A Guide To #yuletide IRC Chat
Updated and adapted from How To Connect to Chat, The Extended Version by sleepfighter by the yulechat hive mind.
Welcome!
Contents:
One: The Very Basic Things
Two: Some Basic IRC Commands And Concepts
Three: Hippoing And You!
Four: On Getting Around Firewalls And Other Connection Issues
Five: IRC Clients
Six: Everything Else
One: The Very Basic Things:
Address:
Server: slashnet.org (The command to make this work in many clients is /server slashnet.org or /server irc.slashnet.org if your client supports links, the address will be irc://slashnet.org or irc://irc.slashnet.org .)
Room: #yuletide (Once you're connected to the server, type /join #yuletide to come into chat.)
A Brief Guide To The Strange Behaviors of Yulegoats
Welcome to our IRC based chat! We are a fun space, but often we're busy and a little bit crazy. Here are a few guidelines.
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Two: Some Basic IRC Commands And Concepts
Commands in IRC are generally inputted with a /, followed by the command. Many programs also have shortcuts. If you're unsure as to what your program does, consult their help files, or ask us.
Some Key Concept Notes
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Three: Hippoing And You!
There have been some excellent guides to hippoing over the years, notably Shusu's guide to the art of the complete hippo.
In brief, hippoing is act of volunteering to be a go-between for people to keep their anonymity about their stories until the all-important reveal for both betaing and other help that you might need, as an alternative to the usual beta finder post. To be a hippo, simply add the word "Hippo" to the beginning of your nick. Adding it to the beginning means that you'll show up in the right section of the alphabetically arranged channel list, which is important, as the #yuletide chat room tends to be quite large, especially during the last few days before uploads close and during treatwriting.
As a hippo, you are charged to do what you can to find at least one person to help each writer, which may take some time for the rarer canons. If you must leave, it is generally considered a good idea if you announce the fact to the channel. If you have a request active, please make sure to pass it on to another hippo after checking with the writer to make sure that the hippo you're passing it to is not the recipient. If you're the last hippo, please make sure to recruit another hippo before you leave.
If you need the services of a hippo, come into chat to see who's hippoing! It is generally a good idea (unless you are pressed for time) to wait a few minutes, then /query the hippo. They in turn will wait a few moments before announcing the request to the channel. After they've found someone to help, they will PM you with the person volunteering. After confirming that they'll work for what you need, the hippo will give you their contact information and announce to the channel that the request is closed.
Outstanding hippo requests will be added to the topic so that chatters know that someone is looking for a beta (ex: GSIB canonpicking - PM Naraht) , so if you don't get a match quickly, remember to come back to chat. Someone may have volunteered!
For a more in depth look at hippos, check out the link above.
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Four: On Getting Around Firewalls And Other Connection Issues
So you may be behind a university based firewall if you're living in the dorms, or some other content restricting script or hardware. You have a few options.
If it's the network's (Slashnet's) problem, the slashnet folks will be fixing the problem as soon as they can. If the netsplit or other issue continues for very long, someone will put up a temporary channel and announce it on the main Yuletide community.
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Five: IRC Clients
There is a web client at http://www.slashnet.org/webclient/yuletide that does not require a download.
An Incomplete List Of Clients:
Please see sleepfighter's original post for screenshot tutorials.
Wikipedia has a great comparison of IRC clients.
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Six: Everything Else
* IRC Help
* 2013 #yulechat rpf opt-in
* The 2013 chat challenge is Snorkels! Tag your fics with #Yulechat Challenge 2013
* Um, what's Ghost Soup?
* luminare_ardua posted a comment about nick-related IRC commands
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Welcome!
Contents:
One: The Very Basic Things
Two: Some Basic IRC Commands And Concepts
Three: Hippoing And You!
Four: On Getting Around Firewalls And Other Connection Issues
Five: IRC Clients
Six: Everything Else
One: The Very Basic Things:
Address:
Server: slashnet.org (The command to make this work in many clients is /server slashnet.org or /server irc.slashnet.org if your client supports links, the address will be irc://slashnet.org or irc://irc.slashnet.org .)
Room: #yuletide (Once you're connected to the server, type /join #yuletide to come into chat.)
A Brief Guide To The Strange Behaviors of Yulegoats
Welcome to our IRC based chat! We are a fun space, but often we're busy and a little bit crazy. Here are a few guidelines.
- General rules of courtesy apply to chat, even if we do like our air of fantasy madness! Everyone is invited, even bystanders or people who can't do Yuletide this year. Worried that no one knows you? Don't worry, channel loves you already. Here, have a nice imaginary fruity drink from the cabanaperson of your preference.
That said, we tend to assume that everyone in chat is of age in their respective countries. We also don't censor ourselves, so if swearing, sexual content and talking about alcohol or these lovely painkillers is likely to get you fired, we don't recommend coming into channel during work. - Operator (op) status gives you special permissions in a chat room, like the power to change the topic and make other people ops. We op everyone in the chat room.
Currently (2013), Azz automatically ops everyone who comes into chat. - While mods do hang out in chat, we recommend emailing them instead of contacting them through the channel if you have a yuletide issue.
- Please do not talk about your assignment directly in channel. We understand that writing is a hard process, and we like to be supportive! Also that you are totally into what you're writing. However, this is a Secret Santa exchange and we'd like to preserve the anonymity factor. So be vague if you talk at all about what you're doing.
If you want someone to beta or talk over your assignment with, we have Hippos! Hippos are pretty awesome. More on hippos below. - Generally speaking, the channel is not a great place to talk over drama relating to Yuletide. Everyone's got their own opinion, and while wanting to discuss the details and viewpoints related to current events is understandable, no one really likes it when a channel descends into an argument. So if you think that's happening, take a step back, consider PMing a person and continuing the discourse politely elsewhere.
- Please note that the channel will grow and shrink naturally, and may become really overwhelming right before we hit major deadlines. Use the channel responsibly.
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Two: Some Basic IRC Commands And Concepts
Commands in IRC are generally inputted with a /, followed by the command. Many programs also have shortcuts. If you're unsure as to what your program does, consult their help files, or ask us.
- /server slashnet.org or /server irc.slashnet.org will switch the IRC connection to the specified server. In this case, it'll join the slashnet.org IRC servers, where the yuletide chat is hosted. Usually, however, there will also be a dialogue box or setting menu which will be easier for non-experienced users to use.
- /join #yuletide is how you join channels. To join any irc channel, use the /join command. The #yuletide channel is where the chat takes place.
- /nick yournick is how you set your nickname. You can have any username in IRC as long as someone else on that server isn't using it already. To change your nick to reflect away status, hippo status or the like, simply use the /nick command. No spaces are accepted, but some symbols (such as |, [ ], { }, ^, ' and numbers ) are okay.
- /me actions! puts out a special sort of line into the chat. Generally used for actions only, such as hugging, hippo dancing, etcetera, as *thisperson actions!
- /query someoneelse will open a new PM window. This is how you can talk to your betas and hippos privately. Some clients will let you PM someone by clicking on their name.
- /quit your quit message will quit chat. If you have to leave chat (woe is chat) you can use the /quit command. The message is optional, but will be shown to everyone as you leave.
- /topic [insert topic here] is the Topic command! The topic is where important information such as useful links and outstanding hippo requests go. When changing the topic, copy/paste in the current topic and edit slightly to announce key events or helpful links, such as announcing NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN or the fabulous Dear Yuletide Writer spreadsheet. When in doubt, don't edit the topic. Some clients (ex: Chatzilla) will let you click on the Topic Bar and change it in there, so you don't have to copy/paste. There is a finite amount of space in the topic, so you might have to make abbreviations or lose spacing to fit everything in.
Some Key Concept Notes
- Highlights/Pings/Lists: Many downloaded clients will allow you to set up alerts (called pings or highlights or lists) any time specific words are written. They can be really handing in keeping track of a conversation, or when someone hippos, but are not available in all clients. For example, you can set up a ping on your name (some clients do this automatically) or on a specific keyword, such as the name of your fandom.
- Chat Versus Channel: Yulechat takes place in the Yuletide #channel on an IRC network. In many cases, they are interchangeable.
- Nicks: Your nick can be anything! For ease of identification, we suggest that you sign in with the nick you're using to sign up with to the archive, or based upon it in an obvious way, and use a consistent name/naming scheme.
- PM/Query: Private message, or one on one chat with another user.
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Three: Hippoing And You!
There have been some excellent guides to hippoing over the years, notably Shusu's guide to the art of the complete hippo.
In brief, hippoing is act of volunteering to be a go-between for people to keep their anonymity about their stories until the all-important reveal for both betaing and other help that you might need, as an alternative to the usual beta finder post. To be a hippo, simply add the word "Hippo" to the beginning of your nick. Adding it to the beginning means that you'll show up in the right section of the alphabetically arranged channel list, which is important, as the #yuletide chat room tends to be quite large, especially during the last few days before uploads close and during treatwriting.
As a hippo, you are charged to do what you can to find at least one person to help each writer, which may take some time for the rarer canons. If you must leave, it is generally considered a good idea if you announce the fact to the channel. If you have a request active, please make sure to pass it on to another hippo after checking with the writer to make sure that the hippo you're passing it to is not the recipient. If you're the last hippo, please make sure to recruit another hippo before you leave.
If you need the services of a hippo, come into chat to see who's hippoing! It is generally a good idea (unless you are pressed for time) to wait a few minutes, then /query the hippo. They in turn will wait a few moments before announcing the request to the channel. After they've found someone to help, they will PM you with the person volunteering. After confirming that they'll work for what you need, the hippo will give you their contact information and announce to the channel that the request is closed.
Outstanding hippo requests will be added to the topic so that chatters know that someone is looking for a beta (ex: GSIB canonpicking - PM Naraht) , so if you don't get a match quickly, remember to come back to chat. Someone may have volunteered!
For a more in depth look at hippos, check out the link above.
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Four: On Getting Around Firewalls And Other Connection Issues
- Q: Half the channel just disappeared! What's going on?
A: That's called a netsplit, and happens when multiple IRC servers that are connected together in one network become disconnected. Sit tight, and an IRC oper will fix it as soon as they can. - Q: I'm not sure if I have a connection problem but my connection is kind of unstable.
A: If you're on a Windows system or if you can emulate Windows programs, the people at ssf.net have a test program here. It will tell you what ports you can connect to slashnet with. - Q: I'm using AOL/I'm behind a university firewall and I can't connect to IRC, what gives?
A: AOL blocks the 6667 port for anything unrelated to AOL, and some university firewalls follow the same practice. Use the 7777 port instead. This can be changed in your Connections menu on most clients. - Q: I Have A Firewall And I Know How To Tell My Firewall To Leave Ports Open, Which One Should I Choose?
A: Either port 6667 or port 7777.
So you may be behind a university based firewall if you're living in the dorms, or some other content restricting script or hardware. You have a few options.
- Use A Browser Based Client:: Many browser based clients use alternate ports or the HTTP port which is less likely to restrict IRC. Scroll down to the section on Mibbit and try that instead of a client on your computer.
- Call Your Internet Service Provider Or Contact Your Help Desk: Some ISPs and other services may be able to help your IRC connection issues if you call their customer support. This is generally the last step.
If you happen to live on campus, you can try to appeal to your campus's tech desk, with a detailed request that includes the ports you want and what you'd be using the ports for. They may be willing to open them up for your account.
If it's the network's (Slashnet's) problem, the slashnet folks will be fixing the problem as soon as they can. If the netsplit or other issue continues for very long, someone will put up a temporary channel and announce it on the main Yuletide community.
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Five: IRC Clients
There is a web client at http://www.slashnet.org/webclient/yuletide that does not require a download.
An Incomplete List Of Clients:
- Adium
- AndChat (Android)
- AndroIRC (Android)
- Chatzilla (Firefox extension)
- Colloquy
- Irssi
- Mibbit
- mIRC
- Pidgin
- Quassel
- Trillian
- XChat
Please see sleepfighter's original post for screenshot tutorials.
Wikipedia has a great comparison of IRC clients.
[^ RETURN TO TOP]
Six: Everything Else
* IRC Help
* 2013 #yulechat rpf opt-in
* The 2013 chat challenge is Snorkels! Tag your fics with #Yulechat Challenge 2013
* Um, what's Ghost Soup?
* luminare_ardua posted a comment about nick-related IRC commands
[^ RETURN TO TOP]