Tips for Safe Online Chatting

Keep Chatting Safe

Chatting online can be a great experience with the right knowledge. Below is a guide to chatting online, the things to look out for, and the proper way to converse with strangers.

Chat servers are made up of many different channels or rooms. Each channel has a members list, usually on the right side of the chat screen. At the top of the list there are moderators. These moderators act as "chat police," keeping the room free of illegal and/or disrespectful activity. They have the ability to kick a user from the room, ban a user from the room, or "quiet" (+q) a user. When a user gets "quieted" they remain in the room, however they can not type anything in the main room until (+q) is lifted. Next on the list of members are the "Voiced" members. The long term is "Strict Moderation Voice." The "Voiced" members do not have any power to kick, ban or quiet another user, but they can help enforce the rules of the room using their voice. Meaning, they can tell someone when they're doing something wrong and ask them to stop. The remaining members on the list are regular users who have not yet been "voiced."

Always read a chat server's rules before entering any room. The people that have created that site have written these rules for a reason. They are to be followed at all costs, and most of these rules require nothing more than common sense.