Frequently asked questions

Below are some of our frequently asked questions along with their answers. If you need more help then you can join us in our IRC #help channel (webchat.scoutlink.net), or email us using our contact form.

General

What is Jamboree On The Air – Jamboree On The Internet (JOTA-JOTI)?

JOTA-JOTI is held every year on the 3rd weekend of October. To take part, all you need to do is join ScoutLink as you usually would. The main difference is that there will be a lot more people online at this time than the rest of the year. When you join a busy channel, it will redirect you because the network is so busy that everyone doesn’t fit in one channel! An example of this is when you join #english, it might redirect you to #english04. To find out more information about JOTA-JOTI, please visit our JOTA-JOTI page (scoutlink.net/joti).

Who looks after the technical side of ScoutLink?

We have a Tech Team who look after the servers and technical side of ScoutLink. The Tech Team choose their own team members when they need to expand the team.

Webchat/IRC

I can see people typing, but I don’t know where to type?

It’s very simple. Type in the box at the bottom of the page and click Enter to send the text. You will see this appear in the main chat window if it is sent correctly.

What is a ChanOp?

A ChanOp, or Channel Operator, is there to help the users have a visit to ScoutLink as pleasant as possible. If you have any problems in a channel, these are the people you should contact to help you out. They can answer most questions you have, and also have the powers to kick or ban people from the channel if they are causing problems. Don’t know which one is the Chanop? Just ask!

What is an IRCOp?

An IRCOp, or an IRC Operator, is an Operator in every channel, and has all the usual powers that ChanOps have, but can also remove people from the whole network (kill), and set network bans (G-Lines). To find an IRCop, type: /stats P

How do I register my nick?

Firstly, you need to join the chat using the nickname that you want to register.
Once you have done that, the command to register is:

/msg nickserv register <password> <email-address>

For example:
/msg nickserv register secretpassword james@1stlondonscouts.com

For more on this check out our detailed instructions at www.scoutlink.net/guides/register-nick/

Why is it a good idea to register my nick?

It is useful to register your nick for several reasons:

  • it prevents other users from using your nick, as you will need to login to use it.
  • all users that are registered for more than 3 months can choose to vote (or stand) in elections to elect a council member to represent their country or region.
  • Users who wish to be temporary operators for JOTI will need a registered nick on the network.

Where are the ops? Nobody here is opped!

At ScoutLink, we do not ‘op up’ in channel unless we need to. There are probably ChanOps around if you need them, so if you want to know who are ops, just ask. We only wear our op hats at JOTA-JOTI.

Do you need any more operators?

We are always looking for temporary channel operators to help us during JOTA-JOTI. If you are over the age of 16 and would like to give us a hand, please speak to the Coordinator for your Country/Region (who can be found at scoutlink.net/coordinators). Full training is offered by the Help and Training Team (HaTT) using our Moodle training environment, with informal online tests at the end to make sure you are confident in your job.

If you are looking to become a permanent op, you can speak to your Coordinator about this, but please bear in mind that operators are usually chosen from our regular long-term users, and those who have had experience of being an operator during JOTA-JOTI. The best way to become an operator is to be online often, and show that you are willing to chat and make the channel a better place to be.

How do I use colours/bold text/underlined text?

You can follow our guide on how use colours and different styles in your text (scoutlink.net/format-text). Please remember that colours can’t be seen by all chat clients using ScoutLink, and also that overusing colours can be considered as spamming/flooding the channel.