This forum looks so busy, I hope this post doesn't get bumped to page 12. :p There are many people who access the chat channels via the java applet, but this isn't the only way to access the server or chatrooms.
If you perfer to have a different experience and the Java chat applet drives you bonkers, you can download an IRC client for your computer. If you have a PC and run Windows, I'd suggest mIRC (www.mirc.com). If you run Linux, depending on the distrobution you are running, there should be a client installed by default, otherwise xChat is popular. (Please respond to this post with suggestions for Mac, Linux, and *nix OSes if you have any, and I'll edit them in.)
Okay, you have a client, now to connect. The server is 'irc.susans.org', port is 6667. For a chatroom, #chat is the main chatroom on the server. There are other channels, including #help, #cdtalk, #tstalk, etc. available for chatting, though people often chat in #chat and the others go (mostly) unused.
A few simple commands (work in mIRC, should work in other clients like xchat) that are good to know.
To change the nickname you are using in the channel, type
/nick nickname. For example, when I join, I type
/nick SarraTo do action text, simply type
/me before the text, at the beginning of the line. If you want to hand Emerald a cookie, for example, you would type the text in like this:
/ me hands Emerald a cookie.
(Note: Please remove the space between the / and me, the forum software automatically reformats the text.)
What would be displayed would look like this:
* Sarra hands Emerald a cookie.
If you want to join another channel, type
/join #channel and you will promptly join the channel.
Say you're on multiple channels, and you want to leave one, simply type
/part #channel and the channel will close.
"Why is 'AFK' after so many people's nicknames?' TGBot, guardian of the chat, will automatically monitor users connected to the server and add |AFK after your nickname if you don't type anything for a certain amount of time (usually 20 minutes, but channel ops can change the interval if it needs changing.)
'How can I get a !name trigger?' Channel regulars and channel staff usually will have a !name trigger. Typing !Sarra in in #chat will result in TGBot responding with a short blurb about me, including how to contact me off of the server. If you also want a !name trigger, please send a private message to myself or another channel operator, we'll be glad to make a trigger for you.
'Can I suggest a script for TGBot?' Yes, you can. However, Susan runs TGBot herself, it's up to her if she will put a new script in TGBot's code. Chances are, there won't be any changes since TGBot is already pretty loaded down with scripting as it is.
If there are any other questions, clarifications, or anything like that I can make to this FAQ, please let me know.
