The internet is an accepted part of our world now. We do more than shop and play via it, we even keep in touch and make new friends this way.
But there are many ways to do that online. Some prefer the major social media platforms, while others use good old chat rooms to communicate and that is a real strongpoint of the bingo community.
Chat rooms make online bingo feel a little more “real”, but as should be the case in the real world, there is a certain protocol and accepted behaviour that exists, known as online bingo’s ‘netiquette’.
The Netiquette of Online Bingo Chat
Always Be Polite with Other Members
This should be a given, but as always there are some who feel the platform is theirs to do with as they will. Don’t be that person.
Bingo chat rooms always have a Chat Moderator (CM) to keep things civil, being courteous with them will certainly help! Let’s face it though; being nice to the CM and horrible to someone else is the online equivalent to pointing the finger and arguing with someone on the street and then being as nice as pie when the police turn up!
Online trolling however has really become a problem and it does, unfortunately for all of us, happen from time to time. For your part, always ignore those posting nasty comments or looking to argue as it will not help the situation. Walk away and let the CM do their job.
Moderators are fully trained to handle abusive online posters. The worst thing you can do is make the situation worse by allowing the troll to have their planned argument. Don’t let them win. Simply be nice, after all, it costs nothing, and chat about the game without bringing into the chat anything personal or divisive.
Try Not to Shout!
We’ve all seen this on Facebook and it winds everybody up. DON’T TYPE IN CAPITALS! This is basically the online equivalent of shouting and many of us do it without thinking. Don’t leave your caps to lock on when you’re in the chat room as fellow members will take this as you yelling at them.
There are many more ways to anger and frustrate people but this is one of the basics. We might want to really enthuse about something and emphasis a certain word or phrase, but since we’re not writing a novel here the best way to do it is to put an asterisk on either side of what you want to enthuse. This is *really* important!
No Politics, No Religion
We’re not saying here that all chat has to be about bingo, of course. This can be a social event and so it should be. However, no matter your own views, they simply will not be shared by everyone and an online bingo chat room is not the place to air political or religious ideology.
Along with race, sexual orientation, nationality or even a perceived inability to spell correctly, some things are just off-limits in what is meant to be a friendly environment. Bringing these things up, along with the ever-irritating religious and political chat can see you kicked out by the Moderator.
As we’ve said before, online bingo chat rooms are so similar to the real world conversation-wise. Everybody is there for the same reason ultimately and that is to have fun.
The key difference in recent years has been the advent of the ‘keyboard warrior’. This is someone who may not air nasty views politically or religiously motivated in the real world but does so to anger others and impart their own view via the safety of a smartphone or laptop and nobody wants to be described as one of those.
Don’t Flirt!
The online world has done wonders for the dating scene, but there are specialised websites for that and online bingo platforms are not them.
It has been known for players to make comments of an outright sexual nature to others in the chat room, but this is highly inappropriate. Furthermore, this isn’t a private chat and so it makes everyone else feel very uncomfortable.
Conclusion: The Do's and Don'ts of Online Bingo Chat
To keep to the agreed Netiquette within online bingo is very simple. If you’re not the sort of person who would shout, randomly flirt or aim inappropriate comments at someone in the real world then why would you do it online?
Keep things civil, light-hearted and about the bingo where possible and everyone including you will have a great time! Ready to play? Visit Roger.com to find games.
