We built our chat software in-house to serve the most features, including webcam and microphone support, to the greatest number of users, across the biggest selection of platforms, from laptops to desktops running Windows, Linux, and Apple operating systems and their many web browsers, to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets running Android and Apple's iOS. Because our mobile-compatible chat software is unique, there may be things you don't know about it -- things that may not be obvious at first glance.
The Twelve Prophecies of the Chat Priests
We have decided to impart to you our special secret chat knowledge, passed down from prophets atop lofty snow-topped mountains for thousands of years, chiseled in stone, until our chat software arrived to fulfill their prophecies.
- Abner, Abraham, Charlie, and Chuck are in the same chat room as you. You wish to address a message specifically to one of them -- Abner, for instance. Begin typing Abner's username, "ab", and then press your TAB key. The text in your input field will autocomplete to the first username, alphabetically, that starts with "ab". Press TAB again, and it will cycle to the next, and the next, and so on, for as many users as there are that have names beginning with "ab", until you come back around to Abner. This is a great time-saving feature. Use it on your sacred quest to attain chat enlightenment.
- Prefix a user's name with the "@" symbol in order to turn it into a link once it reaches the chat room. The link this creates can be clicked to reveal a pop-out menu exposing many helpful functions that allow you to private message or whisper, block, or report someone, go to their profile, or seek to their username in the user list. Wield this weapon wisely while you walk the path of the Chat Gurus.
- Combine tips one and two to gain the attention of other users without private messaging or whispering them. The message you send them when you do this will be highlighted visibly in the chat room, but only for them to see. If they have sound enabled, they will hear a notification sound. Let this noble truth nourish your spirit on your journey.
- Desktop users, by default, can hold down their SHIFT key and use their left and right arrow keys to navigate through their currently open tabs. Fast typists on desktops and laptops may prefer not to remove their hands from the keyboards. May arcane knowledge such as this hasten them on their path.
- Mobile users, by default, can swipe left and right in order to navigate between open tabs, so that desktop and mobile users are both equally hastened on their path.
- The user list is flexible and sortable. Click the button marked "a-z" above the user list to switch from alphabetical sorting to gender sorting. Click again to switch to alphabetical sorting with people currently on webcam or microphone first. Click again to switch to gender sorting with people currently on webcam or microphone first. Click the up arrow button next to the "a-z" button to reverse the sort order. May this increase the rate at which you absorb the deep mysteries before you, so that you may come to know the sacred truth.
- There is an input field above the user list. Type into it the first letters of whatever username you hope to find, in order to narrow down the user list. Click the "x" beside this field to clear it and reset the user list to show all users. This is of use to truth seekers who do not wish to tarry on the great path.
- Women know what it is to have an overabundance of private messages to deal with. Click the envelope icon at the top of the chat for a conversation manager window that will sort all your private messages by most recent. Use this implement to avoid the many temptations of the deceiver, and you shall know enlightenment.
- If you choose to broadcast your webcam or microphone, and you have both available to you, the broadcast button -- it looks like a camera icon -- at the bottom-right of chat will give you the option to share either your webcam or microphone alone, or both together. You have full control. Let not thy faith be tested as you embark upon the great journey to truth.
- You can upload images directly into the chat rooms. You do not need to post a link to an external image you have uploaded to another website. More people will view your image if you upload it directly, rather than posting a link. Use the camera icon at the bottom-left. Righteous action is recognized by the divine, and will secure your place in the afterlife.
- If you are broadcasting your webcam, click the "# viewers" text label at the top of the webcam window to see a list of viewers. You can kick any viewer out from here, and even set your webcam as private -- invite only. Blessed and wise are they who reserve their innermost secrets to be shared only with the godhead.
- If you know an emoji's code -- :robot: or :crying: for instance --- you can type it manually into the chat room. Wise are they who pursue these deepest of divine mysteries.
The Lost Chat Room Apocrypha
The Lost Chat Room Apocrypha are yet another layer of arcane mysteries. These secrets are located within the menu, signified by the "gear" icon at the top left of the chat.
- Menu: Options: Private Messages: You can block unwanted private messages from users of any gender or from guests (unregistered users), or you can block all private messages except those from friends. Opening a private message with any user, even if they are disallowed by your settings to send you private messages, will allow them to message you for the duration of your session.
- Menu: Options: Appearance: You can enable or disable various items to affect how busy the chat room may appear, from time stamps to various log on/off events, and more. Custom colors and emoji can be removed. User avatars can be hidden from the user list and/or chat room messages. The side of the screen that the user list appears on can be switched.
- Menu: Options: Sounds: You can disable or enable all sounds, sounds when your name is highlighted, sounds upon receiving private messages, and vibration, if your device and browser support it.
- Menu: Options: Cam/Mic: You can change your broadcasts to be private by default, disable your webcam and microphone from being streamed so that you don't accidentally start it up without realizing it, change your video resolution and frame rate, and approve, deny, or kick all current or pending users.
- Menu: Options: Theme: You can choose from many predefined themes to radically change how the chat looks.
- Menu: Font: You can choose a custom color for your chat messages, or make them bold or underlined.
Techniques of the Chat Scholars
The foundation of our chat room supports various typed commands. These may be especially useful to desktop and laptop users, who may be able to type them faster than they can access their equivalents by using a mouse. Commands begin with the front slash -- "/" -- and are followed immediately, without a space, by the command.
- /me: The /me command allows you to send a chat message formatted as an action. For instance, if you were to type "/me does stuff", the output would be: "[your name] does stuff."
- /join [room]: Type "/join [room]" (where [room] is the name of a chat room on our network, such as #SexChat) to join a room without needing to use the room list. The /j command does the same thing.
- /part: Type /part to leave the room you are in. /close, /leave, and /q all perform the same function.
- /list: Type /list to view the list of chat rooms available.
- /away: Type /away to mark yourself as away or idle. This comes with a "zZz" indicator in the user list to indicate to others that you may be unresponsive. Away mode is automatically applied if you have not sent any messages for several minutes.
- /unaway: Type /unaway to remove your away status without needing to send a message. Away status is automatically removed if you send any message.
- /ignore [user]: Type /ignore [user] to add a user to your ignore list. Multiple names may be provided, separated by spaces. If no names are given, this command will simply display your current ignore list. The /block command performs the same function.
- /unignore [user]: Type /unignore [user] to remove a user from your ignore list. Multiple names may be provided, separated by spaces. The /unblock command performs the same function.
- /ignores: Type /ignores to view a list of currently ignored users. The /blocks command performs the same function.
- /invite [user] [room]: Type /invite [user] [room] to invite a [user] to join a particular [room]. If no room name is provided, the user will be invited to the room from which you entered the command.
- /clear: The /clear command will clear all messages currently visible in the chat room you are in.