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A tool for video chat, voice chat and instant messaging

A tool for video chat, voice chat and instant messaging

Vote: (308 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Paltalk

Version: 1.25.4.85378

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(308 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Paltalk

1.25.4.85378

Works under:

Windows

Paltalk is an instant messaging program that tries to keep the spirit of instant messaging unique in an era when the instant messenger program is becoming obsolete. With social networks controlling the communication scene, fewer and fewer people are using these often bulky programs. Paltalk is an original take on this ancient form of communication.

On social networks, people stay in touch with people that they already know. In the old days though, people reached out to people that they didn't know and attempted to form bonds with them. Instant messenger programs weren't always filled with friends, but instead with people that had interesting new conversation to offer. It's difficult for people today to envision this, but it's true. Paltalk helps us all get back to the spirit of the original web by giving us good old-fashioned IRC channels.

The term chat room itself is almost obsolete. Paltalk includes hundreds of these rooms for people to choose from, and you can chat by topic. Text, audio and video communication are all supported. Unfortunately for some folks, not every chat room here is free. You'll need to subscribe to a specific plan to be able to have full access to the Paltalk program, and that's not something that every user is going to be willing to do. With so many free forms of communication today and larger communities out there, it's possible that this sort of program won't appeal to a wide audience anymore. There is a basic free program that gives you access to enough rooms to benefit from the program whether you shell out money or not.

Plugins make it possible for users to use Paltalk as a client for other IM programs like MSN and Yahoo messenger. Profile creation is a special feature of Paltalk that lets you chat from your web browser as well. Most messengers don't have this feature, and it's extremely pleasant to be able to work from within the web browser and chat with friends at the same time.

It's not all rainbows and butterflies for this program, though. The community chat rooms are often full of unnecessary music and arguing from users, and the conversations can go nowhere. If you're going there to find one perfect to instant message, though, you might be able to luck out and pull someone out of them air. The old web was all about these random chance encounters that were infrequent but rewarding when they worked out okay.

Pros

- Old-fashioned chat room style messaging is a refreshing step back in time to a less precise but more interesting web.

- Many chat rooms to choose from, and hundreds of users are lurking around waiting to have the same kind of positive experience that you are.

- Audio and video are supported, so you'll never be stuck in only text mode.

Cons

- Many banner ads make the experience less than rewarding. There's no excuse for this many banners.

- It has a steep learning curve that some users won't want to bother with, but the things you learn do make the program more useful and rewarding.

- This isn't a program that's going to give you a rewarding experience unless you truly work at it. It gives you the tools but like all old-time chat rooms, it is what you make of it, and it depends in large part on what kind of people you encounter by chance.