When you connect to GeekShed, you are bound by the GeekShed Terms of Service, linked in the footer on every page. If you’re new to IRC, you should also know about netiquette, that’s the expected standards of behavior and common courtesies for online chatting. The word netiquette is a combination of net + etiquette. It’s the etiquette, or manners and polite behavior, for the network.

Good and polite users on GeekShed will follow these general guidelines:

• Be nice and helpful to new users. Everyone was new at some point.
• Do not type in all caps. That’s like shouting in the real world.
• Best to avoid AlTeRnAtInG cApS too.
• Do not flood channels or private messages with ASCII art. Ask first if you have something to share.
• Avoid calling people names or insulting them. Words like moron, n00b, and retard aren’t very nice.
• Ask before you send someone a private messages, notices, and or CTCP requests. It’s like whispering in someone’s ear without permission.
• AME and AMSG should be used sparingly, and only for very important messages. Broadcast messages that are sent to every channel you are in are considered impolite.
• Avoid changing your nick frequently. It gets annoying if you are changing to nicks like Steven|school, Steven|work, Steven|afk, Steven|bacon, and Steven|eating. Just choose a nick, and stick with it. It’s unlikely anyone needs that much detail on what you’re doing.
• Read the online help on the website. You can find the answer to nearly every question on the site if you look for it.
• If you can’t find an answer, please ask. Don’t ask if you can ask a question. Just go for it.
• Make sure people understand your tone. On IRC, we can’t see your face or hear your voice.
• Avoid flame wars, trolling, and spamming.
• Remember that GeekShed has international users. Don’t make fun of people who have trouble with spelling or grammar.

In channels, try to follow these suggestions:

• Check the topic and entry messages for details on specific rules and the purpose of a channel.
• Spend some time idling and watching a channel before you jump into the conversation. Don’t just barge into a conversation.
• Keep channel business in the channel it belongs in. Do not bring a problem with one channel to another one. Check the Channel Bans Appeals page if you need to appeal a ban on another channel.
• Always ask before running scripts or away messages in a channel.
• Ask before sharing links in a channel—and be sure that any link you share is virus-free and appropriate for the age-level of the people in the channel.
• Don’t ask for ops or voice. Most people consider it rude.

What if someone isn’t being polite on GeekShed?

• If you are a channel owner, you can ask the person to leave or ban the user. Your channel can have whatever rules you like.
• If someone is being impolite to you personally, ask the person to stop. If that doesn’t work use the /ignore command. It’s usually something like this: /ignore nick. For example, to ignore the nick RudeUser, you’d type /ignore RudeUser — check the documentation for your IRC client for more details.

Generally, you should not report impolite users in #help. Just use /ignore. There is no network rule that says people have to be polite, so network staff will not reprimand people who are impolite.

Beware though.While netiquette is not a network matter, every channel can have its own rules. Being impolite and ignoring these guidelines may get you kicked or banned from channels that do not tolerate rude users.

—Posted by tengrrl/bunny