Criminal damage
Beginner's guide to the crime reduction chat room
The Crime Reduction Chatroom allows registered users to gather in one place (a chat room) and 'chat' in real time. Online chat rooms are available when we run Online Action Sessions at advertised times.
How to join in:
1) Register as a new user. You will be asked to enter some basic details. This includes the username you would like to appear on screen during the chat, and a password. We would suggest using your real name as the username if you are happy to do so. When the form is completed you will get the message, 'your registration was successful'. Then click on the link 'Back to home' in the top right hand corner.
2) Log in, using your new username and password. When you have logged in you will see the script. This will update as new entries are posted by users. You can see the number of people logged in on the right side of the screen.
3) To post a message, put your message in the yellow box at the bottom of the page. If you are addressing your message to a specific person, you can select their username from the drop down list (your message will still be seen by all users). When you are happy with the message, press 'go'. The box has a character limit. Try to keep your messages relatively short, but if you run out of space then post a continuation message straight afterwards. There will be a delay in the message appearing on screen to other users as it has to go through the moderator who reviews all posted messages before they appear on everyone's screen.
Some tips for chatting:
- Introduce yourself to the current chatters.
- Address your comments to the specific recipient, if there is one. For example: 'June: Can you tell me more about your work, it sounds interesting'.
- Let everyone know if you are leaving the keyboard for a while. That way nobody will feel ignored if you don't answer them.
- Don't worry too much about spelling. Typos can be expected when chatting online. If you proofread everything you type, then your reply could be out of context by the time you press 'go'.
- Always be respectful of other chatters opinions, even if you don't agree with them.
- Remember you are talking to real people, not a computer.
Some basic rules of conduct for use of the chat room are detailed in the Chatiquette page.
Last update: Thursday, June 28, 2007
