What is the live chat feature and how is it used?

Chat rooms are computer-enabled extensions of person-to-person interaction. They allow individuals to connect in real time with other people who wish to discuss various topics and issues, exchange information and intermingle socially by following a live message thread on their computer screen.

We hope that you take advantage of this technology to connect with other students around the world, engage in interesting conversations, grow spiritually, participate in this Godly community, bond with new friends, and interact with Pastor Benny.

After entering the chat room, it’s important to read the chat log to see what others have been talking about. Keep in mind that active conversations in any chat room tends to veer off topic occasionally. Observe for a while to get a feel for overlapping conversation trends and to find one that seems appealing. You may join in the conversation at any time–simply type a greeting such as, “Hi everyone.”

Each course has a one live chat room where members can login to chat anytime with whomever is also logged into the website to discuss that particular course. Participation in the chat room is optional and you can disable this feature completely. When you are logged out of the chat room, no one can see that you are online or contact you.

From time-to-time Pastor Benny Hinn will also be in the live chat to talk with students directly.

Some features of the Live Chat Room include:

• Multi-language interface allows you to chat in 20 languages.
• Individual chat windows available so that you can chat with your new friends live, outside of the main chat room.
• Create a list of new friends that you can message anytime.
• Change your status to: “online, away, invisible, busy, log out”. These designations let others know if you are available to chat. They also allow you to disable to chat feature altogether.
• Mobile ready, so you can chat on your mobile device anytime!

What are the differences between chat rooms and discussion forums?

Chat rooms and forums are both methods to communicate with other people over the Internet, but are used in different ways. Whereas chat rooms allow you to communicate with people in real time, forums are more suited for discussions where not all participants have to be online at the same time.

Forums also tend to be more organized, with discussions separated into topics called “threads,” which are moderated.

Chat rooms are a synchronous method of online communication, meaning that conversations occur in real time with all the participants logged in and present. Forums tend to be asynchronous, as not all participants are always online and discussions occur at a much slower pace.

Visitors to a forum can log in hours or even days after a discussion has started and still catch up by reading previous posts.

This is not possible in a chat conversation, as conversations take place at a much faster pace. This also means that forums tend to stick to a specific topic, while conversations in chat rooms can rapidly change.

Are there any guidelines or suggestions for chat room etiquette?

Chat rooms have been around for a very long time and have a proven track record for bringing communities closer together through the exchange of ideas instantly, and without regard to the location of the participants. If you are new to this technology, or have not participated in a chat room in many years, the following guidelines may help you get started.

1. Do introduce yourself to everyone in the room in the chat room.
2. State your question clearly in the room, should that be your reason for arriving. Simply asking for help, saying you need help, or telling the room you have a question will not turn attention towards you. Be specific in what you are asking about or wishing to discuss, and provide all relevant details to your question or topic.
3. Be nice! This is important in any situation, especially in Christian-based chat room with other ministry partners. Remember that  you will be chatting with people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. Furthermore, text is only seen (with very little context) and you can not see facial expressions or hear tones of voice.
4. Give the room a chance to answer you. Patience is a virtue.
5. Stay on topic. Don’t spam or flood the chat room with repeated questions, statements, or links.
6. Avoid typing in all caps. It is hard on the eyes to read and considered rude. It is the Internet equivalent to shouting. If you want to call attention to a particular word or phrase, do so in the same manner that you would in conversation. Just ask, and see who answers.
7. If you want to Private Message (PM) someone, that is chat privately, like in an Instant Message (IM), ask first. It is an invasion of privacy to assume that you can open an instant message window with someone you do not know.
8. No soliciting. Do not post multi-level or network marketing business propositions (opportunities), product sales or offers, solicit any funds or donations for any reason, or post any advertising messages.

While individuals outside of each course’s chat room cannot access the Benny Hinn School of Ministry Online secure chat rooms, please understand that your chat records are not private and can be viewed by select Benny Hinn Ministries Moderators or staff. Inappropriate behavior is grounds for revocation of chat privileges or removal from the Benny Hinn School of Ministry Online without a refund. 

What is the difference between a chat room and an Instant Message (IM)?

Both are ways to communicate instantly on the web, by typing on your keyboard. In online chat, you communicate with a community of people with similar interests. With instant messaging, you communicate one-to-one, usually with someone you know.

What are some guidelines for participating in discussion groups & live chats?

Behavior

• Please report any inappropriate comments, language, or behavior.
• We have a zero tolerance policy on any of the following:
  • Offensive/aggressive behavior
  • Inappropriate language
  • Bullying or harassing messages
  • Posting of videos or pictures in the chat or forums (emoticons are OK to post).
  • Attempting to market, sell or promote products, your ministry or other specific ministries, multi-level marketing or network marketing companies, soliciting donations, etc.
  • Pretending to be Pastor Benny Hinn or a representative of Pastor Benny Hinn or Benny Hinn Ministries.
  • Promoting personal social media profiles, and other websites not related to Benny Hinn Ministries.
  • Anything else that our administrator deems to be inappropriate.
  • The Benny Hinn Ministries Online administrator has the final authority in determining whether or not a comment or user should be removed.
  • If you are removed for violating a particular policy, your access will be revoked immediately and without a refund.
• Discussion Forums are self-administered. This means Benny Hinn Ministries staff may not discover offensive material immediately, so please report any objectionable content.
• When posting in discussion groups and chat rooms, please stay on topic, be respectful and learn from the opinions and experiences of others.
• Remember that due to the nature of the content, not everyone may not share the same opinion as you.
• You will be collaborating with students from all around the world with different viewpoints.
• Discussion features are designed to enhance learning through community collaboration. Be kind, have fun, learn and grow!

Profiles & Profile Pictures

• Please do not post any offensive material in your profile description.
• Do not use a picture of Pastor Benny Hinn, or present yourself as an employee or representative or Pastor Benny Hinn or Benny Hinn Ministries.
• Do not include links to or requests in an attempt to solicit products, business opportunities, donations, or any other fundraising attempt to other students.

How do I report a comment or post that I find to be offensive?

We have a zero tolerance policy on inappropriate comments, vulgarity, spam, harassment, etc. We take this behavior very seriously and we will take action quickly. We strive to provide a safe, Godly environment for our ministry partners and friends to discuss relevant topics and use this technology to make ministry connections, grow spiritually and connect with Pastor Benny.

1. To report offensive comments in the chat room, instant message, discussion board or article comment please email abuse@bennyhinnbiblestudy.org immediately.
2. Please take a screenshot of the offending comment or copy and paste the conversation to include in your email. We will need as much information as you can provide so that we can evaluate your report and take appropriate action.

Although, we monitor the chat rooms closely, we may not catch every comment immediately. We ask that you email any questionable comments to the address listed above.