A webinar is a type of web conference in which communication is one-way only; that is, only one person speaks and the others listen. Interaction between participants is limited to chat, so they can talk to each other or send questions to the speaker. The name comes from an abbreviation of web-based seminar. Webinars can take place either through a specific application installed on each participant's computer, or through a web application that operates within the browser, simply by typing the website address where the webinar will be held; in most cases, prior registration is required.