What's your main focus here?Play for fun, socialize or improve your game?

Mine is improve my game truelly.I dedicate 1 hour/day for chess study and try to do a good post game analysis.Trought this aim I achieve, offcourse, lots the social aim and in the "chess for fun" also (funnier, for me, is to win a game against stronger adversary, give a good idea in vote chess or find a solution for a chess puzzle.As it's grest to be around people with the same ideas, the socialization comes in this "improve your chess" aim.But we can't want results faster than possible and get upseted when the rating falls but enjoy nthe slow learning process.Even being able to study a chess book that I couldn't understand 6 months before shows improvement that, sometimes, does not reflect in rating points.Loosing the fear of loosing is VERY important but this can come in other forun

You can't play serious online because nobody plays serious. There's difference between online and offline games. Same thing like the videogames online is crappy compared to offline

IF we can choose an opponent from a "known group" with  the same ideas about chess training and playing OR after getting some friends, the thing gets more serious.But playing with randon opponents in online tournments or in the live, I agree, is not the place to find serious chess.

Play chess, read the forums, post my opinion on things like chess, movies, music, etc., and remind everyone about the value of squirrels:)

I'm here for the alien discussions. And, I just know that motorboat dude will be coming around again.

The alien discussions, though rare, are also important to me:)

So is motorboat dude...

You don't have to rely on someone else being serious during your game. As long as you are serious you should be fine. I have used this site for many different reasons. At first, I played many games (100+) at once to get familiar with openings and to build a database in which I would analyze to find out my weak areas. I found those weak areas and took on less games with focus on those areas. My main focus is on thought process (thinking system). The quality of my thinking is more important now instead of the win. This helped me break the 1900 barrier and reach 2100, at one time. Use the 80/20 rule and you should excel. 80% study 20% play..during your play you practice what you studied. You fine tune your thought patterns. You tweak them. You make your thought process as efficient as possible. Learning theory and the basics is all great but  how we think during the game is the key to greater knowledge. 

Something to help you

Do tactics training..I know you have heard this before but there is a twist to this. During the tactic puzzle don't start calculating immediately of a winning line. Pretend you are in a real game and get to know the board. Good board vision is one of the most important skills to have. What is board vision? Knowing where all the pieces are and what these pieces have going for them. What territory do they cover. What pieces do they attack etc. Basically you understand what is going on in the position. When you understand what is going on then the correct move is usually much easier to find. Don't try getting a high rating in tactics trainer. Of course I have reached 2300 before and I am sure lots of people do. GM's say it is best to really have a good foundation in basic tactics. Taking that into account, I have started over in my training and I intentionally get negative rating points in my puzzles. This keeps me around the 1500 level,which is most of your basic tactics lay right? It doesn't matter if it takes you ten minutes on the problem. What is important is to focus on your thought pattern. Notice your flaws..Get the problem right! It will still show in your stats that you have gotten the problem correct even though your rating may drop..Just check my tactics rating and you will see that I am correct. Speed will come later.Remember, It is the Quality not quantity

I spend all my time on chess.com helping others especially beginners and intermediates who need encouragment and advice there are legions of trolls grouchy nasty types on the site and the forums they can be discouraging but not all of us are like that or have bad natures.

Why, trolling, of course!

Have some fun but take the vote chess serious and try to learn a bit and hopefully improve my game. Have a job that doesn't allow me to look at chess.com so I have only a small window (if at all) at night to look at games. Hope to win the lottery soon. :)

Do tactics training..I know you have heard this before but there is a twist to this. During the tactic puzzle don't start calculating immediately of a winning line. Pretend you are in a real game and get to know the board. Good board vision is one of the most important skills to have. What is board vision? Knowing where all the pieces are and what these pieces have going for them. What territory do they cover. What pieces do they attack etc. Basically you understand what is going on in the position. When you understand what is going on then the correct move is usually much easier to find. Don't try getting a high rating in tactics trainer. Of course I have reached 2300 before and I am sure lots of people do. GM's say it is best to really have a good foundation in basic tactics. Taking that into account, I have started over in my training and I intentionally get negative rating points in my puzzles. This keeps me around the 1500 level,which is most of your basic tactics lay right? It doesn't matter if it takes you ten minutes on the problem. What is important is to focus on your thought pattern. Notice your flaws..Get the problem right! It will still show in your stats that you have gotten the problem correct even though your rating may drop..Just check my tactics rating and you will see that I am correct. Speed will come later.Remember, It is the Quality not quantity

Quite by coincidence that is exactly how I have decided to use tactics trainer this month, with the focus on quality and accuracy over quantity. It is early days, but initial thinking is that I am finding it very useful, especially trying to keep a note of all opponents threats before I look for my own tactics. I try to get a feeling and a reading for the whole position on the board, rather than just try to play the winning move quickly, or like some using TT just play the first check that comes along.

As for the thread question, yes I am very dedicated to improving my OTB chess. This is my main goal.

Good luck getting better at chess then. If you can't take the time to learn then you never will

@ Benedictine I read it all...very helpful and umbrella is correct A for effort! Now if I could just get past 1300 :)

Well I was only quoting from Myrook (in red), just I think this is very good advice and will reward people who do it. I couldn't care nor less if people want to read it.

Another good use of Tactics Trainer is to play in unrated mode and set the rating a couple of hundred points below your current rating. This will ensure you get plenty of core tactics and patterns.

I'm here to improve my game and have fun.  I enjoy learning, although I can't honestly say I enjoy losing, unless I learn something really valuable.

Database, tactics, and videos. I play my "serious online chess" (kindof a goofy concept) on another server.

I come here for the chess forums. I prefer to practice and play elsewhere.

I didn't know you could do this with the tactics trainer..Thx for the info..I will have to try it out. That will help a lot with 'simple tactics'. That is probably far better than my way of doing it

For me all three. It started with just fun. Then I got to know some people and that was fun also. I quit for a year started again, and started making some progress. Now I have fun while improving and socializing. I got to know some great people playing online chess and I like it. My short term goals are however improving. I want to hit 1600. When I hit that, I am sure my next goal will be 1700 and 1800. After that, no plans. 1800 will be a challenge as it is.