Genealogy chat -- you may have heard about it, and wondered just what it was. Generally when people refer to chat rooms, chat groups, or IRC, they are talking about IRC (Internet Relay Chat). IRC allows you to participate in discussions ("chat") real time with anyone who is in the same chat room (also known as "channels").

Some genealogy chat rooms have specific topics (e.g. Irish Ancestry), others offer a general room to discuss anything related to genealogical research. Chat rooms offer a great way to bounce ideas off of fellow researchers, ask advice, learn new skills, and participate in beneficial (and often very informative) discussions on various topics. Organizations such as the IIGS (International Internet Genealogical Society) hold informative meetings on a variety of subjects; other groups of people meet weekly or semimonthly with a particular topic -- Irish genealogy, BeNeLux research, Military research -- which are open to the public.