FAQs:
Click a number to find the reponse:
1. How safe am I in chat?
2. Does it matter which browser I use?
3. When can I use the room?
4. How do I log in?
5. Why can't I connect?
6. Who is the Guardian?
7. Why am I called 'Visitor' after 30 seconds?
8. How can I protect my nick?
9. How do I register my nick?
10. Can I send smileys?
11. Can I send sounds?
12. I don't understand the abbreviations
13. Can people chat one-to-one?
14. What does the float button do?
15. What do the login and chat buttons do?
16. What do I do if my question isn't listed here?
17. How do I report abuse?
Getting started:
1. Before you begin chatting, please take a look at our net safety guidelines. 2. The chatroom works better in Mozilla Firefox than in Internet Explorer because you can use the 'actions' - like slap someone with a large trout or tell them that you're bored. Firefox is free to download. 3.Check the forum calendar to find out when the next live chat is taking place. If you would like to book a scheduled chat, please contact Lesley and find out if an operator is available. 4. The chatroom will load when you go onto the page. Choose a nickname, type it in and click 'connect'. 5. If you can't connect, it may be because of the firewall settings on your computer. 6. The first person you will see is 'Guardian'. This is the chatroom's 'bot' for security reasons, and to prevent spamming, abuse and flooding. 7. If you find that your name is changed to 'Visitor' after 30 seconds, it's because you are using a name that's already registered. You will need to choose a new nick. 8. Keep your own unique nick by registering it. 9. Register your nickname by going to the third drop down menu at the bottom of the chat screen. Click on the Nick Serv panel, click on 'Identify', enter a password and your email and click 'register'. Remember to make a note of your password. 10. You can send smileys, ying-yangs, pumpkins, ladybirds and all the rest! Go to the third drop down menu at the bottom of the screen, click on 'Image panel' and choose your piccie. If the panel fails to appear later, it's because it has minimised itself to the bottom. 11. You can send snores, raspberries, cow-moos and numerous others noises. Go to the second drop down menu and have fun! 12. If someone in the room uses an abbreviation that you're not familiar with, ask them what it means, or see if it's on Net lingo. 13. If you want to chat one-to-one, double click on that person's nick on the list on the right hand side of the chat room. A new window will open for that conversation. The white tabs at the bottom of the screen will help you navigate from the main room to the one-to-one chats and back again. It's not advisable to chat one-to-one unless you personally know who you are chatting to. 14. The 'float' button takes the chat room out of the rest of the page so that you can minimise the YCFS website and still carry on chatting while browsing other sites. 15. The 'login' and 'chat' buttons do nothing! (But they look pretty). 16. If your question isn't answered here, please get in touch. 17. If you are being abused, harassed, upset or frightened by anyone in the chat room, or if someone is abusing it, please email Lesley or fill in the contact us form,or report it via Think U Know.Back to the top.
Please report any forum or chatroom abuse to us.
