=== Classes and Instances ===
+Generally the most interesting discussion on Zephyr, however, happens on so-called Zephyr ''classes''. A class is a bit like a chat room in other IM systems. Anyone can send a zephyr to a class, and anyone who is subscribed to that class will receive it. There is no security on classes -- anyone who knows the name of a class can subscribe, and there is no way to determine who is subscribed to a given class.
+
+To subscribe to a class, use the subscribe command:
+
+{{{
+:subscribe CLASSNAME * *
+}}}
+
+To send a zephyr to a class, use the zwrite command with the -c option:
+
+{{{
+:zwrite -c CLASSNAME
+}}}
+
+Zephyrs to classes usually have an instance attached. An instance is a short \93topic\94 or \93subject\94 that indicates the context of a zephyr. Different instances are often used to multiplex multiple conversations on a high-traffic class. You can specify an instance with the -i option to zwrite:
+
+{{{
+:zwrite -c CLASSNAME -i INSTANCE
+}}}
+
+A message without an instance specified will default to the instance \93personal\94.
+
+Some common classes include:
+
+'''help'''::
+ -c help is a class for asking (and answering) questions on virtually any topic imaginable. Be sure to use an instance (such as \93linux\94, \93barnowl\94, \93campus\94, or so on) when asking questions, since it's a fairly high-traffic class.
+
+'''sipb'''::
+ -c sipb is where most SIPB members hang out. It's a place for technical discussion, questions, support, and organizing SIPB events or projects. You should also always use an instance when sending to -c sipb.
+
+'''Personal Classes'''::
+ By convention, nearly every Zephyr user has a "personal" class that is the same as their username. How this class is used varies from person to person, but it's often a sort of mini-blog, a place to report what one is working on or up to, or ask friends questions, or just rant about something.
+
+'''"un" Classes'''::
+ Many people use "un" classes in addition to their personal class, for example {{{johndoe}}} might use {{{-c unjohndoe}}}. Sometimes there are nested un-classes as well, such as {{{-c ununjohndoe}}} or {{{-c unununjohndoe}}}. It is extremely rare to see anything more than three "un"s. Un-classes are generally used for snarking about a conversation going on in the next class up ({{{-c unjohndoe}}} snarking about {{{-c johndoe}}}), or for more intense ranting. The more "un"s, the more intense the snarking/ranting generally becomes.
+
+=== Zephyr Slang ===
+
+If you spend enough time on Zephyr, you'll begin noticing some strange phrases and words being thrown around. Some of these include:
+
+'''i,i foo''': originated from CMU and means "I have no point here, I just like to say". Sometimes people simply use quotes: {{{"foo"}}}
+
+'''mix''': If somebody accidentally sends a Zephyr to the wrong class or person, they will send another Zephyr to that wrong/class person simply saying "mix". This basically just means, "oops, sorry, I didn't mean to send that Zephyr here". You might also see "-i mix", which is the same thing, only with instances.
+
+'''.d''': You may see an instance change from {{{-i foo}}} to {{{-i foo.d}}}. This indicates a deviation or tangent from the the original topic.
+
+'''ttants''': Literally, "Things That Are Not The Same".
+
+'''prnf''': Literally, "Pseudo-Random Neuron Firings".
+
+There are many other acronyms that are used; if you don't know what it means, try using the {{{whats foo}}} command at an Athena terminal.
+
+=== Startup ===
+
+There might be some options that you want to be consistent from session to session; you don't want to have to set the same variables each time. You can fix this by adding the commands to your "startup" file, for example, {{{.owl/startup}}}. This can be done from within Barnowl, by using the {{{startup}}} command:
+
+{{{
+:startup set foo bar
+}}}
+
+Where {{{foo}}} is the variable you want to set, and {{{bar}}} is the value. You do not necessarily have to use the {{{set}}} command, either, any command you can type in Barnowl can be added to the startup file.
+
+=== Logging ===
+
+It is handy to be able to log your conversations so you can refer back to them later. To log classes, for example:
+
+{{{
+:set classlogging on
+"set classlogpath ~/path/to/class/log
+}}}
+
+And to log personals:
+
+{{{
+:set logging on
+:set logpath ~/path/to/people/log
+}}}
+
=== Colors ===
-=== Filters ===
\ No newline at end of file
+By default, there are seven colors you may use in the terminal: red, green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, and white. In order to use color in Zephyr, you can use the following notation: {{{@(@color(red)This is some red text))}}}
+
+Colors may vary from machine to machine, as different terminal profiles may have different shades of the seven colors.
+
+=== Filters ===
+
+Some people like to customize their Barnowl by color-coding classes. This makes it easier to tell different classes apart (and minimize mixing). Barnowl has some already existing filters, for example, {{{personal}}} (for incoming personals), {{{out}}} (for outgoing personals), and {{{ping}}} (for pings). To assign a color to a filter, add the following to your startup file:
+
+{{{
+filter personal -c green
+}}}
+
+What if you want to color-code your class, or a friends class? You can create and color filters with:
+
+{{{
+filter johndoe class johndoe
+filter johndoe -c blue
+}}}
+
+You can update your settings and filters without restarting your Barnowl session by:
+
+{{{
+:source ~/path/to/config/file
+}}}
\ No newline at end of file
sipb-www / wiki.git / blobdiff