JOIN OR CREATE A LOCATION : /join [location]
In addition to using the pull-down location selector, the /join command is another way a user
can change from one location to another in the chat. Some public locations are not listed in the location selector below the input field but can be entered with the /join command. You can use the "/list" command
described below to get a list of all locations with users and the use "/join [new_location]"
to change to that location. If the location is locked a message will be displayed explaining
that it is locked, who locked it, and the IP address of the Operator who locked it. Public
locations can not be locked and can always be joined. The only way to enter a locked area is
if summoned. Only Operators can create new locations with the /join command. If a regular
user tried to /join a non-existent location they would get a message saying the the location
does not exist and that only Operators can create new locations. Locations as well as
nicknames are case sensitive. The /join command has a built-in smart feature so that if a
user tries to "/join doorstep" it will guess that the meaning is to join the "Doorstep" and effect that command rather than try and
create a new location called "doorstep" (lowercase). If an Operator tries to /join a location
that does not exist it will be created and automatically locked by the server. Regular users can be summoned to the new location, or the location can be unlocked
to allow other users to enter using "/join [location]". Non-public locations must have an
Operator present and when all Operators have left the location regular users will be returned to the "Doorstep".
PRIVATE MESSAGES : /msg [nick] [message]
Private messages appear at the bottom of the screen with the sending nickname flanked by
asterisks; as in "*joe* hi there". Messages more than 2 minutes old are deleted by the server.
To send a private message to another chatter anywhere on the chat you just type /msg followed
by the exact case sensitive spelling of their nickname (without the asterisks), and then the
message to send. The command "/msg", the nickname, and the message to send must all be
separated by a space. If a user by the nickname you type is not online, or the nickname is
misspelled you will be notified that no such user exists. Some users may block private messages
and in this case you will be notified that they are not accepting messages. Private messages
are private, but in cases of harassment a user can /forward their messages to an Operator
for review.
WHO ALL : /whoall
This command lists all
the users online in ASCII order (A-Z and then a-z). It also shows the user's IP
address, last known location, and /comment. Operators IP addresses
will show up with "#" marks on each side, commonly called "wings" by the Ops. This command is
on the endangered list since it is uses quite a lot of the network resources. You might take
note that a
/whois # will show all Operators online and a /whois "." will do the same thing as a /whoall.
WHO IS : /whois [nick] or /whois [text]
This is more powerful alternative to /whoall and doesn't waste as much network bandwidth.
This command allows you to do a search for a specific nickname, IP, comment, etc. If an exact
nickname
is supplied it will show the users IP address, location, and how many seconds they have been
idle. A really nice trick to get a list of all operators online is to
use "/whoall #" since it will match the "#" marks on each side of the Operators IP address.
Additionally, this command will also show you the total number of lines that matched at the
end of the search.
WHO : /who [location]
Lists all users on the current channel if invoked without the [location]. If a [location] is
supplied it will show the same information for users at the location specified. Nickname, IP
address, location, and comment are shown in ASCII order. Again note that a /whois [location]
will yield the same result.
DESCRIBE : /d [text]
Describe can be used to express how a person is feeling or what they are doing. The text is
printed to the channel following an asterisk "*" and nickname. So if user Johnny typed "/d
flings blue Jello at Anne!" then it would show up on the channel as "* Johnny flings
blue Jello at Anne!". Note : at this time /bo /bl /it and /pic will not work in combination
with a describe.
QUIT : /quit [text]
Quit logs you out of the chat. Using /quit is better than just leaving the chat since people will know you have left and
people sending private message will be notified that you are not on the server, as opposed to
just ignoring them. Also, if you leave without a /quit and the server is full, new users will
not have access to the slot for an additional 5 minutes. Additionally, Operators can
leave [text] in their sign-off message as they leave the chat.
FLUSH : /fl
The /flush command is used to flush the private message buffer. Currently the server
automatically flushes any messages more than 2 minutes old but messages can be flushed early
with this command. Once the /fl command is run it will display the messages (and any new messages) once before flushing.
PAGE LENGTH : /len [0-30]
Depending on the font size or what time of browser you are using, the display can be improved
by adjusting the number of lines that are shown in the display. Also, some users with many
private messages find it better to reduce the number of lines. You just type /len followed by
a number between 0 and 30 to set the number of lines to display. Unfortunately the display is
not simple to control since font sizes and formatting can differ radically between browsers, so
/len actually adjusts the number of messages displayed, not the actual number of lines.
Messages can take more than one line. The default number of lines to display is 15 and
Lynx users may find it helpful to set "/len 10".
NICK : /nick [new_nickname]
If you want to change your nickname without leaving the chat you can use this command. If the
nickname is an Operator reserved nickname, someone else is already using the nickname,
or has recently left but not expired from the database, the nickname
change will not be allowed. Logins with the same nick as one already in use will bounce the
login with a "nickname invalid" message. For Operators to change back to their reserved nick
the server checks an internal code for identity assigned when the Operator originally logs in
and if it matches, allows the nick change (password entry is no longer required).
SCROLL BACK : /sb [text]
This command will search and display the last 60 lines if they match the supplied [text].
The [text] can contain only A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and _. If no [text] option is supplied the default
is to display all 60 lines in the scroll back buffer.
HELP : /help
The /help command displays a short listing of all commands and is the BEST quick
reference for help on the chat. It does not contain much detail but is more up to date than
any other source! The help is divided into two sections, the second for Extended Operator
Commands. Commands are listed as "/command [option1] [option2] Description". In some cases
the options are required in others options, and some commands have no options. When using a
command do not include the "[" and "]" brackets. Substitute your own options in place of the
bracketed values. The forward slash "/" is required at the beginning of the line for it to be
recognized as a command.
COMMENT : /comment [text]
When you first log into the chat, the comment area is empty. To change the comment, type
"/comment [new_comment]" (limited to 14 characters). A /who command displays, along
with other information, the user comment.
MAIL : /mail [op_nickname] [text]
Chat Operators can receive CHAT MAIL. This is not e-mail but is a message you can send
to Operators in their absence. The sender's nickname, machine address, and the date sent
(Pacific Standard Time) is included with the message. It works pretty much like a /msg but the
receiving Operator does not need to be online when it is sent, and if online they do not get a
notice of the pending mail. When the Operator enters the chat, they receive notice of their chat
mail, and this mail can be either saved or deleted.
LIST : /list
The /list command provides a list of all locations currently in use. The first column
indicates the status of the location with "O" representing open
locations and "L" for locked. This is followed by the number of users at the location and the
name of the location. Public locations can not be locked but custom locations created by
Operators are locked at the time of creation. There are public locations that do not
appear in the pull-down but are usually shown in the pull-down on the login page.
PICTURE : /pic [URL]
The /pic command is used to turn the nickname into a blue hypertext link to a URL
somewhere on the web. The intent is to allow users to make a link to their homepage, or a
picture of themselves, without actually displaying the picture itself to everyone in that
location. If you have uploaded your .jpg or .gif to the incoming directory and it is
approved, it gets moved to a /pic directory on this server. In this case the picture link
can be enabled by typing /pic image.gif where the name of the picture file is
"image.gif". If the file is not on this server you can replace the name of the picture
with the URL where it is located on the web.
See the User
Picture Directory for more detailed information about uploading your picture to the
pic directory.
IGNORE : /ig [nick]
Ignore blocks all private messages and flushes the current message buffer. To turn on
ignore just type "/ig" and to turn it off just type "/ig" again. Typing /ig [nick]
allows you to block messages from all users matching the address of [nick] but allows
messages to be received from all other users.
NULL SUMMONS : /null
Null prevents summoning and functions as a toggle. It has no apparent effect other than a
notice saying that you are protected and you will not be notified when it blocks a summons.
FORWARD : /forward [op_nickname]
Forward should be used in cases of harassment by private message. First determine what
Operators are online that may be able to help by using "/whois #". Pick an Operator from this
list and forward your messages. For example if Methos is an Operator you would type
"/forward Methos" and all your private messages will be forwarded to Operator Methos for
review. If the situation warrants, Methos should then either /kick, /ban, or talk to the
person who is harassing, depending on the severity. If it is an Operator who is causing
problems, /forward the private messages to a different Operator who will then report to the
Operator Committee and suspend the Operator if needed. A new command may be added soon to
/report cases of inappropriate behavior by Operators.
Please note the new option of using this command without the [nick] will automatically
forward your private messages to 4 different Operators at random for review. This is perhaps
the quickest way to get help if you are having problems with other users. Abuse of this
command is taken seriously and use without cause may result in unwanted Operator action.
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