Decentralized Sharing Channels

Channels can be created by any user. They allow you to share information, search, and chat with other users in a decentralized swarm.


Basic Operation

Before you begin, it is important that your system time and time zone are set accurately. Have a look at your system time and make sure it's no more than 5 minutes off.

Start by gathering a list of publicly-visible channels. This can be done by clicking the Add button at the top of the main channel list.

A channel can be joined by double-clicking. It is best to pay attention to the Users column and join a channel with plenty of activity.

Once the status light turns green, you are connected to other peers in the channel. If the light does not turn green, this can be due to lack of other users in the channel, or not enough users in the channel that are able to accept incoming TCP or UDP connections (perhaps due to firewall or NAT issues).

After a connection is made, use the Chat button to communicate with other users in the channel. You can type in a message at the bottom of the chat window and press ENTER and it will be visible to everyone else in the channel. User names can be right-clicked for more advanced options such as sending a private message.

Links to file transfers and http web resources can be shared with other users in a free-form style in the Share view. Links to files you are currently downloading or uploading can be inserted and automatically updated by clicking the Insert button and selecting Transfers from the menu. Once changes are saved, all links will be parsed into a clickable display-formatted link. The appearance will be exactly the same as what other users see when they browse you.

Use the Search view to find links to file transfers or web resources among other user's shared data. Double-click an item to download or open it.

It is important to understand that searches are done locally from information passively gathered from other users. When you first enter a channel, it takes some time for shared links and resources to accumulate as they propagate through the network. Waiting a few extra minutes and then pressing the search button again will allow more links to arrive.


Creating A Channel

Click the Add button on top and select Create from the dropdown menu.

The rest of the process is relatively straight-forward.

It is important to have at a few managers or owners in the channel if you want to be visible in the public channel-list when users gather channels. Managers and owners are also the only ones that can edit or propagate the contents of the Information tab.

For new users to enter the channel, it is best if there are at least one operator (or higher) in the channel. If a user has visited the channel within the past 48 hours, an operator does not have to be present for entry into the channel, unless the user changes their name or key.


Other Miscellaneous Tips

Press shift-enter to clear the chat window display (when the display or text-entry is focused).

/timestamps on
/timestamps off

Only the channel owner(s) have the ability to sign topic directives in the channel info. This is necessary to make channel gather operations more efficient (keeps authorization chains very short).

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