It can be tiresome to type for a long time in a chatroom, so people use abbreviations. Chatting in a chatroom is very informal, so people seldom worry about grammar or punctuation or typo's.
Also, since we cannot see each other we cannot see facial expressions or hear each other. Thus, we use use certain emoticons (emotion icons) to "show" others our emotions.

Please don't ever use *all* CAPS when chatting. It is hard to read, considered rude and some people
even consider it screaming. Example:
"I ASKED MY HUSBAND TO TAKE THE TRASH OUT TODAY AND HE SAID NO"

Caping once or twice in one long sentence is okay if you want to show expression that way. Example:
"You'll NEVER believe what I read in the paper today. It was SO neat!"

You'll notice that there are usually several conversations going on at the same time. If someone is in crisis it is better to either stay just on their subject for awhile, or to be quiet for just a little bit. The flow of conversation will usually take care of itself.

Please be careful in giving out personal information in a chatroom. While most people are trustworthy there are always a small handful of people in this world that are not, and the internet is no exception. Telling other chatroom visitors the state, country to province you live in is usually safe. Even revealing the town you live in is usually safe as long as you don't give out your real name or place of employment, or other identifying information.

Welcome to A Silver Lining! We hope you enjoy your visit and come back often : )

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