The introduction of the Internet and the World Wide Web has spawned new methods of communication: online communication consists of: emails, voice messages, online discussion forums, and instant messaging through various chat messengers such as Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, Skype. , and many more.
Such forms of online communication have opened the doors of the global village to anyone and everyone with a computer with Internet access. With these new communication tools, meeting lots of people around the world is no longer an impossible task. As a result, making friends online in the virtual world seems to be one of the most recent hobbies that people have developed.
Unlike engaging in personal conversation, most forms of online communication lack the help of non-verbal languages that can be relevant to establishing and maintaining friendships. These include gestures, body language, and facial expressions. So, if you’re planning to make friends online, here are some tips you might want to consider:
1. Find friends online who may have similar interests. One particular way to do this is by searching for online chat rooms or discussion forums on certain topics that may interest you.
2. When you join online chat rooms, keep in mind that you will need to introduce yourself before you can start a conversation. Start with a greeting.
3. To add a degree of “feeling” to your messages, consider using images or emoticons. These can emphasize what exactly your message means.
4. If you can, try to avoid giving a message in a sarcastic tone. This can often lead to misunderstandings.
5. When participating in online discussion forums, make sure you understand the context of a given conversation before joining the thread.
6. Consider changing the font color or style to emphasize certain points in your message. Using capital letters to emphasize something can also be effective.
7. Avoid discussing a variety of topics at the same time. Address your chosen topics one by one to avoid confusion.
8. Consider reviewing your message before sending it to someone. Other than online forums, please note that online communication does not offer amendability. Please note that anything you send will be immediately posted online, especially in the case of chat messages.
9. In online discussion forums, be aware that you must be very careful when posting your responses. When replying to a particular part (ie a specific sentence or paragraph) of a message, it’s best to quote that part of the text in your reply, along with the name of the person who sent it.