Anyone there? - Chatting on IRC...

Published on June 11, 2003 By MadIce In WinCustomize Talk

If you have ever been to the Stardock IRC server you probably recognize this question. People enter the channel and leave within a minute. Often they ask this or another question and leave. I can show you logs full of such samples.

These people are probably not familiar with IRC and think it is a kind of a phone. They expect to be answered immediately and they leave within a minute. Sometimes very angry because they didn't get an answer within a minute.

A second reason why people do that is because they want to try out the chat option in SDCentral or the WC Browser. If they don't see any activity for a minute or two they leave.

Being in such a channel and seeing those people come and go can be irritating, but we are getting used to it. However, most of them stay away from channels like #WinCustomize and #SDCentral because of that. These two channels are the ones used by SDCentral and the WC Browser to autmatically connect you to the IRC server.

You should remember that there are real people in these IRC channels, so don't be nasty to them. Stardock employees, skinners, SD/WC users and SD gamers all hang out there. These people are often connected to IRC for 24/7 and may be working with another program, sleeping, skinning, making coffee, answering a phone or away from their keybaord for another reason. So, chances are they they do not see you as soon as you appear. Remember that these people come from all over the world and may not be in the same timezone as you. Half of them are not even from the US. Nobody is rude to visitors intentionally, but if they are we will kick them off the channel. People in these channels are there for fun and may help you out if they know an answer to your question. So, next time you join please wait 15 minutes or so.

Some of you may be afraid to speak on IRC because they see "famous" names there. Don't worry about that, none of them behave like stars.

The IRC channel is intended as a support tool and should be fun in the first place. It can also be a great tool for people working on the same skinning project.

The SD IRC software is as simple as it gets, but you may need some extra information about its practical use and may need to learn a few commands. Also there are more hints and tips, like those described above. In addition, there are rules what we accept and do not accept on IRC. If you are interested I can write all of that down and make it a sticky thread (Jafo already agreed to that). Let me know if you are interested in that.

Have fun...

Comments (Page 2)

MadIce

on Jun 11, 2003

(Koasati doesn't understand, why people sit in a chat room, 24/7, if they only chat a few hours a days)

We are in a channel 24 hours a day, because it is handy and fun. If I am working or skinning and have a question about that then there is usually someone around that can answer it. If I need to relax during work and just want to chat then I can do that aswell. There is no need to phone or visit someone. Help and fun are just a few mouse clicks away. It is great to have real people answering your questions. It also allows users to chat with us to report bugs or get support. If everybody would just join to get an answer to their question and leave afterwards there would be nobody to answer the questions, right?

MadIce

on Jun 11, 2003

Only twice have I got any sort of response, one of those, I though was a bit rude, and I appologise for disturbing that person

People may be working, sleeping, playing, skinning or be away from their keyboard for another reason. Also these people come from all over the world and may live in different time zones. If there are very few people in that channel then chances are you will not get any answers.

However, there are more channels than just the #WinCustomize channel. At the bottom of the chat window enter
/join #Stardock
You will probably find a lot more people there. Try that the next time you vist. And more people means there are more chances your question will be answered.

feline

on Jun 11, 2003

feline finds my suspicion confirmed
it really is a very big room with many overlapping conversations going on at once. this description reminds me of yahoo groups.

ever visit a yahoo group that has been going for a while and has several active members? unless you follow the individual message threads it can be quite incomprehensible.

add in a strange / different user interface, and IRC gave me the impression of having a very steep learning curve, with uncertain rewards. feline couldn't even tell if the info i was trying to pass on was getting anywhere

also, since my ISP disconnects me every 2 hours, i seem to recall getting logged off more than once (when modem connection dropped). when i got back, there was a big gap in the words on the screen, since any words that occurred while i was gone were "lost".

for my needs / way of working, i think i will stick to the message board and email.

MadIce

on Jun 11, 2003

I am totally intimidated by IRC and would be afraid I would say or do something wrong (or rude), so any instruction or guidelines would be appreciated.

Rule #1: All names in these channels are people, s don't be rude to them and they won't be rude to you.

I am trying to dream up a guide based on this thread. I thought I was able to write it in a single day, but I think it will cost me a little more than that. And I'll try to add your suggestions.

werewolf

on Jun 11, 2003

feline, you can always double click on someones name and have a private message session with them.

feline

on Jun 11, 2003

However, there are more channels than just the #WinCustomize channel. At the bottom of the chat window enter
/join #Stardock
You will probably find a lot more people there.

feline *giggles* *sigh*
i remember that idea. when i tried that all those many moons ago (it failed) this only happened after the green reaper issued some magic command. more strange and confusing commands followed, and i decided to leave.

MadIce

on Jun 11, 2003

what I think is funny is that sometimes someone will log in, not say anything, I will say hi to them, just to sort of get things started...and then they leave.

Yes. They probably don't know what to do and maybe we scare them with our famous names.

feline

on Jun 11, 2003

werewolf - feline, you can always double click on someones name and have a private message session with them.

feline didnt know that

MadIce

on Jun 11, 2003

it really is a very big room with many overlapping conversations going on at once. this description reminds me of yahoo groups.

#WinCustomize is relatively small. If you need help then ask for it. Tell what help you need. If the conversation is too chaotic then ask for a private conversation. You can also create a small channel to tak with a small group. For an example: You, Fuzzy and I want to discuss a plugin. We can create a channel with just the 3 of us and talk about it in our own pace. Also, people may invite you to a private conversation (1 to 1) when it is too crowded. Just give it a go. And do NOT panic.

I'll make sure that the doc contains info on how to do these things and some etiquettes.

Fuzzy Logic

on Jun 11, 2003

What's the difference between that and the message board? All sounds very strange...

Fuzzy Logic like to type things and click 'submit' - what more could you want?

MadIce

on Jun 11, 2003

i remember that idea. when i tried that all those many moons ago (it failed) this only happened after the green reaper issued some magic command. more strange and confusing commands followed, and i decided to leave.

The WinCustomize browser rarely needs commands to find your way (most commands can also be done with the mouse), but if you do it may help if you have a reference of these commands. And again. Do not panic and ask if you do not understand it.

MadIce

on Jun 11, 2003

What's the difference between that and the message board?

A conversation, once esablished, is real time. No need to refresh the window (like in an HTML browser). Therefor conversations can be faster and more responsive. They feel more like norml conversations.

jebland

on Jun 11, 2003

#19-Madice

I did not mean deliberate rudeness (I try to never do that). I meant not being aware of the protocols, I might do something that is a "no no". For example on the messageboard it is rude to write in all caps or start multiple threads on the same subject. I see a lot of newbies on the board that are not aware of this and are soundly scolded for it. That is something I would want to avoid.

werewolf

on Jun 11, 2003

oh...and please don't get on the IRC channels asking for help for warez version of the software. It's just not right.

MadIce

on Jun 11, 2003

I did not mean deliberate rudeness (I try to never do that). I meant not being aware of the protocols, I might do something that is a "no no". For example on the messageboard it is rude to write in all caps or start multiple threads on the same subject. I see a lot of newbies on the board that are not aware of this and are soundly scolded for it. That is something I would want to avoid.

If you are polite then they will be polite. Don't worry about it. Because we fool around from time to time and because it is international mix of people a remark may sometimes be misunderstood. That sometimes happens. But if it is clearly rude then we do not tolerate that.

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