Why don't people chat?

You chat with your opponent indirectly

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/the-rules-of-live-chess

Who says they don't cheat? Of course the do.

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oh, you said chat! Never mind...

I was always open to chatting, but recently I have disabling chat

Chatting on an Ipad is really hard. 

I was always open to chatting but recently I have been disabling chat because I have come across people who are rude, chauvinist, racist and confrontational. Shame is that there was one guy who was my countryman showed his chauvinist attitude after I appreciated his game. Not everyone you play against is true sportsman

Maybe you need a wife since you sounds so lonely. Dude this is Chess site, a site of WAR !!! Some people maybe are too serious while playing it which caused they didn't notice your chat message I guess.

I don't chat much during a game because... I usually don't have much to say. I'm usually too busy thinking.

I occasionally give a congratulatory message at the end of a game no matter the result, but my opponents generally say nothing. Maybe because they don't speak English? I do get matched up with people of all nationalities.

Why kick up this old thread... 16 months ago dude.. sounds more like you are lonely

I agree wholeheartedly. When I was first on here, about four years ago, it was quite the norm to start a 10 min game with , "Hi. GL" and to finish with, GG". That seems to have gone. After every game I type. GG or well played and rarely get a response. In my experience, the worst offenders are predominantly from either of two Nations. Anybody know who I mean? 

I'm sure that was irony but plain manners is easy. I enjoy amusing "Chat" during a game but not upset if it doesn't happen. I DO get annoyed when people don't have the courtesy to acknowledge a, "Well played". 

Yes. That's the down-side of chatting. Courageous people feel free to hurl insults. I find it amusing and never respond.

Friends chat. Strangers do not.

An exchange of a few words hardly constitutes a "Friendship". I guess it comes down to individual personalities but responding to GL or GG is just manners. As I said earlier, there are really only two Nationalities that are habitual offenders. 

Its really fun to try to chat in 2 min chess--  usually causes me too lose but it IS fun.

I used to occasionally chat in games. (never in live. It's poor form). but I learned it's not worth it. I offered feedback on a game to someone who fell for a well known bad line in an opening. Sent a link to a website with a good article on it. He thanked me. Did thw same to someone else, different opening, and got back a response "I suppose you think you're a f...ING smart arse. you offering me advice? grow up mate" charming. so there you go. And that's when I stopped. It's sad, but some people just take the whole chat thing the wrong way. or are just plain arses. so I leave chat to frequent players now. Once I've played a number of games with the same person, I may start chatting. It can be very rewarding trading feedback. but if you want to chat, just say hi. If you don't get a response, don't bother them again.

Just for a moment I misread the thread title as "Why don't people cheat?" And I was going to say, yes, cheating is easy in online chess, and of course they do. But that's not what this thread is about. Carry on.

Because...

and they were all strangers before becoming friends....

It is called banter blitz, and it can be fun. Get some friends ArtNj and trash talk with them online.