Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Live Chat User Guide


Dev

Recommended Posts

  • Admin

Hello!

 

We've switched to Discord for our live chat service.  Many of our members have never used Discord before, so this guide is intended to outline the basics of how it works.  In this post you'll find screenshots and information to help you navigate in chat.  While you won't be an old pro by the time you finish reading, you will find enough information to be comfortable with using the chat service.

 

Screen shots were taken from and information is given based on the downloaded version of the Discord application.  For the best user experience, we recommend downloading Discord to join us in chat.  The web interface linked from our chat page works just fine if you'd prefer to use that, but you may run into some differences between that and this guide.

 

The Left Menu

 

Discord Panel User.png

 

There's a lot going on over to the left here, so let's break it down in order.

 

Top left: the Friends icon / Private Messages

 

By clicking this icon, you are taken to a screen where you can add and manage your friends.  Discord is like any other messaging app, where you have a contact list.  When you click this icon, the second tab has a "Friends" link at the top and a list of all of your active private messages (called Direct Messages in Discord.) 

 

Screenshot from 2018-04-15 04-16-39.png

 

Click on a user's name or icon, and your entire conversation history with that person will be displayed in the chat window on the right side.  (This is the window that takes up the most screen space.)  Click the "Friends" icon to be taken to the screen where you can add or remove friends, accept or decline friend invites, and manage your list of blocked users.

 

The rest of the far left column: your servers

 

No, they won't bring you drinks.  :lol: 

 

"Servers" in Discord are, essentially, giant chat rooms.  Some have voice and text chat.  Others have just one or the other.  It depends on the rules for the server and the preferences of the site or person who owns it.  The TransPulse server doesn't have voice chat, because we can't moderate what people say out loud, and we have to protect our members - especially those under 18.

 

When you click on a server icon, the center column on the left side displays the server name and the list of "channels" available for that server.  Individual channels are like separate chat rooms - each one exists for a purpose, and you can have separate conversations in separate channels.  When you join a Discord server, you are automatically placed in every channel you have access to.  You can't leave any channels.  If you don't want to get notifications for new messages in a certain channel, you can right-click its name and select the "mute" option.

 

(Yes, I know, I belong to entirely too many servers.)

 

Center column, very bottom: user settings

 

Your user picture, user name, and settings are kept here.  If you click your user icon, you can set your status as "online," "idle," "do not disturb," or "invisible."

 

The microphone icon mutes your mic, so no matter what server you're on or who you're in an audio chat with, they won't be able to hear you.  The headset icon deafens you, so you won't hear anyone's voice chatter.  This doesn't really apply to the TransPulse server specifically, because we don't have any voice chat channels.

 

If you click the gear icon, it will open your Discord settings.  The first screen you see shows your user picture next to a big blue EDIT button - with that button you can change your Discord username and password and set your user picture.  I won't go into the other settings as that would be incredibly detailed - if you end up needing something specifically from one of them, we can guide you through it in chat.

 

The big chat window

 

When you have a server selected on the far left, the largest window shows the conversation happening in whichever channel you have activated.  If you're viewing a direct message, it shows your conversation history with that individual person.  You send messages by typing in the box at the bottom and pressing the Enter key to send.

 

The right-hand column

 

Discord User List.png

 

This column is devoted entirely to telling you who's here.  At the bottom is a faded list of server members who are either disconnected from Discord or who have set themselves as invisible.  If you set your status to invisible, the rest of the server will see you as offline.

 

Above that section, you'll see the other members sorted by the role they play within chat.  We also use specific colors.  When you post a message in chat, your name appears in the same color as shown in the user list on the right.  That way, you can tell at a glance who's responsible for what.  Roles in chat are:

 

  • Unassigned: white (members are only unassigned until Discord confirms they meet the server's requirements for membership)
  • Unverified: Orange (limited privileges)
  • Members: Blue (full member privileges)
  • Greeters: Pale  Yellow
  • Youth Moderators: Yellow
  • Forum Moderators: Pink
  • Chat Moderators: Light Blue
  • Crisis Moderators: Red
  • Supervisors: Purple
  • Administrators: Green

 

Botscuit, who appears in a lovely shade of seafoam, is a robot designed to help with moderation tasks in chat.  See below for a list of commands you can use with him.

 

Right-clicking a user name

 

Discord User Menu.png

 

When you right-click on a member's name in the right-hand panel, you get a list of options and settings for your interaction with that person. 

 

"Profile" shows you their profile information. 

 

"Mention" drops their name in the chat entry box in a way that will alert them when you send the message. 

 

"Message" opens a private message conversation with them. 

 

"Call" initiates a voice chat. 

 

"Add note" allows you to add a note if you need to remind yourself of something where this member is concerned.

 

"User  volume" allows you to specifically control how loud or quiet voice chat from this person sounds on your device.  It's set at 100% for everyone by default.

 

"Mute" makes it so you no longer see or hear anything from that member within the server.

 

"Invite to server" lets you send them an invite to any server you have permission to invite them to.

 

"Add friend" sends a request to add them to your contact list.

 

"Block" prevents them from contacting or interacting with you in any way.

 

A note about private (direct) messages:

 

TransPulse staff can't see what you talk about privately.  If someone says something inappropriate to you in a private message or otherwise breaks the rules, please take a screenshot and send it via private message to a member of staff so we can handle the issue appropriately.

 

If you don't know how to take a screenshot, please search Google - I would offer a guide to doing so, but it's done differently on all different operating systems and devices.

 

You should right-click (or tap on, if you're mobile) the server icon at the left, choose "Privacy Settings," and disable direct messages from server members.  This will prevent random trolls who join from messaging you privately.  If you meet someone in chat and would like to have a private conversation with them, you can add them to your friends list to enable direct messages for them.

 

A note about chatting by voice

 

As mentioned above, TransPulse doesn't offer the option to chat by voice as a group.  We can't moderate or control what comes out of people's mouths.  We can't stop you from having voice conversations privately, though.  This means you need to exercise extreme caution.  Keep the following in mind:

 

  • If you're not comfortable talking by voice, simply don't accept any requests for voice chats.  It's not rude to decline.
  • If a fellow TransPulse member says something inappropriate in a voice chat, TransPulse staff cannot intervene.  There's no way to document or prove that something bad happened by voice, so we can't help you.  If this happens, block that person immediately and tell a member of staff so we can keep an eye on things going forward.
  • Minors are not allowed to enter into voice chats with other TransPulse members.  If we find out that a member has started - or asked for - a voice chat with someone who is under 18, that member will be immediately and permanently banned.  If a member under 18 agrees to a voice chat, the minor will also be immediately and permanently banned, even if both participants in the voice chat are under 18.  Discord logs will show attempted calls, and we will act accordingly.

 

Formatting Text in Discord

 

Finally, you can make changes to how your text appears in Discord.  While you can't choose a custom color - something I don't miss, as some colors are either hard to see or painful to look at - you can format it in other ways.

 

Italics - Type: *your italicized text here* - note the asterisk on both sides of the text.  If you don't have both asterisks, with no spaces on either side, the text won't be formatted.

 

Bold - **your bold text here**

 

Underline - __your underlined text here__ - note that's two underscores on either side of the text.  If you only use one, it will show up italicized instead.

 

Strikethrough - ~~your stricken text here~~ - again, note there are two tildes.

 

These effects are cumulative, so you can format in multiple ways.  If you want bold, italicized text, use ***three asterisks*** - one for italics and two for bold.

 

BOTSCUIT COMMANDS

 

Botscuit can do certain things for members in addition to helping the moderators with things. These commands can be used in any channel.

 

  • ?emergency - sends a notification to all staff.  Should be followed immediately by an explanation of why you used it so we can handle the issue.
  • ?crisis - sends a notification to all crisis-trained staff.  Use this if you are in crisis and if someone is available, they will PM you.
  • ?staff - explains the various colors involved in the staff roles.
  • ?chathelp - produces a link to this post.
  • ?rules - produces a link to the TransPulse community rules page.
  • ?forums - produces a link to the main forum page.
  • ?resources - produces a link to the resource database page.
  • ?links - produces a list of important links on the TransPulse site.
  • ?emoticons - produces a link to a page where you can download emoticons from our old Java chat.
  • ?avatars - produces a link to a page with free avatars you can use for your Discord account.
  • ?registration - produces an explanation about why we require members to register.

 

FUN STUFF

 

First things first.  In order to play with most of this stuff, you must be in the #bot-fun channel.  Many of these commands produce images, and we don't want conversations to be interrupted with image spam.  If you know exactly which image you'll get and if that image is relevant to the conversation in another room, you can go ahead and use it once at that time.  Otherwise, unless it's on this first list, please keep it in the bot channel.

 

Use Anywhere

 

  • ?space - get current information about the International Space Station.
  • ?catfact - get a random fact about cats.
  • ?dogfact - get a random fact about dogs.
  • ?dadjoke - get a random dad joke.
  • ?define [word] - example: ?define antidisestablishmentarianism - get the definition for the word provided.

 

In #bot-fun Only

 

  • ?bird - get a random adorable bird picture.
  • ?cat - get a random adorable cat picture.
  • ?dog - get a random adorable dog picture.
  • ?tag [word] - see below.

 

The tag command is there for random entertainment, and I will be expanding it every day.  In place of [word], type any word or phrase that might be used often in conversation.  We're talking weather, science, animals, senses - you know, normal everyday language.  Maybe you'll type ?tag word one day and get something.  You never know.

 

If you guess a live word, you'll be rewarded with an image that's relevant to the word you entered.  If there isn't an image tied to that word, the bot will silently ignore you.  (We won't judge.  The bot probably will, though.)  As of this command's debut, there are just over 100 live words.  They're common, so don't overthink it.

 

Be aware, some of the images summoned with the ?tag command may contain profanity.

 

New words will go live every day, so if you find a dead one today, try it again next week.  Stay tuned.

 

Good luck!

 

And that's Discord!

 

Welcome to our new chat platform!  If you have any questions, let me know!

Edited by Dev
Added bot commands.
Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Is Java still required? And is this where you go for the Sunday substance abuse support meeting?

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

Link to comment
  • Admin

Java is not required.  Discord is a separate application, one you can download to any device you own.  Even mobile!  I've used it on both Android and iPhone devices and had no issue with it.

 

This is where the Sunday meeting will happen.  There's a special meeting channel set up for get-togethers.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Thank you for this tutorial.  I'm sure it will take time to feel comfortable but it is lovely to make it back to chat.

As  a person with a Mac what is the equivalent of a "right click".  I don't have that ability on my laptop or iPad.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

It sounds like this could work much better! I was concerned about people who wanted support from chat who were blocked from it because Java wasn't supported by their device.

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

Link to comment
  • Admin
6 minutes ago, Charlize said:

As  a person with a Mac what is the equivalent of a "right click".  

 

The Mac version of the app should pop up the menu on a single click.  If it doesn't, a double-click should do it.  Failing that, try Ctrl+Click or Cmd+Click.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

:thumbsup:

Thanks....  It may take time and mistakes on my part but at least i can get in the door which is wonderful!    Thank you for your efforts.  

I second Timber Wolf's statement.  It will be lovely to know if someone needs a crisis mods help who posts here they have a chance of getting there with some ease. 

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Ok, I'm signed up on chat with the "discord" app. I'm somewhat confused by  the changing colors of my name. First it was white, then yellow, then pink. I know Saruman had his cloak of many colors, but he went bad and I don't want to go bad! LOL:D I must have "Lord of the Rings" on the brain today. I read it every year.

 

Is the Sunday substance abuse meeting located in the meeting room on the menu? Thanks!

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

Link to comment
  • Admin

Yes, the meeting room is where the Sunday meeting will take place. 

 

The changing colors were because I was messing with your role.  White meant you were unassigned, and you turned to yellow after I designated you as a chat moderator.  Then I realized we have several forum mods who visit chat from time to time, so I created a new role - pink - for forum moderators.

 

You'll stay pink.  No Saruman corruption for you. :D

 

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

I am also fond of pink.   I do wonder if there is still a staff chat room?  While it was rarely an issue there have been times when i've needed information or help during the substance abuse meeting.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Ok, I need help! I don't know how to log out of chat. I thought when I left chat it would automatically log me out, but apparently not. I turned it on and was instantly there without any kind of signing in. Sorry for the trouble, but how do I  sign out on android phone?

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

Link to comment
  • Root Admin

Don't know if it will work on android but these are the instructions that Dev gave to me.

 

Should be an option on the user cog down at the bottom towards the left.  Just to the right of your name and user picture.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Hurray! I got it, as the song says, "with a little help from my friends".:D

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

Link to comment
  • Root Admin

I have to admit that it was a little intimidating at first but now that I've had a chance to navigate around it a bit, It seems easy to use. It's just a matter of finding the right commands to use. Not all that hard.

 

MaryEllen

Link to comment
  • Dev featured this topic
  • 2 months later...
  • Admin
Just now, ChelseaAnn said:

How do I join the server? 

 

Go to Live Chat, either on the Main Page link at the left top of the page here, or through the more direct Live Chat link at the right edge of it. 

Link to comment

Hiya, I’ve just downloaded the app but can see how I join the chat, does the site have a name you need to input like transpulse? 

Link to comment

I'm having same difficulty. I've tried searching for existing channels w similar names with no results. Sadface

Link to comment

Frustrating isn’t it, if it’s this difficult there may not be many who chat on there tho?  I’ll keep persevering and let you know if successful :0)

Link to comment
  • 4 months later...
  • Admin
6 hours ago, My name isn’t Megan said:

How do I get invited into the discord?

 

Go to the Live Chat option on the tool bar at the top, and follow it in.  It will give you the information you need to establish an account and get into our chat.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

I have Discord under another name for a different site. Do I have to use that, or can I create another for my name on here?

Link to comment
  • Admin

Hi Louise!

 

You can use your current name or create a new account, whichever you'd like to do.  As far as I'm aware, no one you know on Discord already can tell which servers you belong to, if that's a concern for you.  You can also join with your existing account and change your display name just within our server if you like.

 

The only roadblock you'll find is that a separate account would have to be tied to a different email address.  Discord doesn't have any policies against having more than one account, though, so it's entirely up to you.

 

Let me know if you have other questions!

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   6 Members, 0 Anonymous, 111 Guests (See full list)

    • Abigail Genevieve
    • RaineOnYourParade
    • KathyLauren
    • MaeBe
    • April Marie
    • EasyE
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.6k
    • Total Posts
      768.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,020
    • Most Online
      8,356

    Tami
    Newest Member
    Tami
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Bebhar
      Bebhar
      (41 years old)
    2. caelensmom
      caelensmom
      (40 years old)
    3. Jani
      Jani
      (70 years old)
    4. Jessicapitts
      Jessicapitts
      (37 years old)
    5. klb046
      klb046
      (30 years old)
  • Posts

    • April Marie
      So many things become easier when you finally turn that corner and see "you" in the mirror. Shedding the guilt, the fear, the questioning becomes possible - as does self-love - when that person looking back at you, irrespective of what you're wearing, is the real you.   I am so happy for you!! Enjoy the journey and where it leads you.
    • MaeBe
      I'm sure even the most transphobic parents would, too. What does it hurt if a child socializes outside of their family in a way that allows them to understand themselves better? I have encountered a handful of kids do the binary, non-binary, back to binary route and they got to learn about themselves. In the end, there may have been some social self-harm but kids are so darned accepting these days. And really, schools aren't policing pronouns, but the laws that are coming out are making them do so--and in turn requiring a report to a parent that may cause some form of harm to the child.   If the kid wants to lie to, or keep secrets from, their parents about their gender expressions, what does it say about the parents? Perhaps a little socialization of their thoughts will give them the personal information to have those conversations with them? So when they do want to have that conversation they can do so with some self-awareness. This isn't a parent's rights issue, it's about forcing a "moral code" onto schools that they must now enforce--in a way that doesn't appreciably assist parents or provide benefit to children.   So, a child that transitioned at 5 and now in middle/high school that is by all rights female must now go into a bathroom full of dudes? What about trans men, how will the be treated in the girl's restroom? I see a lot of fantasy predator fearmongering in this kind of comment. All a trans kid wants to do in a bathroom is to handle their bodily functions in peace. Ideally there would be no gendered restrooms or, at least, a valid option for people to choose a non-gendered restroom. However, where is the actual harm happening? A trans girl in a boy's room is going experience more harm than a girl being uncomfortable about a trans girl going into and out of a stall.   How about we teach our children that trans people aren't predators who are trying to game the system to eek out some sexual deviancy via loophole? How about we treat gender in a way that doesn't enforce the idea that girls are prey and boys are  predators? How about we teach them trans kids are just kids who want to get on with their day like everyone else?
    • Adrianna Danielle
      I hope so and glad he loves and accepts me for who I am
    • EasyE
      It is sad that we can't have more open and honest dialogue on these types of topics because there is worthy debate for sure. But instead we have become a country where the only goal is to seize political power and then legislate our particular agenda and views of morality.   Remember as you read my thoughts below, that I am transgender. OK? I am pro-trans. I am trans.   But my middle school aged daughter would be extremely uncomfortable using a school bathroom also used by a biological male, as would nearly all of her friends. That side has to be considered. It's not invalidating to a trans youth's experience to take that into account and hash out what is for the common good of as many people as possible. This is reality - one person's gender expression makes others uncomfortable, in all directions. And there is disagreement on the best way to handle these types of things.   Why can't we talk about these things openly, without the inevitable name-calling that follows, and let all sides have their input and work up suitable solutions? (I bet the kids, if left alone, would work up the best solutions)... Instead, we go straight to trying to pass laws, as if we need more of those!   And why wouldn't we want parents to know if their child has decided to change their pronouns? That's a big deal and parents are right to raise that as a concern. I certainly would want to know. Not that we need to legislate this, but I would have a hard time with school administrators who try to hide this from me. They are out of line. This is my child. Whether you like my viewpoints or not, I am the parent. Not the school.    Again, I am pro-trans. I am trans. At the same point, I recognize that validating a transgender individual's gender identity doesn't trump everything else in society. And sometimes I see that creeping into these discussions. Plus, we fight a losing battle if we have to have others' validation. We are never going to get it from everybody. Ever. Not even Jesus got it and He is God himself!   This country can be very beautiful as we each exercise our freedom to be who we are and let others do the same. But my freedom ends where yours begins and vice-versa. That requires self-sacrifice. Sometimes we have to fall back out of respect for others. Sometimes we have to let the parent be the parent even if we disagree with their politics.   My cry in the wilderness is just can we please have more open, honest dialogue where both sides try take the other's views into consideration and quit automatically going the legislative route to criminalize the other side's viewpoints.   Sorry for the rant but sometimes all of this wears me out... deep sigh... 
    • RaineOnYourParade
      Bite by bite, acrobatics in abdomen
    • Abigail Genevieve
      Yesterday when I put that shirt on I saw a woman looking back out of the mirror at me.  Usually I have looked and been very frustrated because I see a man where there should be a woman.  I was expecting to see a man wearing a woman's shirt, but it was a woman wearing a woman's shirt.   On the spectrum between intersex and trans, I am more thinking I am a lot more intersex than trans, and it is only a matter of time before my wife says "you need a bra" and then "you look like a woman!" She told me whatever I want to do is fine with her, she loves me no matter what, and I am thinking that there may be a lot more for her in this than she could possibly expect. I'm not pushing it with her.
    • Petra Jane
      We have been asked to post this study.   I'm an undergraduate university student in my third year completing a BSc in Anthropology. I'm working on my dissertation, looking at languages with grammatical gender (e.g. languages like Italian and Spanish, nouns are either masculine or feminine). I'm curious if this affects/bothers people with gender identities outside the typical binary of male and female, like non-binary or transgender identities. Using this forum, I would be very grateful if anyone could answer the 5 questions I have put together in a Google form, they are open-ended questions, and you can be as brief or detailed as you want/comfortable with! All responses will also be kept anonymous. As you can probably guess, I came to online forums because finding participants in person is difficult. Talking about gender identities, I understand, can be very personal, so this online anonymised format can be safer. :) If anyone is also particularly interested in this topic, it would be awesome to message one-on-one and do the Google form survey. Having one and one interviews would also be good research! But NONE of this is compulsory, and only if anyone is interested and doesn't mind helping me out and can do so. Institution Supervising Research Study University of Kent Web Address for Study Participation https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdS9zU_dt3RR1V8-3s_0EnDl6w-jsS6-WOZO41uWeqUP0q_YQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
    • Ashley0616
    • Ashley0616
    • Ashley0616
    • Ashley0616
      @Mia MarieI found this    Here are critical resources to help transgender seniors face the challenges of growing older - LGBTQ Nation   As far as financial aid I came up empty. :( I'm sorry. I can only imagine what you are going through. 
    • Ashley0616
      @Adrianna Daniellecongratulations to you and your boyfriend! Hopefully a future wedding in the future!   @WillowI'm sorry about that he passed away. He sounded like a role model that others should follow.   @MmindyI'm sorry about your head cold! Hopefully it won't last too long and hope for good rest and recovery. 
    • Mmindy
      Good morning Mia,   This is a great question, and I'm looking forward to the input from others.   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • Mia Marie
      I see more and more postings with what the LGBTQ support organizations are doing and I see less and less about helping the older generation of us. All I really see is them wanting to help transgender youths and no matter how many times I ask for help, they tell me they can't help or they tell me the office I contacted only works with the youth only. Is there an organization that helps older transgender people? All I find when I do a search turns out with nothing more than talking about trans youths. I feel as though us older trasn folks are being left out. I applied for financial help in a form of a grant, twice, and was turned down with no explanations of why. They did ask me to help go over applications which told me I was automatically denied. Really doesn't seem fair, does it?  
    • Ivy
      Require students to use bathrooms that align with the gender they were assigned at birth Prohibit transgender girls in seventh grade or older from participating in girls sports or other girls-only activities  Ban gender-affirming health care — including surgery or hormone treatment — for transgender students under age 18, even if parents consent or the treatment is recommended by a doctor Require schools to notify parents if students change their pronouns or otherwise signal they identify as a gender other than what’s on their official student records Doesn't look like it "protects" anybody.  It actually is about restricting trans kids rights.   The ways politicians name their bills etc. is a farce.  Most of the time they do the opposite of what they're called.
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...