Use the Chat Rooms? Please Read This

you better pop in on a regular basis Ray lol.

ill scold you all i want AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
you need a good scolding now and then haha

It's nice that the admin and mods are taking further measures to keep those that use chat safe and to have a good experience.

Chat scares the bajeezers out of me though! so I've only been there a handful of times(with shaking hands and jittery stomach)...... just too spontaneous-- can be triggered before I know what hit me!

But even though I don't use it, it's comforting to know that if I ever do get the gumption to venture back there, it will probably be a good experience. And also that it's that much better for those that do use it.

Thank you admin and mods.

mandy

One of the results that I've noticed, and forgive me if I already mentioned this, is that new members who aren't familiar with chat or maybe with anyone, generally enter in through the main chat room. If there's a social chat happening in that room, it often misses them, or that they are new, and fails to greet and see if they need support.

The new member, or the shy member, often will not interrupt a chat and tell us that, and just leave without the support we could give them.

This way, with keeping the main room of a more serious nature, it will be easier to notice who needs more support in chat. IMO

Which is a good point as well --

If you're in a fragile state or time in your life, chat may not be the best thing to use right now. I know that may seem counter-intuitive ("I need help *now*!"), but it is often the case that in chat, it can sometimes be harder to have an in-depth conversation in the kind of way you will find most supportive.

I encourage people to use chat only if they feel up to it, and rely on the forums when they are especially vulnerable...

Best,
DocJohn

Oh, that is really a good point.

I just have to say that I'm soooo thrilled this last little bit. I see more self-restraint and self-checks which is great, using the rooms as labeled and requested, but I also notice that others are being more accepting while asking questions/reporting rather than being confrontational. When we are confrontational, the other person can automatically become defensive and things can go downhill quickly.

We work on an honor system in chat. If someone says they're there for support, trust they are. If someone says they're 21+ trust that they are. A member doesn't have to be confronted the moment they enter a room with a question. It can feel like, "Wow." Let's not confront, but accept. If there's a reason for real concern or doubt, contact a mod/admin as opposed to questioning/confronting the member UNLESS we know first-hand something else, OK?

((((((((((((((( Everyone ))))))))))))))))))))))))

Thank you sooooooooooooooo much! I appreciate the effort on this. It shines...really.

KD

All kidding aside, I really appreciate the chat rooms here, and would like to thank you for not just deciding that they are more trouble than they're worth and closing them.

It was very helpful to have real time support when I needed it.

I am a little confused though, support is for support, and social is for general chatting. Central has been a bit of both in my experience. Serious mental health issues have been discussed and in between a bit of levity. Have I been using the chat improperly?

We still haven't managed to work out how to save chats

We wish we could do that, because we have had problems in chat ourselves

Can someone explain in clear simple terms how to do this ?

The chat seem to disappear regularly, so do you have to keep saving it every so many minutes ?

Sorry to be so illiterate with personal computers, & this is our first & only interactive site, so don't assume we know anything

Thanks very much for posting this clarification, we didn't understand anything about chat rooms, forums, avatars, even smilies, when we came. There must be a lot of new members like we were. The members in chat taught us all we knew at first

If you hit the paper on the bottom the screen clears, the icon of the floppy you can save it

we've tried that AAAAA, clicking on the floppy, but nothing happens

zorah I can not figure out how to save them either, decided along time ago it just was not worth it......

You can click on the floppy disc just under where you enter your chat OR click on "file" at the top of the window and click on "save this chat" from that menu.

From there, you'll need to highlight it, copy and paste it to notepad (or some other similar program). If you want to send it to a mod, highlight the applicable text and copy and paste it in a PM to a mod.

If anyone wants to send me a practice one, that's fine! I'll practice with ya.

KD

Just wanted to add how to copy and paste in case thats unknown as well.

After you click the disk and highlight the chat in the window that pops up, either right click and select "copy" from the drop down menu, or for a shortcut, press the Ctrl key and the C key. So hold down the Ctrl button and then press C. That saves it.

Then go to a pm to a mod or open a text document and right click and select "paste" from the drop down menu, or for the shortcut, hold the Ctrl button again and press the V button.

The key to copying is the highlighting, so make sure all the text is highlighted before copying. You can practice this in a text document, just type something and highlight it, and practice copying and pasting. You can practice in PM too if you don't want to open a text file.

To "highlight" put the cursor over the beginning of the text, left click your mouse and HOLD it down as you move across, down the text.

Thanks for expanding on that you two.

Also, I can suggest that it's VERY helpful to us (mods/admins) when you copy and past to us only what's applicable in the concern. It's really hard to read through a 500 line transcript to find the 15 lines that are of concern. What I usually suggest is to find in the transcript, the problem area and send 10 lines prior and after, so that we can see what might've led up to the upset as well.

Now, that doesn't mean to say that you shouldn't send "alot" when it's necessary. Sometimes these convos can go on for quite a while and I know that. I'm just suggesting that be done if there is a very focused concern within the transcript.

Thank you!

KD

Sigh...
I can't even get into the chat room, never mind all the copying, pasting and monitoring other members.

Sigh......

Could we have a chat room for bi-polar people 50+??? I would probably be the only one in the room...that's okay...I'm used to talking to myself....

While I am here..."Hi HeyJoe"...glad to see you are back. "Hi Techie"...glad to see you are still here too!!!
This is a sorry substitute for the Chatroom....

Mo the Jo

ok, we tried to save a bit from DocJ's chat tonight, but whenever we scrolled up to the part we wanted to save, someone else would post & we were immediately returned to the latest several posts so we never got a chance to copy the part we wanted

OH zozo... you need to save the chat by clicking on the little icon of a floppy disk down below the window where you type. THAT brings up a small window and the text in THAT window doesn't move at all when someone in the big window says something. (((hugs)))

If anyone is still having trouble, PM me to go to a chat room with you and we can work on things there, OK?

MOJO3, you need to allow pop ups for this site, and maybe even for the chat room address (copy it from the chat log in page...where it tells you about downloading the latest java?)

Plus, I had to UNinstall the IE7 as it appears to have compatibility issues with the latest Java. Don't know if others found this too or not.

Wow this is going to be a subject with lots of replies. i agree it is sad that the mods or admin feel they need to sit in on more chats. I know some members have felt uncomfortable with mods. WHY! If you are not behaving inappropriately the conversation should be no different. I have been in the chat and seen members jump to conclusions. All of a sudden bam. Without complete knowledge of the situation other members come down on one member and are relentless! First of all read the chat, if you dont know what is going on. If you do not know what a conversation is about, ask, or wait until you find out before making comments. Especially rude ones. Many people in the rooms are very sensitive. PC is certainly not the place to add to anyones ill feelings. I have also seen very childish behavior, members goading each other, or picking on another member, for their own sick enjoyment. I am glad to say most of my experiences here have been helpful and or lifted my spirits. That is what I come here for. I also come because it helps me tohelp others. We are not always going to agree with others and that is okay. But lets debate issues if the conversation warrants. But everyone is entitied to their opinion. But there is a right and a wrong way to voice that opinion and attack mode is not the right one

Hi Mojo....if you download mozilla firefox and use that to get in here you can get into the chatroom.....it is completely safe for your computer.

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heyjoe said:
Hi Mojo....if you download mozilla firefox and use that to get in here you can get into the chatroom.....it is completely safe for your computer.

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in fact, it is much safer by far than using IE for everything. I haven't used IE for years.

you can download firefox here:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/

yeah, we run mozilla firefox on an ubuntu OS, haven't had a virus since we moved off windows

but {{{{{_sky}}}}} we STILL can't save chat

we THINK we get it, we try again, how can we be so STUPID

Oh zozo, please don't feel stupid. Even I (ok, that's sounds arrogant, but you know where I'm coming from) had trouble getting the method down in order, so I could save the chat.

Yeah Zorah don't feel stupid! Its a lot....I took a lot of time to practice in the chatroom alone when I was new haha! Definitely hook up with Sky to practice and I'll help too if she's not online k?

That goes for anyone too, who wants some help learning the ropes in the chatroom. We all help each other!

Ok, as much as I HATE to be the stick in the mud, the nag etc I would like it to be stated that there is a rule against using red font in chat. Lately some of you, and you know who you are, have decided that this is a pretty fun game... how many people can I upset with this.

Really, what is going on? When we signed up for membership here we all agreed to abide by certain rules. For the most part we're all adults, why is it SO hard to extend basic common courtesy? This is a wonderful site that many of us use for information and support. Lately it's turned into into Rooper Room (and this is not a reference to the age of the people involved, oddly enough the individuals guilty of this are adults).

What is the goal here to have so many people pester the Mods that the chat room is shut down unless it is supervised? I do not understand how making others uncomfortable and upset is entertainment. Rules are not made to be broken, they are put in place so the community as a whole is comfortable.

Go to Yahoo to get your sadistic pleasure and bring some compassion, empathy and manners when you enter the chat here.