While our forum is great for connecting with various users with similar interests and in different time zones, sometimes a real-time chat is needed. This is why we also have a chat room on the site, which allows you to talk to numerous people at the same time. 

The chat room allows you to have a good natter and meet other people who may not necessarily go on the forum much, allowing you to really get the most out of Forces Penpals.

However, because the chat room is in real time, sometimes it can be quiet and other parts of the day really manic. Both of these instances have their own challenges, so here are a few things to bear in mind when using the chat room in order to get talking:

Check in throughout the day

It is a good idea to try and work out what parts of the day tend to be the busiest on the chat room to ensure you have someone to talk to. While you may be free at 3pm, others might not be so you may end up sitting online without anyone else turning up.

Checking in at different points throughout the day and staying in the chat room for a while each time, will help you work out when the busier periods are. This means you know when it's best for you to go into the chat room in order to actually talk to people.

You can see how many people are in the chat room at any one time by checking the list of names to the left of the conversation. If someone's icon is in colour, it means they are at their computer and most probably ready to chat. If the icon is grey, it means their screen is dormant so they may have stepped away but still have the chat room open.

Say something

It's all well and good seeing that people are online but if no one is talking, it doesn't matter how many people are in the chatroom. This is why you should say something when you arrive in order to try and get people chatting. 

Some people get a bit nervous when using the chat room, especially if it's quiet, so the feed can just become a constant stream of 'this person has joined the chat room' and 'this person has left it'. Not only is this no fun, it can put off other people. 

Rather than just letting other users dip in and out, say hello and maybe ask a question that will help get the conversation started. You may not get an answer straight away, but you shouldn't leave within a minute or two if you don't get a response straight away, as this will put off people who might want to reply.

It's always worth trying to get people chatting, even if it doesn't work every time. When it does work, it means you'll be able to make a connection and have fun.

Arrange a chat room meetup

If you're still finding that the chat room is quiet when you're able to get online, you can always arrange an online meetup with other users via the forum. Putting a post up on the forum about the chat room and how you'd love to talk to people in real time could help you to organise something, especially as lots of people check in with the forum regularly.

Simply ask if other people want to have a chat, arrange a time and then you can all talk together instantly. While you can carry on the conversation via the forum, it can take people hours, if not days to respond – depending on how busy they are – so you can lose momentum. Getting people in the chat room can make a big difference, so don't give up!ADNFCR-2867-ID-801825850-ADNFCR

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