I can't see the message writing window in facebook chat

Chances are the friend to whom you are sending might be accessing Facebook via mobile. Mobile Facebook does not provide chat notifications appropriately and it depends on the device too. When you send message or chat,both are now equal in Facebook. Recent Facebook version,what it does is, it combines chat and message into message section. Whatever you chat is sent as message to the person,if that person is offline or not responding to chat. If at the time of receiving message,you are online,then you receive it in chat window. At the same time,you might see notification in Message area.

Eventhough it is to an extent confusing,either way,you can reply/chat and you get all messages. In short,your message never gets lost. It gets to your friend. If he/she cannot see it in Chat,they can definitely see it in Messages section.

Facebook affords its users several means of communicating with one another, from public posts made to the collective News Feed and individual users' Walls to direct, private messages. Facebook also allows for real-time chat communication between users who are both online -- this doesn't, however, include an option to chat using video as of this writing.

How Facebook Chat Works

Facebook chat functions much in the same way as standalone chat clients, such as AOL Instant Messenger and Windows Live Messenger. To chat with another user on Facebook, he must be one of your contacts and also be online. Two categories of online friends exist: Available and Idle. Available friends, which appear at the top of your chat list and have green dots next to their names, are actively using the site and, therefore, more likely to be available for chat. Idle users are not actively using Facebook, and although they're signed in, they may not be at their computer to chat.
Chat Capabilities

Facebook Chat is simple and, as of this writing, permits you only to send text in most cases. The one exception is in the case of emoticons. If you type ":)", for example, a yellow smiley face appears. Beyond this, Facebook Chat's list of features is rather limited. If you don't want to chat within the main Facebook interface, you can pop out the chat box and continue your conversation in a separate window. You can also make yourself go offline if you don't wish to chat with others or to let them chat with you.
Links and Videos

Although you may direct others to pictures, videos and other multimedia within chat -- namely, via text links to the URLs at which they're hosted -- it's not possible to embed images and videos themselves within a chat message. Furthermore, Facebook Chat isn't capable of video chatting, such as programs like Skype and Windows Live Messenger. If you want to communicate with one of your Facebook friends via video message, you won't be able to do so using Facebook Chat.
Skype Workaround

One potential workaround to Facebook not having video chat among its features is using Skype's Import Contacts feature. In addition to being able to import contacts from email clients such as MSN Hotmail and Gmail, you can enter your Facebook credentials and cross-reference your contact list to see which of your friends are also using Skype. After you've done this, use Skype to make free video calls with your Facebook friends who use the program.

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facebook is a website and a web service. the device you use should not be relevant, just make sure you are using a supported browser such as google chrome, internet explorer or firefox, and that you have installed the required scripts such as java script and flash.

to send Instant messages you need an IM client like yahoo messenger or windows live messenger. To send an IM on these you just choose who you want to talk to by double clicking on there name in the main messenger window then when the chat window opens just write the message in the bottom of it and click send(or press return)

when you receive a chat message, look at the bottom of the chat box, you'll see two small balloons, click on their right and the cursor will appear. Write what you want then press enter to send your msg.

Solid green means user is online and active. Half moon means they are logged in or idle. In order to send a chat message just type in message and hit enter that should send the message.

try using a new internet browser and installing "adobe flash" software

Try Using Different Browsers other then IE explorer 8 or below, they have problems working with new chat windows and stuff that it don't really recognize. For instance try firefox,opera,google chrome,safari 4

One of these would have to work with facebook, if not make sure you have enough RAM space to even run anything other then browser sometimes a slow machine can just freeze from working it self to hard.

Consider switching browsers, I've never had this problem with Google's Chrome or the latest version of Firefox.
Alternatively, consider using a Facebook Chat Messenger such as Chit Chat for Facebook that allows you to talk to talk on Facebook without your internet browser. Moreover, its tabbed instant message window allows you to see who has sent you an instant message whilst your typing to someone else - without swapping over to that new Facebook Chat message!

I have a problem with both the IM window and the chat window I cannot see the messages I write or the ones my contact write. Would you help me pls?