The ToO Chat and How To Use It

[DanP740]

Connect to the chat here!

As many of you know, we have a chatroom for the ToO. Somewhere on your page, depending on your chosen style, there should be a link to the ToO Chat. On the style I'm using, newToO, it's to the right of the logo in the menu bar thing there, and also beneath it.

Q&A Time!

It's giving me choices! What do I do?

When you click on the button, it takes you to here, where it gives three options for the interface it's going to use, Mibbit, Java, or CGI:IRC. To start off, try Mibbit. If that doesn't work, try Java. If that doesn't work, try CGI:IRC, which I think is the most minimal.

None of those work! I guess I can't get on the chat.

There are many other ways to access the chat, as it is independent of any browser interface. There are browser extensions and external clients that allow you to connect without much effort. Also, as they aren't part of the browser, it may be easier to switch around between windows and pages. For Firefox there is an extension called Chatzilla. In the real of external clients, which are programs that connect to IRC channels, there is a wide selection, including mIRC, X-Chat, IceChat, and Pidgin. If you decide to use one of these, I can help you with making the connection.

I use a smartphone, not a computer.

For Android devices you can download the free AndChat app. I use it when I can't be at the computer. I don't know about iPhones, as I don't have one, but I'm sure there's something for it.

I got into the room, but nobody's there.

That is probably because people tend to do this:

[12:01:15] > Bob has joined >
[12:01:18] <Bob says> Anybody here?
[12:01:20] <Bob says> I guess not.
[12:01:25] < Bob has left <

Bob was only in the chatroom for 10 seconds. That may sound short, but I have seen people spend that little time in the room waiting to see if others are on. Other times they wait for a few minutes before giving up.
I have also had this happen:

[3:05:00] > Greg has joined >
[3:05:30] <Greg says> Hi
[3:28:04] < Greg has left <
[3:38:49] <Dan says> Oh, didn't see him. Oh well.

Sometimes the people in the chatroom don't notice you until you've left, unfortunately.
What you need to do if you want to actually talk to someone in the chatroom is to get on and stay on. Your chances of getting on for 1 minute at the exact same time as somebody else getting on for 1 minute is really low. You need to leave the chat open and keep checking it every few minutes. Then you'll actually get someone if everybody follows this advice. Otherwise we'll never get more regular activity.

[King Butter Turtle]

Poor Bob.

I think there are enough people interested in the chatroom for it to be... not dead but, everyone has the assumption that it is (dead) so they never use it which continues the idea that nobody's ever on. There's some logical fallacy or something for the idea but, I can't think of what it's called. Anyway, reminders like this, maybe help. *dutifully logs onto chat*

[snubs]

Yeah, you guys really need to work on staying in the chat longer than couple minutes. >_>

Thanks, Dan for posting this.

[bookworm]

Good guide Dan. You might also include a direct link to the chatroom.

[DanP740]

You know guys, it's really sad that our chat is seeing more use by people from the Soda Shop than our members, and they already have their own chat.

[~JCGJ~]

You know guys, it's really sad that our chat is seeing more use by people from the Soda Shop than our members, and they already have their own chat.

They're doing it to make a point, that they're better Message Boarders.

[DanP740]

Are you just saying that, or are they actually saying that?