Chat

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At the request of users, T-Vox now runs a fully-functioning IRC-compatible chat room facility. Everyone is welcome to turn up and join in, subject to the Rules listed below. You can access the chat room using our Java web chat facility through the link below or use a standard IRC client, should you prefer. (See below for help acquiring and setting up an IRC client of your own, which is recommended wherever possible.)

The chat room can be accessed via standard IRC clients such as mIRC or X-Chat. We’re on irc.blitzed.org port 6667. The channel name is #t-vox and you will need the room key 3nter to access the room.

Rules

Play nice! Respect the other chat users.
Do not use obtrusive scripts, colour codes, or ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in the channel.
No unsolicited advertising.
Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.
You may also like to read our page on Netiquette.

Violations of the channel rules will result in a warning, a kick, or a ban.

Regular Events

T-Vox holds regular open chat events in its chat room, including Weekly Chats on Sunday evenings from 9PM (GMT or BST, as appropriate) and Wednesday evenings from 7.30PM (GMT or BST, as appropriate). Everyone is invited, whether a forum member, wiki contributor or someone who’s found the site and wants to talk to someone about what they have seen here.

The chat is always open and you are welcome to drop in any time to talk, not just during the scheduled events!

Connecting to the Chat

Recommended clients

Windows users should get Pidgin. For Windows users who can’t get Pidgin to work for them for whatever reason, you can use X-Chat, available from silverex.org.
Mac OS X users should get Adium. For Mac users who can’t get Adium to work for them for whatever reason, you can use X-Chat, LimeChat or Colloquy.

Linux users likely already have a favourite IRC client, but if you don’t, you can download Pidgin from your distro’s software package or here. (Ubuntu, Debian, and other Debian-based distro users can also download it here.) For Linux users who can’t get Pidgin to work for them for whatever reason, you can use X-Chat, available in your repositories – if it’s not already installed. If neither Pidgin nor X-Chat appeals to you, try irssi, which is also available in your repositories if it’s not already installed.

Android users may already have a favourite IRC client, but if you don’t, you can get AndroIRC for free from the Android Marketplace.

iOS users (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, etc.) can get LimeChat or Colloquy in iTunes. Download and install it onto your iOS device.

Setting up Pidgin

If you just downloaded and installed Pidgin, an empty buddy list should pop up when you run it for the first time, along with an Accounts window that says ‘Welcome to Pidgin!’
If you’re already a Pidgin user, go into your Accounts window by pressing Ctrl A in your buddy list.
Click the Add button.
Change the protocol to IRC.
Change the server to irc.blitzed.org.
Pick a nickname for yourself and type it in, then type your name as the Local alias.
Do NOT put in a password.
Then save it.
Check the Online box next to the account to login, then close the Accounts window.
In the Buddies menu at the top of your buddy list, select Add Chat. Change the account in the Add Chat window to the irc.blitzed.org one, and type #t-vox as the channel. Put 3nter as the password. No Alias. Type Chats as the Group. Then click the Add button. You’ll see the chat show up in your buddy list.
Right-click #t-vox in your buddy list and select Auto Join. Then double-click it to join the chat.

Once you’ve done all this, unless you remove the account or the chat for some reason, you don’t need to re-add it every time you want to get into the chat! Just log into that account, and you’ll automatically join the chat.

Setting up Trillian

In the preferences, go to Plugins and make sure the IRC box is checked.
Click on Identities & Connections on the left.
Click Add a new connection, then click IRC.
Click where it says Server Alias and type T-Vox.
Click where it says irc.trillian.com::6667 and type irc.blitzed.org::6667.
Click where it says Nickname and enter whatever nickname you want.
Click where it says Username and put your name, or whatever you want it to say.
If you want to fill in the userinfo, feel free.
Check the box that says Automatically connect to this account at startup.
Click Connect.
Click on the white IRC button and choose Show Status Window.
Type /join #t-vox 3nter to join the chat.

Setting up X-Chat

When you open X-Chat, a window should pop up that says X-Chat: Server List. (If it doesn’t, press Ctrl S in the main X-Chat window to bring it up.)
Enter in your user information.
Then click Add on the right.
You should see the words New Network appear in the Networks list. Click on New Network and type T-Vox – that should replace the text.
Now click the Edit… button. A new window will pop up that says X-Chat: Edit T-Vox.
At the top, click where it says newserver/6667 and type irc.blitzed.org/6667 – again, that should replace the text.
Check the following boxes (the others should be unchecked):
Connect to selected server only
Use global user information
Auto connect to this network at startup
Use a proxy server
Where it says Channels to join:, type #t-vox.
Where it says Server password:, type 3nter.
Then click the Close button.
In the X-Chat: Server List window, check the box at the bottom that says ‘Skip server list on startup.’
Then click the Connect button. You should see the client connecting to the server – a bunch of text will scroll past. Once it finishes connecting, you should join the channel automatically.

Once you’ve done this, the next time you open X-Chat, it should connect you to the server and join the channel automatically – you don’t have to do anything.

Setting up Adium

If you just installed Adium, a setup assistant will open when you run it for the first time. Close the window by clicking the X button in the title bar.
Choose Preferences from the Adium menu.
Select the Accounts preferences pane.
Click the plus (+) button.
Select IRC.
Enter whatever nickname you want.
Enter the hostname as irc.blitzed.org
Do NOT enter a password.
Check the ‘Connect when Adium opens’ box.
Select the Personal panel.
Enter your name as the Realname.
Enter your nickname as the Ident.
Click OK.
Select the General preferences pane.
Check the ‘Save opened chats when quitting’ box.
Select File -> Join Group Chat and type the chat name as #t-vox. If there’s a space for a password, type the password as 3nter
If there’s no space for a password, try to join #t-vox anyway. It may pop up a window asking you for a password. If it does, type the password as 3nter

Once you’ve done all this, the next time you open Adium, it should connect you to the server and join the channel automatically – you don’t have to do anything.

Setting up LimeChat

In LimeChat, in the Server menu up top, select Server Properties.
Select the General tab.
Enter ‘blitzed’ as the Network name.
Check the ‘Connect on start up’ box.
Pick whatever Nickname you want (enter it as both the Nickname and the Login name), and enter your actual name as the ‘Real name’.
Enter irc.blitzed.org as the Server.
Do NOT enter a password.
Click OK.
In the Channel menu up top, select Add Channel.
Type the channel as #t-vox
Type the password as 3nter
Click OK. LimeChat will immediately connect you to the server and open the channel for you.

Once you’ve done all this, whenever you open LimeChat, it should connect you to the server and join the channel automatically – you don’t have to do anything.

Setting up Colloquy

In Colloquy, hit Command-1 on your keyboard to bring up the Connections window.
Click the New button to make a new connection.
Pick whatever Username you want, leave the Server Protocol as IRC, and enter irc.blitzed.org as the Chat Server. Tell it to “Remember this connection”.
Hit the Details arrow, click the plus sign under “Join Rooms”, and type #t-vox.
Click the Connect button, and our chat room should soon show up.
Hit Command-1 to bring up the Connections window again.
Right click or control-click the irc.blitzed.org from above, and go to ‘Get Info’ on the pull-down list.
On top of the new window select ‘automatic’.
Check the ‘Connect on launch’ box.
On the ‘Join Rooms’ click on the +
Add #t-vox
When it asks for a password, type 3nter

Once you’ve done all this, the next time you open Colloquy, it should connect you to the server and join the channel automatically – you’ll just have to give the password when it asks.

Setting up X-Chat Aqua

When you open X-Chat Aqua, a window should pop up that says X-Chat Aqua: Server List. (If it doesn’t, press Ctrl S in the main X-Chat window to bring it up.)
Enter in your user information.
Then click Add on the right.
You should see the words New Network appear in the Networks list. Click on New Network and type T-Vox – that should replace the text.
Now click the Edit… button. A new window will pop up that says X-Chat Aqua: Edit T-Vox.
At the top, click where it says newserver/6667 and type irc.blitzed.org/6667 – again, that should replace the text.
Check the following boxes (the others should be unchecked):
- Connect to selected server only
- Use global user information
- Auto connect to this network at startup
- Use a proxy server
Where it says Channels to join:, type #t-vox.
Where it says Server password:, type 3nter.
Then click the Close button.
In the X-Chat Aqua: Server List window, check the box at the bottom that says ‘Skip server list on startup.’
Then click the Connect button. You should see the client connecting to the server – a bunch of text will scroll past. Once it finishes connecting, you should join the channel automatically.

Once you’ve done this, the next time you open X-Chat Aqua, it should connect you to the server and join the channel automatically – you don’t have to do anything.

Setting up AndroIRC

Open AndroIRC, then press your device’s Menu button.
Select More, then select Options, then select Servers.
Press your device’s Menu button again, and select New server.
Select Name. Type Blitzed, then select OK.
Select Address. Type irc.blitzed.org, then select OK.
Select Nickname. Type in a nickname for yourself. (You can always change your nickname later.) Then select OK.
Enable both ‘Auto-connect’ and ‘Auto-join channels’.
Press your device’s Back button. The server info should be saved automatically.
Press your device’s Back button again, then select Channels, then select Blitzed.
Press your device’s Menu button, then select Add a channel.
Select Channel name and type #t-vox, then select OK. The # symbol must be there!
Make sure ‘Auto-join this channel’ is enabled.
Press your device’s Back button four times, which should take you all the way back to the AndroIRC main screen.
Press your device’s Menu button, then select Connect. You will see some text go by as it connects, and then Yay for Queers will open automatically. Now you can chat!
To leave the chat, press your device’s Menu button, then select Disconnect. Then press your device’s Menu button again and select Exit. If you do not do this, AndroIRC will continue to run in the background.

Once you’ve done all this, the next time you open AndroIRC, it should connect you to the server and join the channel automatically – you don’t have to do anything.

Setting up irssi

Type /server irc.blitzed.org 6667
Once you’re connected, type /join #t-vox 3nter

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