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This page explains how to start chatting with other Rahul Dravid fans. 


Nickname A nickname is required in order to chat. 
If you do not have an already registered nickname at Talkcity (the server where the dravid room is located), then you will have to choose a nickname. If you are worried about protecting your identity, choose an androgynous nickname.
Password This is the tricky bit. Talkcity requires each user to have a registered nickname. I'll explain what this means. 
Supposing there are three "prashanth"'s in cyberspace, and all of them wish to use the nickname "Prash" while chatting in talkcity, then problems arise. "X" could use "Y" 's nickname and masquerade as "X" (and indeed, this has happened many times for me...I've been mistaken for other "prash"es. 
So before you chat, you will need to register yourself. At talkcity, when you register yourself, you are also given a free homepage and other stuff. So if you wish to protect your nickname, you will have to register

At this stage, if you have not visited Talkcity before, leave this field blank.

Real Name The realname field is optional. I'd advise you to leave it blank.
After this, you will see three radio buttons (option buttons), with the caption, "Choose your version" 
The options available are 
  • EZtalk PRO - No way. Don't use this one. Much too slow, much too complex, and much too irritating.
  • EZtalk Lite - The best option available. Fast, even though it is slightly pale in functionality. This is the pre-selected option.
  • EZtalk Web - Weird, erratic. Not my choice! But if you are using Netscape 2.0 (primeveal) or Internet Explorer 3.0 or something, and if EZtalk Lite refuses to work, try this one.
That's it. You will now need to click on a prominent button that says 
"Start Chatting"

Now, if you already had a registered nickname with talkcity, and if you had the password for it, you will be taken directly to the Dravid chat room, using the version of the chat program that you had selected. 

Here's the important bit...Registering...
So you didn't have a registered nick at Talkcity. When you clicked on the "Start Chatting" button, a new page will load. 
Lets suppose "Anusha" is trying to enter talkcity. The nickname she had supplied was "Anush". She leaves the password field blank, or fills it in with some password of her own. 
If someone else had already registered "Anush" as their nickname, Anusha will get a screen that says "Invalid Password". 
Here, she will be prompted to re-enter the correct password, OR get her own nickname. 
At this point, there are two things Anusha can do... 

  • Click on "Enroll at Talkcity" and follow the instructions. The instructions are very clear. You will be prompted to enter a lot of information about yourself. The optional questions will be marked "optional" and you don't have to waste too much time over them. Just enter the bare details, your email address, and that's it. Talkcity will send you something called a "temporary password" to your email address (the one you have entered in the form), after you finish the preliminary form. You will then have to open your email box, where further instructions will be given. But it's not as bad as it sounds! The second registration part is regarding your free homepage. You can enter a lot of information about yourself (likes/dislikes/favourite websites...etc), and a new homepage will be created for you! It's very neat. I suggest you check this one out. After you have got your password and nickname registered, go back to the window where you have to enter your details and this time, enter your information correctly. That's it. You will be taken to the dravid Chat room.
OR
  • Go back to the chat portal and this time, enter a less-unique nickname like "Anushx12cse", which has a lower probability of being registered already. When she enters a nickname that hasn't been registered yet, she will be directly taken to the dravid chat room, without any irritating Registration forms. However, her nickname has not been registered, and someone else could still take it away from her.
Phew! That's it. If you follow those steps, you'll find yourself chatting in no time. 

You can contact me at rahulfans@hotmail.com

-Prashanth