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| Home > Chatrooms > Chatroom FAQ |
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If you're a newcomer to the crazy world of chatrooms, or haven't yet used any of the SAUK chatrooms and would like to know more about the rooms and how to use them, the following information may be helpful to you...
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How do I get into the chatrooms? Simply click one of the links on the main SA chat page. This will open a new window in which the java required to run the chatroom in your browser will load. This may take a moment so be patient. When the java is loaded, you will see a box prompting you to enter a nickname for yourself, and a button marked 'connect'. Enter your name or a nickname of your choice, then click 'connect'. You will be transported to the chatroom, and see a list of all the people in the room on the right. Then all you have to do is start chatting!
Can I be in both chatrooms at once? Yes! When you're in one of the rooms, you can enter the others by typing in a simple command in the box you use to chat in. For example, if you're in the On-Topic SAUK chat room and wish to enter the "Lounge" Off-Topic chat room, type /join #lounge into the chat window. Vice-versa, type /join #sauk to join the On-Topic SA room from the Lounge Off-Topic room. You will then be able to toggle between the windows. There are currently two SAUK chatrooms. To join any of these from any chatroom, you can type /join #sauk /join #lounge If you wish to leave any of the chatrooms type:
/part #sauk /part #lounge
When's the best time to go in the chatroom? The 'unconventional' sleep patterns of SA people, together with the international nature of this site mean that the chatrooms are hardly ever empty. The busiest times tend to be between around 9:00pm and 1:00am UK time (4pm-9pm EST in the US), but there are usually people in there well into the small hours and beyond, and in the afternoons and early evenings. Mornings are the quietest times, but even then you're likely to stumble across the odd stray Antipodean! If you enter a chatroom which appears to be silent or empty, please try the other rooms instead, usually somebody is around somewhere!
Are there specific topics for chat? The On-Topic chat room is intended for the discussion of issues directly related to social anxiety or other mental health issues and support. There are no specific topics for chat in the Lounge/General Off-Topic chat room, which is intended to provide an environment for everyday socialising. The conversation in the Lounge/ General Off-Topic room may flow between anything from music, to kids TV, to the political situation in Azerbeijan! The purpose of this room is to allow you to get to know and enjoy conversation with other people with SA, and to benefit from the experience of others. Many people with SA want to let their hair down a little! Expect the conversation in this room to be more raucous and party-oriented. There may be conversations about subjects which may offend, such as sex for example, so please realise this if you wish to use this room, and avoid entering if you think you may be offended.
Yes. There are around 10-15 channel operators or 'Ops' in total, some of whom should be around at any given time to deal with and help prevent abuse and inappropriate behaviour. They may or may not have a green dot next to their name in the list of nicknames. The Ops are SA people like you, who have been chatting at SAUK for some time and who want to help maintain a good chatting environment. Ops have the power to kick people out or place a ban on them if they misbehave, although this power is only used under extreme circumstances, usually to get rid of people who've come in from another chatroom and are 'spamming' the room or being abusive. We don't believe in treating our users like children, so you're not going to be kicked for using the odd expletive. Please refer to our rules for more guidance on how the rooms are moderated.
The Ops are also there to help all users to make the most of the rooms, and especially to help and welcome newcomers, so if you need any help please don't hesitate to ask them.
Having trouble accessing the chatrooms?
Like most things on the Internet, the chatrooms are subject to occasional downtime. If however you're having persistent problems accessing the chatroom, or need further assistance, don't hesitate to post a message to the Chatroom discussion board or send an email to saukchat@yahoo.co.uk.
Can I access the chatrooms via IRC?
Yes! Using an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) program such as
The SAUK chatrooms run on the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) server chat.serenia.net, so if you have an IRC client (e.g. mIRC), all you have to do is enter in the relevant server and channel details. In mIRC you can do this by going to File > Options > Connect > Add, then enter the following information (enter "serenia" for the group, leave the 'password' option blank and leave the 'port' option as the default):
Click 'add' and then make sure Serenia is selected as the default server, and click 'connect'. Once you're on the server you'll get a welcome message, then all you have to do is type one of the above join commands into the status window and you're in!
If you need more help, here are a list of some useful links:
Basic IRC commands
Newbies FAQ
IRC Primer
SA-UK Discussion Boards
Chatroom Email Address |
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