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## Scribus IRC

Joining (clickable link): irc://irc.freenode.net/#scribus

#### Some Hints:

One part of the Scribus community is the online one: IRC or Internet Relay Chat. For some, this might be quite unfamiliar as a support channel. However, it works really well we think. Usually, at least one Scribus Team member or knowledgeable user is around. Keep in mind the best time is Central European Time, especially evenings, when it tends to be liveliest. For some, IRC has connotations of flame wars and lots of arguing, but #scribus is a friendly congenial place. Flame fests and trolling are just not tolerated.

#### Don't be shy, just ask.

When joining for the first time, say 'hi' and ask. #scribus (the '#' indicates a channel) is a friendly place. A short introduction is fine. For those who do not speak English, have no fear. First try in English, but there are a number of folks in #scribus who can speak a wide variety of languages. Among the Team Members, we can count at least seven languages spoken well enough to converse in IRC. Other regulars cover probably another half dozen.

#### Give Details

It helps to know more than, "Something broke and now blah does not work."

- Start by saying which platform you are on and what version of Qt, knowing this immediately is always helpful. Some issues are platform or distribution specific.
- Describe your problem in a way which makes it easy for others to answer.
- Be prepared to answer specific questions about which versions of applications are installed.

#### Be Patient

IRC is wonderful for instant direct nature, but sometimes folks are busy doing other things like coding Scribus :-). On IRC, often regulars and the developers are logged in 24 hours a day. This is called "idling". We might be away from the computer completely. That does not mean you need to wait days for an answer. Also, #scribus has a friendly bot called mrscribe who can relay messages easily. Meet mrscribe below.

#### IRC is not an excuse for not reading the documentation.

At the very least, make sure you have read the FAQ's and read the relevant sections of the docs. If someone replies with an answer (it might be mrscribe), with a link, that means this issue has been asked before - more than once. That also means that info is easily found elsewhere. A lot of time and effort was put into writing the documentation, as imperfect as it may be. They are written to help you.

#### Meet MrScribe

MrScribe is our friendly "bot" Bots are very useful in IRC, as they help automate certain housekeeping tasks. MrScribe also is full of fun facts, which are useful for helping others. You can learn all about MrScribe here: http://supybot.com/.

#### Some IRC Client Suggestions

Given that we have IRC chat clients running 7/24 on our PC's, a couple we can recommend:

- X-Chat - a mature GTK based client which runs on Linux and Windows. The Windows version also is alternatively available from: http://www.psyon.org/projects/xchat-win32/ or X-Chat For Aqua on MacOSX
- Konversation - Very stable, full featured IRC client which is easy to use for newbies.

#### Lounging

Once you have your answer in hand, you are not obligated to disappear. #scribus is not just for hard core developers. Newbies with Scribus are just as welcome. Often, you can recognize the developers easily, as they usually have "operator" status. IRC is where we learn as developers, where people are struggling with some feature or where something is confusing in the GUI. Lounging is a good way to learn lots of tidbits about the newest features, as well as learn some good usage tricks from gurus. So, when the mood strikes, pull up a chair, kick up your feet and enjoy.

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