Twitch Chat

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This is a part of the Twitch logo that represents the live chat feature

Twitch Chat is a feature of the live video streaming service known as Twitch.tv, which allows viewers to interact with both the video streamer and each other in real time through the use of an integrated chatroom. Within the chatbox, viewers are able to communicate beyond the use of text in a large variety of ways with emotes, bot interactions, donations, and any other streamer specific implementations. One of the greatest strengths of Twitch.tv lies in the development and support of its chat functions, which encourage the development of close-knit communities and even sub-cultures. However, over the course of its existence, Twitch Chat has been a source of controversy and ire due to issues arsing mainly from its ephemeral nature, and anonymity it provides to its viewers.

Twitch Chat Features

Emotes

Twitch Emotes have become a large part of the Twitch community. With well over 100 global emotes usable by anyone and an ever expanding library of thousands of streamer created emotes, viewers are able to express almost any complex emotion they want as long as they have access to the emote. Emotes have also evolved beyond single images, and have started to become used in tandem with other emotes to create a subculture "language" of sorts.

Bots

As streaming on Twitch evolved to involve more aspects requiring micromanagement, the burden on the streamers and their chosen moderators rose to such a degree, that 3rd party developed automated moderators became widely adopted to lighten the workload. Depending on the quality of the bot, streamers are also able to set certain tasks that a bot will perform when a viewer types a specific command in the chat. There are other types of bots that have been developed to serve a variety of alternate purposes as well; the most notable examples being bots that periodically remind the streamer and viewers to drink water or post complements in the chat.

Text to Voice

Significant Events

Ethical Considerations

References