Writing things can affect our opponents, certainly. It can also affect our own state of mind, and therefore our play.

Negative thought processes (like ridiculing opponents to put them on tilt) are unlikely to help us think clearly and play well. If I chat, I make an effort to appear neutral/positive no matter how I feel. It's good for the game and good for the mind. 

I use chat sometimes when I'm tilted and I berate my opponents and rub in when I stack them and call them stupid etc. This is a very immature thing to do. Usually this is an indicator that I need to take a break from the game and analyze why I'm getting frustrated with an opponent. When I do this usually it reveals some weakness about my own game, and I find it frustrating that the opponents I can't beat cause anger in me and I take it out on them.

Ideally, you don't want to do this because you never get a chance to apologize to your opponent when you are in a fresh state of mind and it doesn't leave you feeling good inside.

My advice: disable all chat! Play mindful, zen poker and profit! :)

I try not to talk in the chat, but I do answer sometimes to recreational players, especially if they're just saying hello or whatever. It's pretty important IMO. They want to have a good time, play against humans and not robots, so just say hi is already big. Sometimes I'll kick off a joke. Obv it shouldn't harm your game. Maintaining focus is pretty important. But, hey, keeping the fun of the game (for others and ourselves) is important as well, isn't it? I feel everybody can have his own approach on that, same with live games.

I never feel like berating anybody.

I occasionally suffer from the same affliction as Mushmellow and it really bugs me. For some reason when I am running bad and a fish is god moding and talking like he is the best player ever causes me to lash out. It is almost like I feel the need to point out that he is really a fish. This is so not the way to be. 

Recreational players are the most important players at any table. They are the life blood of our game and when they are running good and winning we should go out of our way to make them enjoy themselves more. Congratulate them on the big pot they just won, tell them how "sneaky" they were to trap you, etc. When I am at my best this is how I respond.

Recently I have seen a lot of players looking up a fish on PTR and then telling the table something like "lol, U have lost 11k at 5c/10c you are awful". Personally I have never done this and never will. I find it to be the absolute worst thing imaginable. We should never announce any players results to the whole table even if the results are good but especially a fish's. After all an embarrassed fish is a fish looking for a new game/table/site. Also, maybe this particular guy doesn't have tracking software, never heard of PTR and had no idea how much he was actually down.

Keep the fish happy! If you find yourself getting frustrated and about to start berating a player - stop playing or at the very least disable chat.

I think we should definitely all encourage players to be more friendly to recreational players and not do anything to put them off playing. One place I usually advocate using the chat is HU, with so many hit and runners it is nice to tell someone you are just going to the toilet or getting something to eat etc.

I like to talk/chat if ppl are nice, but , I'm too social, ill talk to any neighboutgh on street etc..i talk too much :S

Since i play zoom i don't have much opportunity to chat, but i even manage to talk in there as well/ get a friend lol ( jesse also member )

Socialisizng is ncie aspect of poker, if people are recreational players its nic e to talk  of their work family etc if pro;s its also ppl who are nice human beings, and i like to talk :S , don't see how it can hurt my game, and it makes pleasant environment for everyone, i don't see why ppl can't make effort to have a good time ( alike when u go out to pubs clubs parties etc ) and make other ppl have a good time

Ofcourse, not talking is neutral and fine, and for opponents who are insulting/mean ..well..best to not invest emotionally but i don't let it just go, i do umm…word off :S :) in sophisticated way, i don't tilt but if someone is trying to tilt me, ill try to tilt him/her 10 x, offenders don't expect to be bullied back, so that does unbalance them heavily

I am the Sam Farha of the chat box world.

when i put a beat on a brazilian, i always say JAJAJAJA

jk, i say it whenever i put a beat on anyone

I usually don't like to chat a lot, except when it's with fish.

The last time I chatted with anybody else than a fish, it was with a semi-amateur arguing that I shouldn't call with 85s when given 5.5:1 odds and being 75bb deep in a tournament. It was a complete waste of time.