chatroom ettiquette
 

This is mainly directed at BigV.

But...I'm bringing it up on the main board so that it can be referenced later, and so those that might want to come chat can see it.

This is not a rule book....I've no more right to dictate the actions of other chatters than anyone. What follows is MY OPINION of good chat ettiquette.

The main irritations in chat are 2:

1. Lurking. We have all pretty much agreed that people that come into chat and won't share their real identity should be booted immediately. Using cute names is fine, but when you are asked who you be....spill or be kicked, and/or banned.

Also, when you leave, log out. V has a very annoying habit of logging into chat, and then just ......? is he sitting there reading(eavesdropping) without participating in the conversation? Has he left and is just leaving it up so he can monitor it later? It makes me uncomfortable. I know some others feel the same. I've asked him to stop, but he refuses. I don't want to limit your rights to chat, V but you're doing it WRONG.

Chat is like being at the pub. would you want a silent non participant hanging out behind you all night?

2. Drama. We've all broken this one. If you want to spat with some one in chat, open a private window/tab. just click their name in the list and select private message, and then tell them to check tabs in the main room.


/rant

Yea, I think I left my computer on after I logged in. I forgot about it because when there was a call for participants and I went there, you along with 3 other people were logged in and not chatting. There had been no activity for about a hour. So I left it and forgot about it. I will try to remember to log out.

I've dropped in a number of times and found just one name "in there" - but no activity. I think everybody forgets to log out from time to time.

yeah, but not EVERY NIGHT for the last three weeks after being told about it


go look in chat right now

I've been guilty of that as well. Just kick me out if I forget to sign out.

no...you close your browser and eventually time out. I'm talking specifically to V on this issue. IMO, he is doing it on purpose to be creepy.

Actually, my main issue with chat (apart from the biggie of not being able to get there when everyone else is) was people with unrecognisable names.

I felt like an old square having to demand that people identify themselves - I want a chat based on Cellar values - you are who you are and I am interested in your real life situation. Glad that's not an issue anymore anyway.

Obv can't comment on V because I haven't been in chat for ages. But as it's not an issue that affects me I am in a position to ask you cut him some slack, LJ. The bottom has just dropped out of his world. And after all, what do you talk about there that is so private that a lurker is anathema? Makes me wonder...

if everyone that chats regularly is fine with it, then I'll stfu. Actually, I've pretty much made my opinion known at this point anyway, so......

I agree with you, LJ. No creepiness allowed.

I feel like there's an implication of what V may think he's eavesdropping on, because of his past activities in chat and on the Cellar. It causes an elephant-in-the-room effect. That wouldn't be there otherwise. It makes it tough to move on from that past, if that is possible.

Cellar values, now that's a creepy thought.

Also, I agree. I think the lurking is just garden variety passive aggressive behaviour and is the sort of stuff up with which we will not put.

Nice sentence structure. ;)

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/churchill.html;)

This one one is clear: If you come into chat, and then don't participate with others..Why come in?

To monitor?

lj's right here. I think it's an annoying habit. Not a chat bannable offense...Just irregular and annoying.

It's comparable to being in a restraunt, refusing to sit with your company, then stare at them from another table.

But there are many personalities that make up the cellar. Part of the fun of it. :)

Wha-huh?

The whole point of chat is to participate. And to be open about who you are - at least your Cellar login name if using an alias.

Personally, if we wanted to limit chat to real Cellar names I'm sure we could. I personally don't care. If coming in anonymously makes someone more comfortable and let's them bring up an issue they wouldn't put their name to, then fine.

If you want to go to a place where people have to use their real names to get in, try an airport lounge.

I personally hate popping into chat with my Cellar handle and finding noone there. Then my name is left on the log as popping in and out like some hapless loser poking his head in every bar looking for the 'cool' place.

And at some point I think I've seen a lot of cases where there were a few names and it looked like they were all AFK.

Running the Cellar has always been and is supposed to be like herding cats. I for one am happy to be one of the cat people.

FTR I almost always use WTF?

Meaning I didn't make it up, it is (apocryphally) attributed to Winston Churchill. I just like it because it sounds so pompous.

But the link is to a broken page.

Jesus, you guys are so technical. I guess URLs work better when there isn't a semi-colon at the end of them.
my bad. that is supposed to be a winking smiley ;) but I left out a space.

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/churchill.html
;)

Delmar: "That's it fellers... I've been redeemed!"

While I can understand it's annoying when people don't identify themselves, I think it's equally or even more poor form when regular chatters 'impersonate' other members of this forum in order to either cause trouble or be plain arseholes.

I guess you can't have it every way you want it all the time though. Sometimes what other people want counts too.

Foot: Link still doesn't work.

I just thought of something. Can I just close the chat window or click to return to the cellar and I'd be logged off to chat? Or do I have to manually log off? Just wondering cuz I've never "log off." I've been assuming I get logged off automatically if I close the window or return to the forum. :p

Uh-oh. I may have done just that, Tulip. Only went to chat once, I think, but I am not sure I logged off. :o

i never log off. I just close it down.

if you close the browser or even the tab, in a few minutes it will time you out.

the preferred method is to type '/quit' or just click the word "Disconnect" right below your text entry line.

Try this

For some reason the semicolon is still on the link. go up to your address bar and delete the semicolon and hit return, that should work.

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/churchill.html

maybe this time it will work, but somehow I think it will be anticlimactic...

Dana, we know that. But we want you to feel safe enough to explore your feelings with us and really open up.