Controlling access to your community environment is essential to maintaining its quality.  ChatSpace technology provides several levels and techniques of access control to help you exert this necessary control.  Some of the most commonly used are the kick and ban controls.

Access Control Measures

When users violate the chat site’s policies, steps can be taken to deny access to rooms on the site, or to the entire site itself.  Identifying those users precisely is not entirely possible on an Anonymous Access Public Chat Site, however by using the hostname/IP Address masks, reasonable identification of the offending party can usually be made.  Members can have their access to rooms on the site and to the site by Room Kick, Room Ban, Server Kill, and Server Ban.

Room Kick

The Room Kick action removes a member temporarily from a room. He is free to return.  It can be issued as a form of strong warning that the member’s behavior is unacceptable.  If the member returns and continues with his inappropriate actions, then stronger measures can be taken.  Room Kicks can be performed by selecting the member’s nickname in the list of members currently in the room, then pressing the “Kick this member from the room” button along the top of the Java Client interface.  Room Kicks can be performed by Moderators of the room, as well as by Administrators.

Room Bans

A Room Ban is a stronger, longer-lasting action that prevents a member from entering a room.  It is essential to construct a good hostname mask with this action so that the user cannot return to the room just by returning the next day under a different hostname/IP Address (in the case where he has a dynamic IP Address).  Room Bans can be set by selecting the member’s nickname in the list of members currently in the room, then pressing the “Add/View/Delete Room Bans” button along the top of the Java Client interface. Room Bans can be performed by Moderators of the room, as well as by Administrators.

Server Kill

A Server Kill disconnects a member temporarily from the chat site. He is, however, free to return.  Server Kill can be issued as a form of strong warning that the member’s behavior is unacceptable.  If the member returns and continues with his inappropriate actions, then stronger measures can be taken.  Server Kills can be performed by selecting the member’s nickname in the list of members currently in the room, then pressing the “Kill Member” button along the top of the Java Client interface.  Server Kill can be performed by Administrators and Operators.

Server Bans

A Sever Ban is a stronger, longer-lasting action than a Server Kill.  It prevents a member from accessing the chat site.  It is important to construct a sound hostname for Server Bans so that the user cannot return to the chat site just by returning the next day under a different hostname/IP Address.  Server Bans can be set by selecting the member’s nickname in the list of members currently in the room, then pressing the “Add/View/Delete Server Bans” button along the top of the Java Client interface. Server Bans can be set by Administrators and Operators.

For complete infromation on securing access to your site, please email support@chatspace.com and request a copy of Technical Note TN006, Controlling Access to Your Community.

For answers to your technical questions contact ChatSpace Support at support@chatspace.com or visit us online at ChatSpace Support