I realize the title of this article may sound a bit strange so let me clarify that I will not be teaching you how to hack chatrooms or the like. No, no, we won't be burglarizing them either (is that even possible?
). Today I'd like to talk about how to have a positive first experience when joining the chats here on deviantART. While we have many users who chat on dAmn daily with great experiences, sometimes it can be difficult to find your own place in the chats and make your experiences there positive. I will go over what I feel are main topics/points which every new chatter can benefit from knowing about as well as include a few tips on how to make your chat experience positive. #devart
#devart is deviantARTs official general chatroom and is moderated by Community Volunteers. This chatroom is a great place to go if you are looking for a chatroom that is active on a regular basis. This is frequently the first room that users who are new to the chats enter.
While some users have a great experience when entering #devart, it's unfortunate that not everyone will have a great experience in #devart. As any place on the internet, you can easily encounter people whith strong opinions or harsh language etc. and #devart is certainly no exception to this.
I took a moment to ask one of #devart's regulars to give some advice to newcomers who wish to enjoy #devart and this is what she had to say:
copperrein says: "We love chatting with new people, but it's not fair to expect chatters to stop their discussion and welcome each and every person that enters a room. Feel free to join in and add your own relevant bit to the conversation, we wont mind. Not too keen on the current topic? Lurk a bit and wait to dip your toes in when you feel comfortable; there is a wide span of age groups using the chats and you may find some discussions unappealing. Please don't condemn us, we are more than likely well within chat guidelines and are not breaking any rules. You should try to find a chat with a topic more to your liking. And remember, there is always something to be learned from everyone. Except for trolls...trolls must burn."
Finding chatrooms of interest
deviantART has many many chatrooms to choose from as can be seen on the chat page. While not all rooms will appeal to everyone, most users can generally find a chatroom which interests them fairly easily by browsing the chat page.
Once you've joined a chatroom you are interested in, it is worth taking a moment to look around and see if there are any rules or guidelines for that chatroom posted. Many rooms post these in the topic or title of the room or even have a bot which welcomes you as soon as you join that also links you to the rules. Any chatrooms you find on the chat page which have the
icon by them are official rooms moderated by CVs. The rules for those rooms are the same as the rules for #devart FAQ #287: What rules apply to the Chat Network? User created chatrooms are moderated by other users and CVs do not intervene in this moderation or moderate those chatrooms unless they are breaking General Chat Network Policies listed in FAQ #287: What rules apply to the Chat Network?.
Official Chatrooms vs User Created Chatrooms
Official chatrooms are denoted by the
icon listed next to it on the main chat page. These rooms are moderated by Community Volunteers. These are rooms where you do not have to worry about being kicked or banned for silly reasons. User Created Chatrooms can have any rules they wish and as long as the General Chat Network Policies are being followed, these chatrooms are welcome to do as they please.
While many user created chatrooms have great moderator teams looking after them with reasonable rules, it is also possible to come across a room where users feel the need to kick or ban you from their chatroom for no apparent reason (or sometimes just very silly reasons). It is good not to let something like that get to you if you do encounter this kind of behaviour on the chat network. The Chat network has so many rooms to choose from that everyone should be able to find a place to fit in and get along with the people there, which makes getting upset over not being in a room that for whatever reason doesn't want you there seem a bit unnecessary.
Other tips to have a pleasant first experience in the Chats:
Most negative experiences in any chatroom on the Chat Network will fall back on one or more of these three things in some shape, form, or fashion. It is good to keep them in mind while chatting to help reduce your chances of having a negative experience.
reading and following the rooms guidelines can go a long way. FAQ #287: What rules apply to the Chat Network? Don't bite the bait! If someone says something rude to you it's easiest to let it go and pay no mind to the user unless they are being positive. On the flip side of ignoring people who are rude to you, it's best not to throw insults at others.Being able to keep in mind that this is just the internet and you have the option to leave a chat and find a different one if you wish, is a great way to approach most socializing on the internet.
With all of that being said, take a moment to check out the chats if you haven't already. It really is a great place to make new friends and find others with similar interests as you.
