Chat Tips

Pick a Nick

Choose a nick name, preferably one which does not imply gender. This allows you some anonymity and keeps unwanted invites at a minimum.

Introduce Yourself

Introduce yourself and state your interest in the chat room's main topic. This identifies you as having a genuine reason to join the chat and brings you into the conversation.

Don't Lose Track of Time

If joining an international chat, remember that while you might be having a bowl of hot soup to warm you up on a cold winter's morn, others may be enjoying a cold beer after a hot summer's day at work. Your IRC software will usually allow you to check the local time of chatters while you talk. Time conversion sites such as World Time Server may also be helpful. If you're not sure whether it's day or night or Monday or Sunday where you are, it's probably time to take a break!

Leap the Cultural Canyon

Colloquialisms and expressions, sports and news are not always common knowledge. Handy sites include Celsius Fahrenheit converter and Jennifer's language page, which lists simple phrases in over 500 languages.

Say it with Feeling

Statements lose their full meaning without voice inflections or facial expressions. Indicate your sentiments by including laughter, smiles, or frowns. Emoticons (if the chat does not include people using speech synthesizers) are useful. These include :-) for a smile (look sideways!) and :^( for when you're feeling down.

Learn Common Shortenings

Abbreviations for common expressions are frequently used, including "lol", for "laugh out loud", "j/k" for "just kidding," "brb" for "be right back" and "wb" for "welcome back." Try not to go overboard with abbreviations as they can confuse new chatters. Take a look at Canonical Abbreviations and Acronyms if you get stuck and are too shy to ask!

Accept Technology's Failings

Internet connections aren't stable, so don't be surprised if someone leaves the chat abruptly without saying goodbye - they most likely have been disconnected (dumped). When servers are busy, response times can differ from chatter to chatter, with some people lagging more than others. You can usually check a chatter's response time using your IRC client. Another chat phenomenon is net split, where the room is split over two or more servers, leaving you with fewer (or no) companions but still in a room. Servers may also be out of action due to maintenance or power outages - in which case, you'll just have to come back later or find a temporary alternative.

Whisper Secrets

If you have a private query which is irrelevant to most members of the group, use the whisper function of your IRC client. Avoid overuse of the whisper because it can alienate others and cause you to lose track of the main conversation. Be careful not to let something slip to everyone that you intended for just one other!

Get Creative

Use your imagination - parties and theme conversations are not uncommon. Use the Action and Thought capabilities of your IRC client when appropriate to colour your conversations. Using common sounds in chat can also be fun.

Mind Your Manners

Be as polite or pleasant as you would be off line and avoid asking for people's age, sex and location (a/s/l) first up. If someone is behaving offensively it's best to ignore them until a moderator can deal with them. For more information you might like to visit this site on Chat Etiquette.Menu]