Unofficial Ubuntu Assistance

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Minimal IRC Concepts

javaJake will prepare a quick video tutorial for any user who has never used IRC before. Give him some time and he'll get around to it.

Some U.U.A. Facts

Even for experienced IRC users, the following notes are important to know:

• Please use one nickname for the #uua channel! Cases belonging to alternative nicknames will be deleted!
• We have the one-case-at-a-time restriction in place for a reason. Bypassing this restriction will result in any simultaneous cases being deleted, and possibly a ban. If you must open another case, please close the current one, and open a new one.
• Everyone who is on the U.U.A channels are expected to abide by the General U.U.A Rules.
• You are not allowed to speak in the #uua channel. If you attempt to do so, only our administrators will hear you. You can use this to grab an administrator's attention if you need emergency assistance or are absolutely baffled by the U.U.A. system.
• ColbyJack will let you talk to him directly in his dialog to create new cases. Once a case is created, however, you must visit that case's channel to minipulate it!
• A case's channel is a particular channel (i.e. room) specifically created for the purpose of discussing your problem with an assistant. ColbyJack will tell you what your case's channel is when you finish creating a case, and remind you once again when your case is accepted. The case's channel looks something like this: #uua-xxx-4.

Getting Assistance

The below table describes each step in the process of getting help.

	Description	!command Summary
Step 1 - Should you Ask?	U.U.A. is intended as a backup to the official #ubuntu channel, so always try to get an answer there first. Often a question that you have is already answered. There's a comprehensive list of such questions at Ubuntu's Wiki. While we don't require you to read it, and will still help with many of the problems there, it is considered courteous and time-saving to read these pages first. If your problem is extensive, and will take over two or three hours to accomplish, assistants may or may not take up your case, depending on how much time they can give. If you fail to get an answer here, your best bet is the Ubuntu Forums.
Step 2 - (Re-)Starting a Case	If you haven't started a case already: Create a new one. You can do this by saying "!new" to ColbyJack in his dialog. He'll ask you to describe your case, so write out a summary of your problem. Don't try to include all the details; put in enough so that the assistants can figure out whether or not they are able to help you. You can use more than one line to do so. Just remember that all your lines will be made into one line, with spaces in-between. If you mess up on the case's description, and you want to start over, say "!clear". If you already have a case open: ColbyJack will tell you, and point you to the original case's channel you were at previously. If your assistant has left that channel, you can write "!reopen" in the case channel to regain a new assistant. ColbyJack will decline to create another one if you try to say "!new". You can only have one case open at a time. Thus, you must close or cancel your original case before you can move on: Say "!close" in the case's channel if you consider your problem solved. Say "!cancel" in the case's channel if your problem was not solved and you do not intend to return to it. Your case to eventually be deleted from the system. Remember: once your case is created, you can only cancel, reopen, and close a case in the case's channel. See ColbyJack's page if you are still confused on where commands should be entered to work.	Saying "!new" to ColbyJack starts a new case. Saying "!close" in a case's channel closes that case and marks your problem as solved. Saying "!cancel" in a case's channel essentially deletes that case. Saying "!reopen" in a case's channel reopens that case for another assistant to come in.
Step 3 - Waiting for an Assistant	The only thing you can do now is wait. We recommend you give the assistants at least five minutes. If you decide that you do not have the time or patience (either of which are fine), you can leave. If at any time you decide that you do not want to complete your case you created, visit the case's channel and say "!cancel".
Step 4 - Case Accepted by an Assistant	Once your case is accepted, you can discuss it in that case's channel with your assistant. Anyone else can watch your discussions with your assistant, but normally no one else but you and your assistant can speak. There are times, however, where you might have a friend or an "unofficial" assistant that may be able to help you. If you want to allow someone else to join in and discuss your case, say "!voice [name]", replacing [name] with the name of the user you wish to give speaking permissions to. Be advised that speaking permissions currently cannot be taken away once given! If you think the assistant is not abiding by the Ubuntu Code of Conduct or the U.U.A. rules, you may say "!report [message]", replacing [message] with a short message explaining how this assistant is not behaving. An assistant may reach a point where he is unable to help you. If this is the case, or your assistant is otherwise unsatisfactory, you may say "!reopen" to re-announce your case to all assistants and start over at Step 2. Please use this as sparingly as possible!	To give someone else besides yourself and your assistant speaking permissions, say "!voice [name]", replacing [name] with the name of the user you wish to give speaking permissions to. To report a misbehaving user or assistant, say "!report [message]", replacing [message] with a short message explaining how the user is not abiding by the rules. Say "!reopen" to re-announce your case to assistants, if your current assistant is unsatisfactory or unable to help you. Use this sparingly!
Step 5 - Closing the Case	If the assistant has solved your problem, congratulations! Your case is considered closed! To really close the case, however, say "!close" in your case's channel. ColbyJack will tell you that the world is once again happy, and the sun rises in its full glory. If you are very happy with the assistant and the job he has done, and think he/she deserves the Exceptional Assistant Reward, say "!nominate [message]", replacing [message] with a short message describing why this assistant is worthy of an award.	Say "!close" in the case's channel if your problem is solved. If the assistant is worthy of the Exceptional Assistant Reward in your eyes, say "!nominate [message]", replacing [message] with a short message describing why this assistant is worthy of the reward.