Synchronous conferencing is the formal term used in science, in particular in computer-mediated communication, collaboration and learning, to describe online chat technologies. It has arisen at a time when the term chat had a negative connotation. Today it is occasionally also extended to mean audio/video conferencing or instant messaging systems, given they provide a text-based multi-user chat function. The word synchronous in this case is not to be considered a technical term, but rather describing how it is perceived by humans?chat happens in real time before your eyes.

Typical synchronous conferencing technologies include:

• IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
• MUDs (Multi User Dungeons)
• SILC (Secure Internet Live Conferencing protocol)
• XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol)

See also

• Collaborative software (Groupware)
• Web conferencing
• Web chats