TexasCHLforum.com

IRC has it's perks = mostly in that you can share real time interaction with others. There are good ones and bad ones, we just don't go to the bad ones.

The amount of restriction required is up to the site owner - there are password enabled rooms; invite only, or those open to the whole world. They get a bad reputation because -- we hear about bad encounters - but for our personal experience, we've met a lot of really nice people online.

I used to moderate a Christian chat room and there are automated controls that can be enabled, like booting and/or banning people if the participants use specified words or phrases - so even if a live person isn't 'in the room' - a bot can moderate as programmed.

Another option is to schedule participation during windows of time - so that a moderator CAN be present - one of the message boards I visited only opened their chat room from 8-10 in the evenings.

Similar to meeting people through their posts on this forum, we've met people from all over the country - in real life. It's a weird concept to consider developing friendships 'online' - but the internet has opened up the world like we've never known before.

As someone else mentioned, they are used mostly for social interactions. My husband chats with one of his best friends every night from the Seecamp forum. They mostly send online commentaries back and forth about the tv program they are both watching!

The version that was used here before was primitive and unwieldy to use and follow the attempts at conversation. There are better options available and moderation could be implemented. It's just a matter of finding the application that meets those needs and is easier to manage.