CHAT GUIDE
This guide is intended for participants of the NASA International
Space Apps Challenge 2022. The instructions contained in this
document require users to be signed up and registered for this
specific event at spaceappschallenge.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
If you have questions that are not addressed in this guide or in the other guides located on
the Resources page (spaceappschallenge.org/resources), contact the Space Apps Global
Organizing (GO) Team at info@spaceappschallenge.org.
For technical assistance with any of the content in this document, email
web@spaceappschallenge.org with a specific description of your problem.
LAST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
October 1-2, 2022
For more information, visit
spaceappschallenge.org
Space Apps is managed by the Earth Science
Division, Science Mission Directorate, at NASA
Headquarters in Washington, DC.
Organized in collaboration with Booz Allen Hamilton,
Mindgrub, SecondMuse, and the NASA Open
Innovation Applied Sciences Program.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SPACE APPS CHAT IS FREE! 3
IF YOU’RE A NEW USER ON DISCORD 3
THE PURPOSE OF CHAT 3
CHAT CODE OF CONDUCT 4
HOW TO JOIN THE SPACE APPS CHAT 4
CREATING A DISCORD ACCOUNT 5
WAYS TO ACCESS SPACE APPS CHAT 5
● DOWNLOADING THE DISCORD APP ON YOUR COMPUTER 5
● DOWNLOADING THE DISCORD APP ON YOUR PHONE 5
● USING DISCORD ON A WEB BROWSER 6
ENTERING SPACE APPS CHAT 6
CHAT CHANNELS 8
COMMUNICATION & NOTIFYING OTHERS IN CHAT 15
SENDING DIRECT MESSAGES 16
UPLOADING FILES 17
PROTECT YOURSELF 18
FRIEND REQUESTS 18
CREATING A SPACE FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM 20
VOICE CHAT, SCREEN SHARING, & VIDEO CALLS 22
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING! 23
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SPACE APPS CHAT IS FREE!
This year, we are using Discord as the platform for Space Apps Chat! Please be
aware that Space Apps Chat is completely FREE for everyone to use. If you are
prompted or suggested to purchase something while using Discord, please
understand that NASA is not responsible for any purchases you make. You do
not need to make any monetary purchases to fully experience everything
Space Apps Chat has to oer!
IF YOU’RE A NEW USER ON DISCORD
When you join Discord for the first time, Discord will start up a tutorial for you.
We recommend you skip the tutorial and close prompts that involve any form of
monetary interaction. You are not required to purchase anything to fully
experience the Space Apps Chat. All the information you need to successfully
navigate through Space Apps Chat can be found in this guide.
THE PURPOSE OF CHAT
Joining Space Apps Chat is optional but highly encouraged. We hope you’ll
join to connect with other hackathon participants as well as with individuals
such as Local Leads, Navigators (formerly “Ambassadors”), Subject Matter
Experts (SMEs), and the Space Apps Global Organizing (GO) Team. Find
teammates, ask your questions about the challenges and data, and enjoy
learning from the Space Apps community!
This guide contains information about the dierent chat channels that are
available to you. It also contains step-by-step instructions for how to access and
navigate the chat platform, how to send messages, and who you can expect to
find in the chat.
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CHAT CODE OF CONDUCT
Space Apps is committed to providing a professional and productive forum for all
participants to engage in a robust exchange of ideas. At all times in the chat,
participants are responsible for maintaining professional decorum and treating
each other with respect and dignity. Bullying, discrimination, or harassment on
any basis will not be tolerated. We strive to ensure that Space Apps is a place
where every person feels they belong, where they are comfortable being
authentic, and where they are empowered to contribute to their fullest.
If you experience or witness discrimination, harassment, or bullying during the
Space Apps Challenge, or have any other concerns, you may contact your Local
Lead or the GO Team. Local Leads may raise concerns to the GO Team. For any
concerns regarding your Local Lead or to contact the GO Team directly, please
email conduct@spaceappschallenge.org. The GO Team will take appropriate
action, which may include warning or expelling the oending participant from
the event. Please also see the “If You See Something, Say Something” section of
this guide below to learn about using the !report function within Space Apps
Chat to report negative behavior. Please read more about our values at Space
Apps here.
HOW TO JOIN THE SPACE APPS CHAT
Before joining Space Apps Chat, we recommend that you first register as a
Space Apps 2022 participant here if you have not done so already.
Once you are a registered participant, you may click on the “Join the Space Apps
Chat” link on the homepage or any of the “Launch Chat” buttons located on
spaceappschallenge.org. These buttons can be found on the challenge pages,
the communications portal under My Account, and the Welcome tab on your
location page (example image below). They will take you to Space Apps Chat,
where you will either login to Discord or register for an account.
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CREATING A DISCORD ACCOUNT
If you are new to Discord, you will need to create an account. Please note:
Participants who are under the age of 18 are required to have a parent or legal
guardian create their Discord account and must be accompanied while in the
Space Apps Chat at all times by a parent or legal guardian. By using Space Apps
Chat, you are agreeing to Discord's Terms of Service. You can either create
your account on the Discord Registration Page or in the app. Once you have
created an account, check your email and follow the instructions to verify your
account.
WAYS TO ACCESS SPACE APPS CHAT
Once you have a Discord account, feel free to access Space Apps Chat from the
Discord apps on your desktop, phone, or browser.
DOWNLOADING THE DISCORD APP ON YOUR COMPUTER
To download Discord to your personal computer, go to the Desktop
Installation Guide – Discord and follow the steps within.
DOWNLOADING THE DISCORD APP ON YOUR PHONE
To download Discord to your mobile device, go to Getting Started on
Mobile – Discord and follow the steps within.
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USING DISCORD ON A WEB BROWSER
To access the Space Apps Chat via web browser, go to www.discord.com.
Login to Discord at the top right of the page:
If you are already logged in, simply click the “Open Discord in your
browser” button in the lower middle of the page.
ENTERING SPACE APPS CHAT
When you enter Space Apps Chat for the first time, the only channel you will see
will be the #rules-and-verification channel. Please read the contents within this
channel and then select the !verify button to acknowledge that you understand
and abide by the Terms and Conditions and will adhere to the rules throughout
the duration of the hackathon.
Once you have clicked on the !verify button, you should see a message from the
MEE6 Bot saying that you have been given the “participant” role.
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On the left side of the screen, find and click on the #participant-welcome
channel to continue setting up! This channel will allow you to select which other
channels you would like to be a part of. Please continue to read through the Chat
Channels section of this guide to better understand the purpose of each channel.
You will be able to select icons for channels you wish to join. If you click the
wrong icon or decide you do not want to be in a certain channel, simply click the
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same icon again. Channels types that you will be able to select from are:
Locations, Challenges, and Languages. Below is an example of what selecting a
Location will look like:
CHAT CHANNELS
The following chat channels will be available to all registered participants. While
most channels open on September 21, some channels, including the challenge
channels, will open later. Please note that the channels below are ordered by the
category they reside in Space Apps Chat.
Please pay close attention to the details for each channel! We recommend that
you join only the channels relevant to you and your team. Various “Moderators”
will be available in dierent channels to provide support. This includes the Local
Leads, Navigators, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and the Space Apps GO Team.
All of these groups will be distinguishable by their colored roles in the server.
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Welcome & Info Category
#rules-and-verification channel:
● Opens September 21, 2022
● This channel displays the Terms & Conditions a participant is expected to
uphold while in the server.
● New members must read through the Terms & Conditions, and click on the
“!verify” button to gain access to the server.
● All participants are automatically added to this channel.
● Participants cannot post in this channel.
#participant-welcome channel:
● Opens September 21, 2022
● The purpose of this channel is to orient participants on how the server
works, and also allows participants to select which channels they would
like to join.
● All participants are automatically added to this channel.
● Participants cannot post in this channel.
#announcements channel:
● Opens September 21, 2022
● The Space Apps GO Team uses this channel to provide participants with
updates.
● All participants are automatically added to this channel.
● Participants cannot post in this channel.
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General Category
#general channel:
● Opens September 21, 2022
● Participants may use this channel to extend greetings and ask general
questions.
● All participants are automatically added to this channel.
● Participants can post in this channel.
#find-a-team channel:
● Opens September 21, 2022
● Although there are multiple ways to find teams (see the Space Apps Team
Formation Guide), this channel is dedicated to helping participants find
teammates outside of their local events. Tell other participants what
challenge you’re working on and what your skills are, or let participants
know if you’re looking for additional team members!
● All participants are automatically added to this channel.
● Participants can post in this channel.
#faq channel:
● Opens September 21, 2022
● This is where you can find answers to our most frequently asked questions,
covering everything from general information to team formation,
challenges, project submission, judging and awards, and more.
● All participants are automatically added to this channel.
● Participants cannot post in this channel.
#global-oers channel:
● Opens October 1, 2022
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● For Space Apps 2022, we are collaborating with certain companies
(referred to as our Global Collaborators) to provide participants with free
tools and resources that are optional to use when creating your Space
Apps project.
● Representatives from some of our Global Collaborators will be available
during the hackathon event to answer your questions. They will be marked
with the tag “Global Collaborator.”
● All participants are automatically added to this channel.
● Participants can post in this channel.
#project-submission-help channel:
● Opens October 1, 2022 - 9AM local time
● If you have additional questions about project submission after reading
the Space Apps 2022 Project Submission Guide, you may ask them in this
channel.
● All participants are automatically added to this channel.
● Participants can post in this channel.
#report channel:
● Opens September 21, 2022
● The purpose of this channel is to provide a place for members to report
any negative behavior they witness while in the Space Apps Chat. See the
“If You See Something, Say Something” section of the Chat Guide for more
information on using the !report command.
● All participants are automatically added to this channel.
● Participants can post in this channel.
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Languages Category
● Open September 21, 2022
● There will be a dedicated channel for each of the following languages:
Arabic, French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish.
● Participants can join and post in any number of language channels. These
channels are not moderated and are OPTIONAL.
● The purpose of language channels is to provide all users a place to
communicate with one another in that specific language.
● Participants may choose to join a language channel by navigating to the
#participant-welcome channel and selecting the icon for the language
channel you wish to join. If you click the wrong icon or decide you do not
want to be in a language channel, simply click the same icon again.
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Challenges Category:
● Open October 1, 2022 - 9AM local time
● Each of the Space Apps 2022 challenges will have a dedicated channel.
Any participant can join any challenge channels, but we highly
recommend that they join the challenge channel associated with the
challenge their team is addressing. If you would like to review the 2022
challenges, please go here.
● SMEs (Subject Matter Experts from NASA and from our space agency
partners) and Navigators (individuals who have experience with various
forms of relevant data and technology) will be available to assist you in the
challenge channels. These individuals are there to answer your questions
about the challenges and the data resources provided.
● Participants can join challenge channels by navigating to the
#participant-welcome channel and selecting the icon for the challenge
channel(s) you wish to join. If you click the wrong icon or decide you do
not want to be in a language channel, simply click the same icon again.
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Location Categories:
● Open September 21, 2022
● There will be a channel for each location event participating in Space Apps
2022.
● The purpose of the location channels is to provide a space for participants
from the same local event to communicate with one another and with their
Local Lead.
● To join a location channel, participants must first navigate to the
#participant-welcome channel and select the continent associated with
their local event.
● Once you do that, a new category(-ies) will appear on the left sidebar. To
find your exact location channel, select the appropriate category and
scroll up or down. Location channels within each continent category are
alphabetical. Please note: Some continents have multiple categories that
are divided into alphabetical bins (see below image). For example: if your
local event is Huntsville, North America, you would click on the North
America (A-L) category (example on next page).
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Some Local Leads may be using additional communication tools to share
information with their registrants. Please defer to your Local Lead for the
best communication tools for your local event. You can contact your Local
Lead through your Location Page under “Meet the Leads.” Regardless,
please join us back in the chat rooms from Oct 1 - Oct 2, 2022, to chat with
SMEs in the challenge channels!
COMMUNICATION & NOTIFYING OTHERS IN CHAT
To post a message in a chat channel, compose your message in the message bar
and then hit the “enter” button to post it.
To reach out to your Local Lead in your location channel, type in “@” followed by
the name of your location. If your Local Lead is in Space Apps Chat, their name
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will automatically show up. Click on their name, and continue to write your
message to them:
SENDING DIRECT MESSAGES
Here are a couple of ways to send direct messages to someone in the Space
Apps Chat:
1. Left click their profile icon, then type a message in the message box:
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2. Right click their profile icon, then select the “Message” option:
Please remember that the Space Apps Server is a professional space. At all
times in the chat, users are responsible for maintaining professional decorum
and treating each other with respect and dignity. Bullying, discrimination, or
harassment on any basis will not be tolerated.
UPLOADING FILES
To upload files, click on the “+” symbol near the message prompt. Files can be
sent to private messages, group messages, and in some chat channel messages
(TBD). The maximum file size that can be sent in Space Apps Chat is 100MB.
Private & Group messages maximum file size is 8MB.
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PROTECT YOURSELF
Participants will not be able to post links in the Space Apps Chat channels, but
participants can post links to others in direct or group messages. Please be
cautious and follow these best practices when dealing with links outside the
server:
● Keep an eye out for typos or content that looks suspicious.
● Be sure to hover over the hyperlink to view the actual URL.
● If you are uncertain about the link, it is better to be cautious and not click
on the link.
● Do not give out any private, personal information such as your full name,
age, financial information, or passwords.
● If you believe you have received a malicious link, please report it to the
Web team at web@spaceappschallenge.org.
FRIEND REQUESTS
Having friends in Discord comes with great perks! You can create Group Direct
Messages with your friends which gives you all access to features like voice chat,
video chat, and screen sharing (ideal as a communication hub for teams). To
send someone a friend request, right click on their profile icon and select “Add
Friend.” Once this action is taken, a friend request will be sent to them. They will
not be added to your friends list until they accept the friend request.
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To accept a friend request:
1. Select the “Discord Home” button in the top left corner.
2. Select the Friends Tab, and then click on the “Pending” tab.
3. Select the check mark to accept the incoming friend request (or the “X” to
deny the friend request).
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CREATING A SPACE FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM
If you would like to dedicate a space to communicate with your team in Discord,
we recommend that you create a Group Direct Message (DM). Keep in mind that
the current limitations of Discord only allow a maximum of 10 people in a Group
DM. Some of the prerequisites for inviting people to your Group DM is that you
must already be friends on Discord. If you are, then follow the steps below to
create a Group DM for you and your team:
1. Click on the “Discord Home” button in the top left corner.
2. Click on the “+” symbol next to “Direct Messages”
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3. Type in/select the usernames of friends you want to add to the Group DM.
Once you have selected all your group members, click on the “Create
Group DM” button.
4. If you would like to include others in your Group DM but did not add them
when creating it, you can add them in the Group DM by clicking the “+”
button in the top right corner of the Group DM.
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VOICE CHAT, SCREEN SHARING, & VIDEO CALLS
Once you and your team have created a Group DM, you are given access to voice
chat, screen sharing, and even video calls with each other! To call your team with
either voice or video chat, click the phone or video camera button, respectively,
towards the top right of the Group DM:
To enable screen sharing, you must already be in a call with your group (see
above). Once you have initiated the call, press on the screenshare button to
start sharing your screen with others in the call.
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IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!
Please remember that Space Apps Chat is a professional space. At all times in
the chat, all users are responsible for maintaining professional decorum and
treating each other with respect and dignity. Bullying, discrimination, or
harassment on any basis will not be tolerated.
If you see anything such as bullying, discrimination, or harassment within chat,
we encourage you to use our reporting function, which will alert the GO Team to
the situation. Please provide a detailed description so we can investigate and
take further action.
To report another user, navigate to the #report channel. Then, post a message
using the following formatting:
!report <INSERT THEIR USERNAME HERE> <#channel name> <LIST REASON>
Example: !report John90#0001 #general using discriminating language
PLEASE DO NOT TAG THE PERSON YOU ARE REPORTING BY USING THE @
SYMBOL! To find the number associated with their account username, click on
the person’s username and copy the username with the hashtag and four
numbers (format will be similar to: John90#0001).
If you successfully post the report, the MEE6 bot will notify you that your
report has been submitted. A report with your message, the user in question,
and the channel it happened in will be forwarded to the GO Team for further
review and possible consequences.
PLEASE NOTE: Your report will be removed from the channel once you have
sent it. Our moderation bot will recognize the report and immediately delete
the content of the message before it reaches anyone else.
HAPPY HACKING!
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