to read offline. Some groups contain binary files - which are usually pictures or music. You can also access newsgroup discussions with web based news clients like Google Groups.

Web Based Message Boards - These have become very popular as many portals want to provide forums. There are several message board software programs that allow individuals to create their own forums.

Chat - While message boards are my favorite interactive feature, I also like topic based chat, and have found that live tech help via chat can be a valuable tool.  Chat can also be annoying - too many people talking at once.