So, wanna roleplay, but you're not sure where to go? You might try looking into some of these options. If you have any further suggestions, send me a message. (Note: do not send individual roleplaying websites to be linked on this page; this is about sites and services you can use for roleplaying in general. Specific roleplaying websites are linked on this page.)
Chatzy: Chatzy has become a popular roleplaying venue due to the fact that it's extremely easy to set up and customize a chatroom. Free chatrooms have a maximum of ten guests, though paid chatrooms have no limit.
Chatzy has a few features that make it particularly good for roleplaying. For one, visitors can view what was recently posted, which means that if your Internet blinks for awhile you can catch up on anything you've missed. With the /rolldie command, you can roll a die of any number of sides, and with the /choose option you can let Chatzy pick from a set of given options at random. So, for example, if you want to add a little suspense to your game, you can ask Chatzy to pick whether your character's efforts at something succeed and fail.
Chatzy also allows users to pick individual colors for their names. The default palette isn't too great, but it can very easily be augmented and/or replaced. An option can be enabled to give guests the ability to choose their own custom colors.
It should be noted that Chatzy has one significant glitch - it will occasionally fail to display new posts. However, it's easy to work around this by pressing Enter without typing anything - this will force the chatscreen to refresh and display any new messages.
Discord: A free and easy-to-use chat service that works on desktop and phone, with or without registration. It also supports voice chat. You can even find RP bots to add to your server over here!
Internet Relay Chat: Usually shortened to "IRC," the Intenet Relay Chat an oldie (1988!) but goodie. While not as simple to use as Chatzy, many IRC networks provide 'bots' created for gamers, such as dice rollers, and unlike Chatzy, you don't have to pay if you want more than ten people in a room. IRC is not a single website, but is rather a protocol utilized by many people and groups for various purposes. Darkmyst was created with roleplayers in mind, Esper has a dicebot available to install on any roleplaying channels (chatrooms) you might create (look in the help files). Both DALnet and StarChat allow roleplaying rooms.
E-Mail: Just roleplay with someone via your e-mail account, or a specially-made e-mail account.
Bulletin Boards: Just try Googling "(thing you want to roleplay) roleplaying forum." If it's out there, you'll find it. If you can't find what you're looking for, you can create a free forum at InvisionFree, ProBoards, or ZetaBoards.
Omegle: Omegle is a website that sets you up in a chat with a completely random stranger. Depending on the universe, you can find people to roleplay with by putting in the right tags. For example, if you wanted to roleplay Harry Potter, you might include the tags "Harry Potter Roleplay," "Harry Potter RP," "hp roleplay," "hp rp," and the names of any characters and ships you're interested in. It can be a great place to meet new people, though on the downside there are a lot of very poor roleplayers there, and many people abuse its anonymous nature to be inappropriate.
Riot.im: A chat and instant messaging service with an interface similar to Discord, Riot.im can be used to create roleplay communities or RP with single partners. It offers features such as bridging to other networks, and better security and privacy than similar services.
Rolechat: Created as a replacement for the now-broken Shamchat, Rolechat connects you to a random person for the sheer purpose of roleplaying! Much like Omegle, you can find some creepy people there, but there are a lot of great ones, too. You can also choose whether you want SRP or not, decreasing the odds of running into a player who wants something you don't.