# The lunatics have taken over the asylum **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum/148903 "2003-01-16T03:20:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Weary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@Weary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weary)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum/148903/1 "2003-01-16T03:20:23Z")
I’m a new user so you’ll have to forgive me if this is posted in the wrong forum. In my (very humble) opinion, the so called chat rooms available are poorly titled. Trying to chat in these places is like trying to light a match in a hurricane. With the lobotomised people making inane comments and spammers trying to tempt you on to their websites with their oh so attractive come-ons, how anyone has the patience to try and hold a conversation is beyond me. I am very new to message boards and chat rooms in general…living in a new country on my own and would just like to find somewhere, similar to this site, where people can have a decent conversation about real things and not the size of their various bodily parts according to gender. If anyone knows of anywhere…please let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum/148903/2 "2003-01-16T03:25:55Z")
#straightdope on undernet, IRC chat ---
**Author:** ![Weary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@Weary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weary)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum/148903/3 "2003-01-16T03:34:09Z")
I’ve just downloaded an IRC program…any news on where to go next? ---
**Author:** ![wei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@wei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wei)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum/148903/4 "2003-01-16T03:37:13Z")
Type /server [irc.undernet.org](http://irc.undernet.org) Once connected, type /join #straightdope That should work ---
**Author:** ![Weary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@Weary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weary)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum/148903/5 "2003-01-16T04:03:53Z")
Thanks for your help guys but I need to look into this. I downloaded smircle (Mac user) and seem to have trouble getting started. Will look into it tomorrow. Thanks again ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum/148903/6 "2003-01-16T15:29:42Z")
I’m not a chat room denizen, but I’ve had ICQ for a lot of years and by hit-or-miss random chats, I’ve got a list of conversation friends all over the world - several of whom I’ve chatted with for 3-4 years. There have been more than a few who contacted me for dirty talk, but thanks to the ignore list, I keep most of them at bay. My IM list contains mostly other Dopers, which isn’t bad. I think I like one-on-one conversation rather than the pandemonium of chat rooms. But that could be just me. Good luck to you!