Using the Chatroom

The Minciu Sodas Worknets Chatroom

When I want to organise an open meeeting the Minciu Sodas Worknets chatroom has become the first-choice online-location. My thanks to Andrius Kulikauskas, director of Minciu Sodas (MS) for making it so readily available. We used the chatroom for the Teachers Talking 4th Anniversary online celebration. Also (at time of writing) I am usually "at home" in the chat room on the First Thursday of the month at 12.00 - 13.00 GMT, unless I am travelling. Sometimes we have a definite focus for discussion (such as the World Without Poverty book). Sometimes it is simply a welcome opportunity for a real time chat with members of MS groups such as LearningFromEachOther and others who share my learning interests.

These are the instructions for newcomers.

• Go to http://www.worknets.org/chat/
• Look for “Choose your language:” It is probably set for English (which is what you will need to choose on Saturday).
• Click on "Next" (if you have a Mac) or the symbol ">" (if you have Microsoft Windows) it is next to the "Choose your language" box.
• Type your name in the box and click on “Start the chat”.
• You will find yourself in the chat room.
• It will “whisper” a welcome greeting to you (whispers are just seen by one person - they are not visible to everyone in the chat room),
• If you want to know what people were saying before you came into the chat room click on the chat archive link. You will see it on the right hand side of the chat screen.
• If you prefer you can check what is going on before you go into the chat room by going ot http://www.worknets.org/archive/ but you will not be able to write any chat of your own until you do go into the chat room properly
• When you leave the chat it is best to do it officially, by clicking the “leave” link on the left had side of the screen. This lets the computer, and everyone in the chat room, know you are not in the chat any more.
• Sometimes there is a problem - perhaps you have a bad connection, or power cut. On a bad day it is possible you have to sign in again and again to rejoin the chat. The computer will not let you re-use your name if it seems that someone with that name is already in the room. I just add a number to my name if it happens to me (Pam, Pam1, Pam2... )

The chat room is easy to use. There are no complicated downloads and installation proceedures to worry people who hate technology. There is no need to belong to any special group before you join in the chat. Just click the link and follow the instructions above.