These are the best and most reliable addresses for the new rooms:
http://www.station015.com/~stepchat/abuse/
http://66.78.35.10/~stepchat/abuse/
Please bookmark these pages.
There are far more registered chatters than ever before. I'm very pleased to see this growth in the chat rooms. Of course, with that growth comes some problems.
Please, everybody, try your very best to get along. I know this topic is so difficult and everyone who comes to these rooms is hurting; that's the main reason for the extensive Guidelines.
- Respect the hosts
- Think carefully about your username. Do not choose a name that has religious or gender connotations.
- Use spoilers
- Use the 'smilie faces' function sparingly. Some of the littles are scared by those faces.
- The rule about triggering nicknames has changed. Please think carefully about your nickname. Don't play games or try 'power trips' asking people to change names just because you can. It's up to hosts in the room to decide if a nickname should be changed. Please use more self-care and use the ignore function.
If you are interested in becoming a host, please know that from now on, all my hosts will be invitation-only. That means only I will ask if you would like to be a host. All requests about learning to become a host will be returned to you. It's just too hard on me to have to turn people down, which is something I've had to do quite frequently in the past month.
Being a host does not mean you are a better person. It is not a crucial step on your path to healing. It does not 'elevate' you above the other members of this site. Being a host can actually be incredibly stressful, and is sometimes a very thankless job. Hosts are there primarily to keep the rooms safe; period.
There may be 'hidden' hosts in Room 1. That means that hosts are logged in, can see the room, and can boot and ban people, as well as send p2p boxes. It does NOT mean they are spying on anyone. Since most hosts are bombarded with understandable requests for p2p boxes and help when they come in, it's most efficient to have a host or two 'hiding' to keep the room as safe as possible.
There are no 'hidden' hosts in Rooms 2, 3, or 4 AT THIS TIME. It is possible that trolls could get into those rooms because the passwords have been floating around in cyberspace for more than a year. This rule could be rescinded at any time if I feel it's necessary.
Please remember, hosting is now invitation-only; that invitation is extended by me. This updated Staff Roster is current as of this afternoon.
Keep using the chat rooms to their fullest potential. I know that we can all find comfort, help, and healing if we only band together.
