An agency could use a chat to introduce a new member to others in the group and allow them to interact in a more lively, interactive way than, say, an e-mail list. Many organizations have asked the VV Project about holding online board meetings via live chats. Check with your state attorney general office for more information. Chats are particularly popular among young people. The culture of a chat is fast, with short comments coming in quickly and constant.
Chats often require that all users have the same software or operating systems.
Chats also require that participants have a good understanding of how the technology works, and a high comfort level in using it. Having 100 people on a chat, however, can become overwhelming, because most of the participants will engage in conversation, so consideration needs to be made in how many participants are ideal for your chat situation. A new participant might feel uncomfortable by this. Finally, security and confidentiality of participants should be considered before creating an agency-sponsored chat environment. Facilitator , to keep the group focused, post items to generate appropriate and useful discussions, remind participants of the ground rules or topics for discussion, and sometimes step in to calm nerves when online arguments get out of control.