iFree Chat & Instant Messaging
The following resources provide you with access to a number of active online communities, including real-time chat rooms as well as useful discussion forums that are free to join. Most of these forums and free chat rooms don't require that you download any special software, and can be accessed directly through your web browser. ICQ and other instant messaging (IM) services, however, may require that you download their software in order to connect to their user base and make full use of their discussion features. We hope you find iFree's Chat round-up useful.
Geek/Talk Forums
- For anyone who is interested in becoming a professional content creator or web publisher, this free discussion forum is the place to be. Although recently relaunched and now a little light on content, Geek/Talk has been around for more than 20 years, and has been home to tens of thousands of discussions about building websites, generating revenue online and growing your audience. Sign up for free and start chatting away to improve your performance online.
ICQ New
- In the world before Facebook Messenger, Skype, Instagram and Snapchat, the two names that began the online instant messaging revolution were AOL and ICQ, with Microsoft's MSN Messenger following closely behind. While the chat landscape has changed markedly in recent years, so has ICQ, making it worth another look. The tool now includes group chat support, includes a range of new stickers, automated responses based on message content, and can even automatically convert audio messages to text.
ReachOut Parenting Forum
- This is an absolutely wonderful resource for Australian parents. ReachOut has made a discussion forum available that allows people to discuss issues that they may be facing at home, covering family relationships, schooling, substance use, mental health concerns and more. Most discussions are geared towards helping parents and carers to receive helpful advice in relation to their teen children. You are allowed to keep your identity anonymous when using the service, making it more comfortable to share such personal topics.
YesIChat
- If you're looking for a chat service that recalls the early days of the internet, allowing you to engage in text-based group discussions with friends and strangers in real-time and without needing to install any fancy software, this could be the option. YesIChat has set up chat rooms for each country, as well as for some specialised groups - all of which are free to access. Of course, this means that they have an Australian chat room available. They do require that participants are at least 13 years of age, and do be careful in an open environment like this, as real-time discussions tend not to be actively moderated.
