For moderated chats, I think the most annoying thing is that when the room is full, the chances of your questions getting through is pretty slim.

Chats, in general, are like tides except not so regular. The quality of the conversation rises and falls with that of the participants. But even when interesting, articulate, and affable members are present in critical numbers, it takes some effort on the part of the participants to keep a good thread on track.

OTOH, one might easily wait one to three hours for a good discussion to catch hold and said discussion might last 15 to 90 minutes, say. Ninety minutes is rare. Most are probably in the 20 to 30 minute range. (Just throwing out WAGs here, I've never actually checked.) In any case, it's not a great return on investment, unless you're expecting one hell of a cool conversation. I usually only wait while I'm reading, programming, or browsing. Otherwise, it's just not worth the effort.

Then there's the matter of etiquette. A lot of people use the chat rooms as their private therapy sessions. Others assume that everyone else owes them entertainment. "You geeks are sooo boring." Some are just needy or impatient. "Why isn't anyone talking to me?" The time spent waiting for the conch to arrive can be a very, very long two hours if you don't have anything else to occupy your mind.



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