Chat line services make it possible for people to communicate with one another by telephone call. However, recent chat lines are like CB radio in which a number of people both listen and speak together.
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Chatlines for Phone Dating
Chatlines are most popular in the United States and Canada as an alternative to online dating. Some of the most popular chatlines include QuestChat, Livelinks and Fonochat. Both male and female callers dial in and through a common access number. As soon as a caller is connected into the system, he is prompted to record his name and a brief greeting describing himself and what he is looking for. The phone systems will usually allow users hear a chatline greeting example so the caller can get an idea of what he is expected to say. Profanity and sexual references are typically not allowed, the chatline moderator's job is to listen and approve every greeting that is recorded. Once the greeting is recorded, the caller is allowed into the live chat area (or live connector).
The live connector is where live callers are introduced to other callers greetings, one by one. The caller has the option to listen only to local callers, or to everyone who is live on the system. As soon as a greeting is played, the caller is prompted to press 1 to connect live with that person, 2 to send her a recorded message or 3 to skip this person and listen to the next person's greeting. Some systems allow you to block a caller by pressing 8 or report a caller to the moderators by pressing 9 (or some other key depending on the system).
Chatline Free Trials
Most chatlines offer male callers a 30 to 60 minute free trial. In an attempt to keep their lines busy, some chatlines—including Livelinks, RedHot and QuestChat—give female callers unlimited access to their system; similar to a nightclub which allows free entry to women in order.
Private Mailboxes
Some chatlines offer its members a persistent mailbox they can use to receive messages from users even when they are offline. A live caller is given the option hear other member's mailboxes, where they can leave a recorded message to be retrieved by the mailbox owner next time he connects to the system.
Chatlines are not Hotlines
Many people confuse phone chat lines with adult hotlines or phone sex lines, so it is worth it to clarify the difference. Unlike phone sex lines, the users on a chatline are not professionals phone sex operators (PSOs). Foul language and sexual references are prohibited on recorded greetings and private messages.