I, too, have been challenged adjusting to chat -- not just here but another group. One-on-one chats with technical advisors for my net provider also helped me.

I also find that I type in contributions too slowly, so the conversations has veered off somewhere else. People generally will come back to my question or comment, unless the conversation is addressing someone's immediate need for comfort, help, etc.

And, yes, I also am aware that I am entering "relationships" that have been going on for a while. I have attended one or two chats where I was uncomfortable, listened a bit, and left bec. it seemed too personal and ongoing. It's really no different than going to a party where one doesn't know people and most of them have known each other for quite a while. One feels a bit left out. Conversations are going on about "remember that time when" or asking questions about things for which the newcomer doesn't have the backstory. The only way to become a member of the group is to listen, hang out for a while, until oneself eventually has become part of that backstory.