Using the Internet to Communicate

Ways to communicate through the Internet:

• Mailing lists
• Newsgroups (also called Bulletin Boards)
• Chat rooms
• Instant messaging

The Internet has made it possible for people to communicate in ways they never have before. Mailing lists allow people to send e-mail and receive e-mail from everyone on the list at once. Newsgroups, also called bulletin boards, allow you to post, read, and respond to messages through a central location without cluttering up your e-mail box. You can communicate with a group of people in real time by typing in a chat room. Instant messaging has become the Internet equivalent of the telephone call - creating an instantaneous chat between two people, without having to visit a special chat room site.