Chat behavior
From WWR
The WWR chat is not like other fast-flying IRC chat rooms found on the internet. Its purpose is to help foster deeper discussion between participants rather than just quick "Hi!" and "Outta here" type messages. It also tries to distinguish itself from other internet chat rooms by being warm and welcoming.
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Good chat behavior
- If the chat is busy and you have a somewhat random response to a particular chatter, you might want to put the '''name of the person you are addressing''' in bold by putting three single quotes before and after it. Example: Hey '''Jimbob''' you should take a bath! This way the person is more likely to see that a comment is directed to them.
- Remember that even though you may understand the context of your chat comment, others may not. So if there is any chance your comment could be mis-construed as an insult or attack or pornographic or hate speech etc. it's usually best to provide context by using emoticons (like wink
;-) or smile:-) ), addressing people directly by including their chat name in the comment and/or providing a clear indication that you're making a joke or discussing something controversial that someone else brought up. If you don't want to have to provide context and/or you don't want to have to explain your intentions because you're chatting with friends who already know you, moving out of the Main Room in chat to another Chat room is a good alternative.
- If you are commenting about a song that is playing or anything on the audio stream, keep in mind that other people are not hearing what you're hearing at the same time. In addition, they may not refresh their screen until minutes after the audio event you're referring to has occurred. So unless you are very specific, referring to audio events in the chat is generally confusing to everyone.
- Although it's not always necessary, a cursory welcome to folks who have recently arrived in the chat is appreciated if you're feeling in the mood. This is especially true if you know the chatter is brand new to WWR. New chatters often judge the warmth of the entire community based on their first few minutes in the chat. You don't have to engage completely, but a polite "hello" makes everyone feel welcome.
- Let other chatters respond based on their particular needs. Just because someone doesn't say "Hello" doesn't mean they hate you. They may be at work and got distracted or at home and had to answer the telephone. They may feel like it's phoney to say "Hello" every time they enter the chat. Let others have room to be themselves and eventually you'll find your interactions with them taking on a more comfortable tone. Some of the warmest friendships at WWR were born between people who seldom say anything to each other in the chat.
- Entering the chat - If you have never been in the chat before, it is considered polite to at least say something like "Hello, I'm new here" . For the OLD timers a "Hi Folks" doesn't hurt either. If you type ::helloall in the chat, an automated hello to everyone will display.
Not so good chat behavior
- Excessive or pointless profanity. WWR tends to have an adult audience so swearing is generally acceptable, particularly if it used in a clever way. But repeated swearing just for the sake of using four letter words is childish and annoying. Using **** to mask the profanity is often less jarring to someone sitting at home with their family peering over their shoulder than spelling it out. If you're going to let loose with a good rant, please try to use your profanity in as interesting a way as you f***** can.
- Abuse of other chatters or listeners. This is never acceptable. The question arises as to what is "abuse". Anything that is meant to insult someone in a serious way or cause them public embarrasement is abuse. Teasing a friend or trading barbs is acceptable and has provided many hours of entertainment in the chat. But it's important that the other person know you are teasing so be careful with your wording. An emoticon smiley face or wink goes a long way toward letting everyone know the wisecrack is meant to be funny. If in doubt, reword it.
- Annoying other chatters If you have repeatedly tried to get a particular chatter to interact with you but they have choosen not to, please respect their wishes. For every one person who may not like your online personna, there are probably ten more who are happy to interact with you. Chat rooms can create wildly false impressions of anyone. People who don't want to talk with you online might well be great best friends in real life. Don't succumb to the surreal nature of a chat room and react like you might at a cocktail party after being snubbed. Remember, it's just a chat room.
- Complete, total and utter inebriation Just like in real life, getting schnockered while chatting can lead to embarrassment the next morning. Most everyone likes relaxing on WWR when the mood is right, particularly on Friday or Saturday nights. But if you have a problem drinking to excess, please be aware there are many other more appropriate chat rooms where you'll find non-judgemental party buddies. Almost every problem that has resulted in Jimbob having to lock someone out of the chat room was a direct result of alcohol abuse.
- IP Spoofing This happens when your browser attempts to lie about your IP. Generally IP spoofing is not accidental. The person has it turned on in order to cloak where they are really connecting from. Although not strictly prohibited at this point, IP spoofing is a 'red flag' and may result in eventual banning. Any questionable chat comments that come from a person engaged in IP spoofing will result in a permanent ban.
Other stuff
- Communication - Keep in mind that this is at best a poor means of interpersonal communication. It lacks three major things that we use when interacting in person; body language, facial expression and voice inflection. So try to interpret what is said in the most positive way possible, if it doesn't strike you just right, "Like water off a ducks back" , let it roll off. This brings up one of my favorite quotations that I remember seeing written on a wall in the 70's, "I know you think you know what I said, but what you need to understand is that I didn't say what I meant" , author unknown to this writer.
See also
External links
Radio Paradise has a good and easy to read set of rules.
