Online Chat Software Key Terms

Terms you will find as you explore online chat software options

Online chat software is a great tool for a website because it allows visitors to utilize the information on your website more readily. You can use online chat software for your help desk, as a forum for customers to give testimonials, or as a way for consumers to get in touch with your sales staff. It can assist you with marketing and sales as by launching a pop-up dialog window to start a chat with the customer. There are lots of various software packages on the market and you can pick and choose the various features you require. As you start your exploration of this product, it would be helpful to understand some key terms.

 

Virtual community

Virtual community, also known as e-community or online community, is a process in which a group of people interact with one another primarily using the Internet to communicate, incorporating media such as newsletters, email, social network services or instant messages. Online chat software is designed to facilitate virtual communities.
Try: PCMAG.com explains virtual communities.

Social network

A social network is a structure made up of interdependent individuals or organizations. Typically, they have something in common such as business necessities, ideas, friendship, values or visions. Social networks operate more easily with the use of online chat software.
Try: The Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication discusses online social networking in more detail.

Online conference

Online conferencing is also referred to as web conferencing. It refers to the way meetings or presentations are conducted via the Internet. In these meetings, participants can join from their own computer and are connected to others via the Internet. Online chat software can facilitate this type of meeting with the use of collaborative tools such as polling and question/answer sessions.
Try: GoToMeeting explains how online conferencing works.

Internet relay chat

Internet relay chat (IRC) is a way to send real-time text messaging via the Internet. It is mostly designed for groups to communicate in a discussion forum. It also allows one-to-one communicating and data transfers. Online chat software's main purpose is to facilitate this process for users.
Try: Visit Internet.com for more information about IRC.

Direct client-to-client

Direct client-to-client (DCC) is an IRC related sub-protocol that allows users to interconnect using a server for exchanging files or to perform non-relayed chats. After a DCC session is established, the session can run independently from the IRC server. Online chat software facilitates this process for users.
Try: Dictionary.die.net explains the DCC process in more detail.

Real time visitor monitoring

Real time visitor monitoring refers to the way that online chat software tracks how many visitors come to the host's website, which page they visit, and how long they stay on the site.
Try: Live2Support explains real time visitor monitoring.

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