Should I stay away from the chat box during a tournament?

I'm wondering if it's a bad idea to engage in any sort of chat with other players during an SnG or MTT, regardless if it's friendly or hostile.

Recommendations? Should I just turn the chat box off?

You should do what you want. If you find chatting enjoyable, then do it. Don't be surprised if you run accross someone who tries to take advantage of it, either by extracting information or putting you on tilt.

I've never turned off chat in the five years or so that I've been playing. It helps me to pass the time, and I've even made a friend or two along the way.

I prefer a chatty mtt or sng. Helps pass the time between hands I don't fold.

I would turn that chat box off i get tilted so hard when players talk shit after they suck out on me

I usually keep chatting to minimum, unless i can make them less careful
on low lvl chatting is not enjoyable, while they talk trash almost all of the time

I leave it on. I rarely chat, but it's usually a good source of info on other players.

I like chattin. Provides extra entertainment when I play. Guy minraises from UTG pre antes, 3 loose players flat behind and I call from the button with 7h8h, flop comes 9hTh3s, dude c-bets folds round to me I shove, he called with 55, bink an 8 on the turn and he spends the next 15 minutes calling me a fish.

everyone thinks chat isnt going to effect thier game but at some point it will. your trying to win and you become distracted when the guy just mumbling some off the wall crap.so for money im always leaving chat off.goodluck to you.

It's up to you. If you think you can gain some advantage by chatting or just reading, or if you find it entertaining, then fine. But be aware that if your opinion is inflated due to ego, you may be giving your opponents more of an advantage than you're getting back.

That's pretty much why I always muck my cards (unless I want to confuse my opponents, for example I'll show them the nuts then they'll respect my next raise when I may only have 6 3 offsuit and I can pick up the blinds, or I'll show a bluff and attempt to induce a loose call down the road while I'm holding a monster), even if my opponent shows his or hers and asks me to show. I don't want to reveal any information if I don't have to.

My brother is really good at tilting people in the husng using chat. It is actually pretty funny to watch. He is the nicest guy you could meet offline but in a game he changes.

I rarely engage because I usually find it distracting, but I agree with others that comments volunteered by other players can be useful. Pay attention to the blind levels, encouraging a lot of chatting can slow down games sometimes, so if it's a fast structure you might be costing yourself cheap hands as the blinds go up by getting people into conversations.

Most sites allow you to just turn off individual players. I use that when a player is just plain screwed up. Usually not even if he messes with me, but if he is rude with anyone.

Usually, if you right click on a player the option appears.

In my opinion it does not really affect the way I play poker. It is all up to you on if you want to talk to players or not in the chat box.

Chatting is totally 100% a personal preference. If you feel like it takes away from your game or tilts you because of what others say, then turn it off. Otherwise it totally doesn't matter. Only you know the answer to that.