One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for user-moderation of an online chat room in which a plurality of users are exchanging messages includes providing the chat room and controlling a manner in which the users send and receive the messages in the chat room in accordance with user feedback relating to the messages. In one embodiment, the user feedback is received in the form of user chat profiles, which describe the respective users' participation in the chat room, and flags, which users may be given in response to messages that are deemed inappropriate for the chat room.