RuneScape:Chat/Help

The Wikia Chat is an on-site feature located at Special:Chat that users may utilize to communicate with others in real time. This page is designed to help some users communicate and understand the chat features better and more effectively. If you have any questions about this feature, feel free to ask in the chat, or at RuneScape:User help.

Joining Chat
People with a Wikia account (click [ here] to create one) that is not banned from chat or blocked from this wiki may enter the chat. Before joining the chat for the first time, users should consider reading RuneScape:Chat. The page mentions the rules of the chat and banning guidelines for Chat Moderators.

Users can join by searching Special:Chat in the wiki search bar, or by clicking here. People using the Wikia skin can also join by clicking "Join the Chat" or "Start a Chat" on the right navigation rail. If you are not able to enter the chat, there may be trouble connecting to the server. This may require you to try connecting to the chat at a different time.

User list
Upon entering the chat, you will be able to see a list of users currently in the chat to the right, as well as their avatars. At the very top, you can see your username and avatar. Clicking on a user in the user list will open a menu. The menu may offer you a link to the user's user page and contributions page (links to a user's user and contributions page may also link back to the chat). You may also be given other options, depending on your user rights and some other factors. These options will be explored elsewhere in this page.

Messaging
Once you have entered the chat, you can send messages to the chat room by typing text into the text box at the bottom, and hitting your keyboard's enter or return key. Your messages will be highlighted.

Coding
Below is a list of codes users can use in the chat to communicate with others.

When linking to a URL, placing square brackets ([]) around it will display both the full URL and the brackets around it (for example, putting displays [ http://www.wikia.com ] ). In addition, when linking to a file, the file will not be displayed in the chat, but only a link to the file will be given. Templates do not work in chat.

Emoticons
In addition to those, you can also use emoticons to communicate with others. For example, entering :) displays http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110904035827/messaging/images/3/31/Emoticon_happy.png. A full list of emoticons for the chat can be found at MediaWiki:Emoticons. Administrators have the ability to edit the page and add/remove emoticons that can be used there. It is recommended that emoticons on the page are around 19 x 19 pixels in size.

Private messaging
Users also have the ability to private message others in the chat. Private messaging allows a user to talk to another user personally. To private message someone, click on the user in the user list and select the "Private message" option in the menu. If there is no such option, the user may have blocked private messages from you, or the user may already be in a private message chat room with you.



Selecting the option will open a private message room with the user. To talk to the user, just enter a message into the room. To block private messages from the user, click on the user under the Private Messages section while in the room, and select the option "Block private messages". This setting is Wikia-wide. If you decide you want to reallow private messages with a user, click on the user in the user list and select the option "Allow private messages".

If the user you are private messaging has left the chat, their username and avatar will appear faded in the Private Messages section, although you can still see the private conversation. You will also have the option to block private messages from users, even after they have left the chat, as long as there is still the option to view a private conversation with them.

Identifying user groups
Chat Moderators (list of users in this group), administrators (list of users) and Wikia Helpers (list of users) can be identified by a gold star beside their username in the user list. Wikia staff (list of users) can be recognized by the blue Wikia W symbol beside their names in the list.

Banning


Users with these rights may have the option to kickban other users in the chat by clicking on the user in the user list and selecting the option Kick/ban. If this option does not exist, the other user may also have the right to kickban users.

In order to ban a user outside of the chat, you can go to Special:UserRights, enter the user's name, and click the check box for the "Banned from chat" user group under the groups you can change section. Consider entering a reason, and click the "Save user groups" option.

The ban is permanent on the wiki until someone removes the ban from the user. In order to remove the ban, you can go back to the page, search the user's name, and click the check box mentioned above. Consider entering a reason, and save.

Users are generally expected to kick/ban offending users that may not have been following the chat rules here. Users are expected to ban the user for an appropriate time; some banning guidelines can be found here. After the user has been banned, moderators should consider updating the list at the chat bans page, and leaving a message explaining why the user was banned on their talk page. Template:BFC can be used for this. It is suggested that moderators follow the user page (add the user page to their watchlist) until the user has had their ban removed, in case the user decides to appeal on their talk page.

Giving/removing Chat Moderator status
Admins, Helpers and Staff also have the ability to add or remove the chatmoderator right from users. Users will receive this right after they have passed a successful request here. Users interested in becoming a Chat Moderator should consider reading the page and previous requests. After the request has run for at least one week, admins may close the request, following the procedure outlined here.

In addition to being able to use the user rights management page (Special:UserRights) to add these rights, users can also add them in the chat. To do this, click on the user in the user list, and select the option "Give ChatMod status".

Banned from chat
When attempting to enter chat, some users may get a permissions error message. This message means that you have been banned from chat. If this is the case, you may want to consider checking the reason you were banned at the chat bans page, or by checking your user rights log. To do this, go to Special:Log/rights, type User: under Title:, and press Go.

If you believe the ban is unjust, you may appeal the ban by contacting the banning moderator, or by replying to the warning on your talk page.

Removing the chat navigation rail
To remove the chat navigation rail to the right, simply add  to your wikia.css. You can also click [ here] and press Save page to remove the rail on this wiki (note: after saving, you have to bypass your browser's cache to see the changes, see here for instructions).

MediaWiki pages
Administrators have the ability to edit any MediaWiki pages and make some changes to the chat, other than those to emoticons as mentioned above. For example, they can change the message that indicates a user has joined the chat by changing MediaWiki:Chat-user-joined. To find a list of Chat-related messages, you can go to Special:AllMessages and filter by prefix chat. You can also use your browser's "Find" feature to find the messages as well.

Chat hacks
Chat hacks is a feature made by User:Monchoman45 (report problems with the feature here). It is an extra extension available but not mandatory. It has features that include away from keyboard buttons and more. If you wish to have this feature, click here and press "Publish" (remember to bypass you browser's cache after saving).

Exiting Chat
Logging out of your Wikia account will not cause you to leave the chat if you are already in it. In order to leave the chat, you can close the tab or browser window that contains it.

While in the chat, you may disconnect from the server. There may be a message informing you that you have disconnected, or there may not be. If you believe you may have disconnected, and there is no message given, try entering text into the chat. If you cannot enter text into the chat, you have probably been disconnected.

If you have been disconnected, try fixing the problem and refreshing the page. If you are still not able to enter, there may be a problem with Wikia's server. Try entering the chat another time.

Glitches
You can report chat bugs to Wikia here.

Join/leave glitch
Some users on the wiki may experience a join/leave glitch (also called the j/q glitch) which may cause them to disconnect and then connect to chat frequently. Users experiencing this glitch may get a message such as ~ ~. If you believe you are join/leave spamming, or are getting the ~ ~ message, try refreshing the page.

Other glitches

 * When entering multiple URL's in the chat, the URL's may look the same, but link to different pages. To fix the problem, you can enter the links separately.
 * When blocking and then unblocking private messages from a user in chat, you may not be able to return to the private room. If this happens and you want to continue chatting with the user privately afterwards, refresh the page and private message them.