That's okay, TR. If you've never been in a chat before it is natural to be wary of it.
It is basically a text chat, so it isn't a great deal different than the forum here apart from the text messages coming up on the same screen, and a lot faster... as in real time. So while I am typing this another person might be typing and posting another comment that will get added below the previous one.

The 'chat room' itself is just a page with a list of the participants on the write, a typing bar for you to type out your comments at the bottom, and the bulk of the screen is taken up by a scrolling page on which all the typed comments appear.

Each of the participants can see the same scrolling comments that everyone adds, and type their own comments in response (or just sit in and read along - you don't have to add anything if you don't want to).

It is basically just a way for people to be online together at the same time and communicate in real time... it is closer to having a conversation than posting in a forum and waiting hours for a reply.

Annnd, the good thing is you can leave a chat room simply by clicking on the button. So it is okay to join just to have a peek and then leave the chat room completely. And if you did do that, I am sure everyone would completely understand.

Basic rule is - if it doesn't feel safe, don't do it.