This is yet another example of how the Net is not as anonymous as some people believe.
Many online services do store all electronic communication that takes place on their networks.
You might have heard instances of chat room records being subpoenaed in legal proceedings, such as in cases involving online pedophiles. Some services also make it easy for chat room participants to record electronic correspondence that takes place in chat rooms, so you can never be certain that one or more of your chat buddies isn't saving your discussion for future use. For these reasons, be careful what you say on the Net, and never assume that an online chat is private. To submit your own question or find an index to previous questions and answers, click here .