Help!



Chat Basics


The first thing you'll see when using our chat is the login screen to the right. It's a pretty standard login screen which accepts a nickname and a password. It also accepts a room name, which we've already filled in for you.

Two special notes about this screen.

  • If you haven't registered a nickname, don't enter a password. Just enter a nickname, and click "Connect"
  • If you haven't decided on a nickname, just leave "Guest" as the Nickname, and click "Connect." You will join the room as a guest user until you can decide on a nickname.



Your Roomies!


On the right hand side of the screen, once you've logged in, you'll see your roomies. These are other people who are chatting in the room. You can interact with them by typing in the input box toward the bottom of the screen and hitting enter, or clicking send.


You can always see your own nickname highlighted on the list, in the Night theme, your nickname will be highlighted in bright green.


There are a number of special types of users in the roomies list. Hosts will be highlighted in blue, and may have a silver shield. Assistants will be highlighted in orange and may have a wooden shield. Regulars of the room are highlighted in dark green, and have a blue star next to their name.



Changing Your Nickname


At the bottom right of the screen, you'll see an options button. Clicking this will bring up a menu with a lot of options. We'll be using this throughout the help section, so remember it!


Toward the bottom of the menu, is an option to "Change Nickname" clicking on this will present you with a box where you can enter a nickname, and a button to accept the new name. You can also bring this box up by double clicking your bright green name in the Roomies list.


One key thing to remember, here. If you've changed to a nickname which is registered, you'll be prompted for the password. If you don't know it, you'll need to cancel, and you'll be returned to a Guest nickname.



Registering Your Nickname


Until you register a nickname, anyone else is able to use it if you log off the chat. So registering a nickname helps you preserve and protect your chat identity. It's suggested you do this as soon as possible.


It's also a good idea to remember, as a default, other users will be unable to receive private messages from unregistered nicknames. This helps protect you from unwanted solicitation. Registering your nickname will allow them to see your messages.


To register your nickname, you just need to select the Options button again, and select the "Register Nickname" option. This will present you with a dialog allowing you to select a password for your nickname. Be sure to select something you'll remember, as you'll need to use this anytime you login!



Changing the Look and Feel


The options menu provides two items right at the top for changing the look and feel of your chat experience. This is only displayed to you, and just makes the chat look more more appealing to you.


The first item you can change is the Font Size. Some people like a small font, some people prefer something a bit bigger. The choice is yours!


The second item is the theme. Themes determine what the chat looks like. Our default theme is the "Night" theme which has a nice black plastic look. Obviously, this isn't for everyone, so you can select the theme you like best.



Changing What Others See


Beyond selecting a unique and memorable nickname, there are other things you can do to help identify your chat personality.


Our chat allows you to format your text to look different than anyone else's. You can make your text bold, underlined, italicized, change the color, or a mix of all four.


Please keep in mind. Some of the colors may look different to people using different themes, as it's difficult for one color to look right on every theme.



Private Chats


Once you've gotten familiar with the chat, it's likely you'll want to participate in private chats. This allows you to have a more personal conversation with your friends.


In order to start a private chat, simply double click on the name of the person you want to chat with. You'll presented with a dialog allowing you to view their profile, or private chat. Click "Private Chat."



Multiple Conversations


While in more than one chat room, or private chats, you'll notice your Roomies list starts to expand into multiple sections. These sections represent different conversations. These could be different rooms, or private conversations.


To switch to another conversation, simply click the box representing the person or room you wish to speak to. Switching to a new conversation does not close other conversations, to do this, you would need to click the circle and x at the top of the chat window.


While involved in one conversation, others may continue in the background. If you have received a new message in another conversation, you'll see a blue dot flashing on that conversation. Selecting the conversation will display the new messages, and remove the blue dot.