Chat help
Summary of the commands
Frequently Asked Questions
    Username/Nickname
    The Chat is not working!
    Usage
    Administrators


Frequently Asked Questions
 
Username/Nickname
 
Question: When I login I get the message "Username doesn't exist". Did they erase my name?
Answer: If you are already registered you need to use the Username, NOT the Nickname, to login.
 
Question: I don't want to register. How can I get my own name instead of Guest123?
Answer: It is possible to login with a name. If you don't specify a password, you will enter as a guest with this name and you don't need to register. But keep in mind that once you register a nickname, it is yours, and yours only.
Also keep in mind that after you logged in you can change your nick by typing /nick name.
 
Question: Someone already entered with my Nickname. What can I do?
Answer: Nothing. It often happens that several people want the same nickname. If you are the one to register it first, then it is yours. If someone took your nick, you need to come up with another one. This is why it is a good idea to register your favorite nickname. Also take into consideration if you can't get your favorite nickname that the nickname may be yours already, but that you might have forgotten that you have an account.
 
The Chat is not working!
 
Question: What browsers are supported by this chat?
Answer: This chat works with Netscape 4.x and higher as well as with Internet Explorer 5.x and higher. IE 4.x should also work but has not been tested yet.
 
Question: My browser is listed above, but when I login I can only see an empty page with the logo above. Neither the text box nor the userlist appears in the window. How come?
Answer: Most likely this is because your browser has JavaScript deactivated. You can activate JavaScript as follows:
Internet Explorer: Tools / Internet Options, click there on the security tab and then on the Custom Level button, then in the following dialog Scripting - Active Scripting - Enable
Netscape: Edit / Preferences / Advanced / Enable JavaScript.
 
Question: My browser is listed above, but when I try to login I only see a white (Netscape: gray) rectangle.
Answer: Most likely this is caused by a misconfiguration of the proxy settings. Deactivating proxies in the browser settings could help:
Internet Explorer: Tools / Internet Options, click there on the connections tab and then on LAN Settings. Uncheck all options there.
Netscape: Edit / Preferences / Advanced / Proxies / Direct connection to the Internet.
 
Question: I am having problems with the chat using the AOL software.
Answer: The default AOL proxy servers do not allow the normal chat mode. Try using an external browser, such as MS Internet Explorer or Netscape, and deactivate the proxies (instructions see above). If this does not work, select the "Safe mode" checkbox when you log in.
 
Question: While I was chatting suddenly no new messages appeared, not even my own ones. When I pressed logout, nothing changed. What happened here?
Answer: For this chat to function there has to be a live connection to the server. If you hit the ESCape key or click the STOP button the browser stops communicating with the server. Try clicking the refresh/reload button.
 
Question: I try to login with my Internet Explorer but I see only a white window.
Answer: Are you already in the chat with another browser window? Some restrictions of Internet Explorer do not allow chatting with two browser windows at the same time.
 
Usage
 
Question: How do I change my color?
Answer: With the command /color, or, easier, in the profile. There you can pick one of the standard colors or create your own by its red, green and blue component.
 
Question: How do I write a message that is preceded with: "(to someone)"
Answer: In front of your message put "someone:" or "@someone".
 
Question: How do I make my text appear bold or in italics?
Answer: Bold: _text_
Italic: *text*
 
Question: How can I send a private message?
Answer: Simply click on a nick from the list. A window pops up where you can enter your private message. You can also use "/msg someone".
 
Question: How can I indicate that I am away from the computer for a minute?
Answer: Type in the command /away, optional with a reason. When you return, just start typing and the away indicator disappears.
 
Question: For many commands I need to specify a nickname. Is there a shortcut for long nicks?
Answer: Yes. It is enough to specify the first few letters and let the system fill in the rest. You need to enter enough characters to uniquely identify the nick, though.
 
Question: How can I turn off the animated smileys?
Answer: Use the command "/smileys off", or change your preferences in your profile. To turn the smileys back on use the command "/smileys on".
 
Administrators
 
Question: What can an administrator do?
Answer: The rights of administrators mostly concern the chat configuration. Administrators can also gag annoying users temporarily, or in extreme cases even ban them from the chat.
 
Question: Are the chats logged somewhere?
Answer: Yes, for security reasons all public chats are logged and will be kept for a while. The administrators can read the chat logs. The chat can be also configured to log private messages.