Chat has been suggested a couple of times before and up until now I've been against it because of concerns about members' safety. I've been checking around tonight though and there are 2 or 3 possibilities which should ensure that things can be safe and secure. It may not be immediate (probably a few weeks) but if there is enough interest from members (please tell me here if you'd like the feature) it could be something to be added here.
I'll move this one to the suggestions area by the way