Who says that computers isolate people? The Net is a great place for a good, old-fashioned chat: real-time (albeit written) communication with a friend--or a complete stranger.

Online services have public chat groups, or rooms, devoted to a variety of subjects; if you find someone you want to talk to one-on-one, you can also go into private chat rooms. But while AOL and the other online services make chatting easy, there are lots more ways to talk on the Net.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) lets groups of people chat on any of hundreds of public chat servers. First off, you need an IRC chat client, such as mIRC. You can start a chat group (called a channel) or join an existing one. See CNET's feature "hooking up to IRC" for information on how to get started.

Using IRC does require a fairly involved setup process, but it offers the most established--and largest--chat forums on the Net. If the hassle isn't worth it to you, there are hundreds of newer chat sites right on the World Wide Web, and all you need is your browser to join in. Just pick a site, become a member (this is usually free), choose a channel, and start chatting.

For something completely different, Telnet to a Multiple-User Dimension (MUD) or two. These text-based virtual worlds, many of which feature a dungeons-and-dragons-type theme, usually stress the environment and the action over the actual chatting.

But no matter what kind of chat you choose, keep in mind that the world of chat can be a wild and woolly one. You can avoid most trouble--such as flames or sexual harassment--by obeying the rules of chatiquette and taking some simple safety precautions. And if you don't like the tone of a chat session, just leave and find one that's more to your taste. Or try a chat with a moderator--such as a public chat with a celebrity.