• Re: @MetroOnline, David Gilmour's on the cover of today's Metro (free), if anyone collects such things. Only a brief article on EMI case. 1 day ago
  • Did you know that you can follow The Blog without visiting its pages? To subscribe to The Blog's feed, and have each new post delivered to your feed reader of choice, click below.

    RSS logo.
  • Sign up to receive e-mail alerts for each new post. You can specify which categories are of interest, so you only receive what you want.

    E-mail:
    Subscribe   Unsubscribe  

  • The following fans are in the chatroom:
    The next chat is in 4 days, 23 hours, 46 minutes - enter the chatroom now.

    You can see who is in the chatroom at any time by opening the now chatting tab on any blog page (up there, top right).

    Details of all chat sessions will be displayed on the calendar.

    The chatroom is for everyone, so don't be shy - join in! New visitors are most welcome.

    Please make your way through the five sections here. They'll explain everything; from how to register, to how to get started, right through to how to customise your chat experience to suit your preferences.

    If you have any questions not answered here, please don't hesitate to ask.

    Please note that David does not visit the chatroom, it's for fans only.

    If you forget your password, request a reminder and it will be e-mailed to you. You can change your e-mail or password at any time.
    To register, please go to the registration page.

    Choose a user/member name
    Most people use the name that is familiar to everyone at The Blog, so that others can easily recognise them. If you can do this, please do.

    Wait for your activation e-mail
    This will be sent to the address you provided at registration.

    Follow the instructions
    Click the link in your activation e-mail to confirm receipt. Doing so will immediately produce a page containing a completed form showing your e-mail address and activation code. Just Click to Activate and the validation process is complete.

    Wait for your confirmation e-mail
    This will include a reminder of your member name and password, so keep it safe (if you forget your password, you can request it at any time). You might like to change the random mix of letters and numbers to something that's easier to remember, as you'll need your password each time you enter the chatroom.
    Signing in
    Go to the chatroom and enter your user/member name and password.

    Read the rules
    They're there for everyone's benefit, but they're really not that difficult. If you repeatedly break them, you will be banned, so please take a moment to read them.

    The Lobby
    You will find yourself in the main room to start with. This is called the Lobby. As the name suggests, this is where everyone enters - and most choose to stay.

    Start chatting
    You type what you want to say in the space at the bottom. Hitting the Select button on the right, or your keyboard's Enter key, will 'say' it. What's said by you, and everyone else, appears in the main space.

    Select an emoticon
    Show that you're joking with a wink, or frown if something is not to your liking.

    Change your status
    If you're on the telephone or cooking dinner, let everyone know by changing your status. Please be aware that you will be timed-out after 15 minutes of inactivity.

    Signing out
    When you've had enough, sign out to leave the chatroom.
    You can tailor your chatroom experience quickly and easily. Here's how.

    Select an avatar
    Click Action (top left) and Select Avatar. If you don't see avatars alongside names in the column on the left, check the Avatars box under the Options menu.

    Custom avatars
    Ideally, this should be your blog avatar (gravatar). This is coming soon.

    Choose your settings
    Under Options, decide if you want to see timestamps, emoticons, private messages and avatars. Change your font size and type, as well as the background colour.

    Change your font colour
    It makes it easier for everyone if what you say in the chatroom appears in a different colour to what others say, but the choice is yours. Black is the default.

    Private messaging
    Chat privately with anyone. Double-click the person's name and a box will pop up on your screen and theirs. Please do not abuse this feature. If someone does not want to chat privately, please respect that. If you do not want to be contacted by anyone in this way, disable Private Messaging under the Options menu. If you are bothered by anyone and wish to report them, please do.
    There are two rooms: Lobby and Barn. The Lobby is where people come in. The Barn serves as a welcome place of retreat whenever the Lobby gets too busy, so users are advised to make use of it when need be.

    Moving rooms
    You'll notice, in the top left-hand corner of the chat screen, a blue Show Users/Show Rooms button. Click it and you'll see who's in the same room as you. Click it again (the text on the button will change to Show Rooms), and you'll see the two available rooms: Lobby and Barn. How many people are in each room is shown alongside the room name in brackets. Either double-click the room of your choice, or right-click and select Join Room, to enter.

    Finding friends
    Under the Users menu, you can see at a glance who is in the two rooms, so that you may join your friends with ease. If you're in the Barn, you will not see who has entered or left the Lobby, so this comes in quite handy.

    Lock-ins
    There are often 'lock-ins' at closing time. These allow fans to chat for the remainder of the day/night. You need to get in before closing time to be locked in. The chatroom stays open for two hours (opening and closing times are always on the calendar), and this lock-in code - a room password - is announced at regular intervals throughout the two hours.
    The following topics of discussion are not welcome in the chatroom under any circumstances:

    i) Personal questions about David and his family;

    ii) References and/or links to bootleg recordings/ROIOs, fansites and Pink Floyd tribute bands;

    iii) URLs, e-mail addresses, web IDs (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter or other), home addresses and/or telephone numbers;

    Please do not reveal any private identifying information. You do not know how it may be used by others, and can never be too careful about your online security.

    For your added peace of mind, please also know that all chatroom activity is logged, which might seem a tad 'Big Brother', but is actually a measure designed to cover everybody in the event of any disagreements.