SkateTalk FAQ

Here we present frequently asked questions about the SkateTalk Chat Systems, and their answers.

Q: What's the difference between SkateTalk Classic and SkateTalk Pro?
A: SkateTalk Pro is our newer version of SkateTalk, with multiple rooms and personal user accounts protected by passwords. The SkateTalk Pro system also allows you to easily choose a picture and other preferences and remembers them when you come back.

Q: Are there any things not acceptable to talk about on SkateTalk and SkateTalk Pro?
A: Yes, please do not be insulting, promote other sites or products, or annoy people when they clearly do not enjoy it. Also, be aware that anyone could be reading what you type, so you might want to be somewhat discreet about your personal life.

Q: How do I talk? How do I see people's replies?
A: To post messages, type them into the large text box at the bottom of the "Chat" screen, and click on the "Submit" button. If you want to check for new messages without sending one, just click on the submit button without typing a message.

Q: What's a tagline?
A: A tagline is a short message you can set in your preferences that will be a part of every message you post. You can use this to present data you want to appear repeatedly.

Q: What are all the options in the toolbar at the bottom of the page?
A: The options that are available in the toolbar change in response to what you currently are viewing. The list of all possible options follows:
   * New user - This lets you create a new account.
   * Login - Login to you account.
   * Chat - Enter the room and chat!
   * Show Users - View who's currently on the system.
   * Show Rooms - View a list of the rooms and how many people are in each.
   * Choose Picture - allows you to choose a picture easily from our bank.
   * Preferences - Here you can set your tagline, and email address.
   * Email Admins - Use this button to email us your problems and ideas.
   * Help - Button that lets you view this file.

Q: How do I put a picture into my message?
A: To insert a picture into your message, just type the URL of the picture in the body of your message, and it will be replaced with a link to that URL. To choose a picture that is shown next to every message you post, go to the "Choose Picture" screen from the toolbar at the bottom of the SkateTalk Pro screen, and choose a picture.

Q: Where is everybody? Sometime I know there are people in the room, but I don't see many messages.
A: There are two answers to this question: some people like to 'lurk', mostly watch and seldom post. Also, people may be whispering messages to each other --- you can tell from the line similar to "3 whispered messages not heard" in the chat room.

Q: Why can't I use special characters in my name?
A: The SkateTalk Pro system currently only allows normal letters and numbers in usernames. In addition all usernames are stored in lowercase format.

Q: How do I whisper to people? Why isn't there a check box next to my name?
A: To whisper a message, click on the checkboxes next to the names of the people who you want to whisper to. Since it doesn't make sense to whisper to yourself, there is no check box next to your own messages; but don't worry, other people still see a checkbox next to the messages you type.

Q: Why doesn't my username and password work?
A: We get this question occasionally, and the problem is usually that the user is typing the wrong username or password. If you can't log in, just go back to the SkateTalk Pro entry screen, and create a new user account.