My wife chats all the time when she is at home. It annoys me no end. I can't tolerate her chatting!?

[Miz T]

Have you talked to her about your insecurities? Have you tried chatting yourself so that you know how harmless it is?

I was thrilled with the Internet making it possible for people to get to know and exchange ideas with people all over the world without leaving one's living room. I started chatting as soon as the software made chat possible (usenet, telnet, listserv, IRC, and so on), and eventually I was involved with online book clubs, movie review groups, and just plain social conversation along with work-oriented communications. My late husband, who was much less computer savvy than I, had a long talk with me about his feeling left out when I used Internet chat for socializing. Two things then changed: I agreed to spend more time in one-on-one communication with him and he agreed to join one of the Internet chat groups, one that used a browser-based interface. He got caught up in the interchange and we developed friendships with people on-line that continued off-line. We visited several of the people we met and they visited us, and we never would have known them if not for the Internet.

I suggest that you have a talk with your wife and retain an open mind to trying new experiences.