quently leave. Then there are what we term SNERTS (short for snot nosed egotistical rude twerps). The name speaks for itself. The SNERT is usually some small person who thinks they can hide behind the computer screen and get away with being rude and annoying. The next category is the script kiddie. The script kiddie desires to be a hacker. They know certain codes or scripts that will disrupt the room. They can be quite annoying. For example, they can send scripts into the room that will erase the entire rooms text. Or they can send many lines of text into the room. That is called scrolling. They can even exploit weaknesses in someone’s computer or program and boot or punt them offline. Another category is true hackers. Hackers are quite knowledgable. Some use their power for good, and others to destroy. Hacking can be illegal and hackers can be prosecuted if they break the law and are caught. A real hacker however, will never get caught. Then there are those who seek companionship. They canbe seeking true love or just a good time. Some representthemselves honestly, while others are deceptive about their true selves. AOL has taken steps to eliminate some of the people that act in an inapropriate manner. The first line of defense is a box that when checked, removes the person's text from your screen. That is called “Ignore.” The next step is the “Notify AOL” button. One copies what the person has typed and sends it to AOL. Once sent, the community action team reviews it for possible violation of TOS. TOS is AOL's terms of service. If there is a violation of the terms, you can lose your account or get a TOS warning. Three warnings in sixmonths terminates your AOL account. The last line of defenseagainst people who are out of line is the chat room host or guide.Frequently a host or guide comes in the room. If someone gets out of hand, the host has the power to gag the person...
