Welcome to the first in what will be a regular series of newsletters focussing on providing you with all the latest information and updates related to the deviantART Message Network.

What is dAmn?

dAmn stands for deviantART Messaging Network - a set of technologies to enable realtime messaging for deviantART. The network is supported by the MN@ Team, who are:

$chix0r - MN@ Manager
@darklylit Senior MN@ Operator
@sapphiretiger Senior MN@ Operator
@shutdown Senior MN@ Operator
@Narfmaster Senior MN@ Operator
@Tachy-on Senior MN@ Operator
@kyza MN@ Operator
@Nenimo MN@ Operator
@tmpst24myst MN@ Operator
@rapidograph MN@ Operator
@blackice MN@ Operator
@kamizu MN@ Operator
@whoatherechief MN@ Operator
@karyaazure MN@ Operator
@madnessism MN@ Operator
@electricjonny MN@ Operator
@quickdraw MN@ Operator
@Rendarin MN@ Operator
@ananasjihad MN@ Operator
@mykel MN@ Operator
@limetastic MN@ Operator

So what do these guys do? Well, when people refer to 'being on dAmn' they are basically talking about our chat network which is made up of a number of Official, and custom made, user moderated chat rooms, or channels.

Official Channels

#devart, #help and #MNAdmin are the 3 channels that are Officially moderated and run by the MN@.

#help in particular deserves a special mention, as along side the MN@, we have a team of volunteer helpers who assist in the provision of real time on site support. Please note, however, that this channel cannot provide you with any assistance in subscriptions, print orders or print account assistance.

Any user created channels fall under the guidance and moderation of the Founders of the said channel, regardless of whether an MN@ has Operator rights in said channel. MN@ will only intervene in disputes and altercations in unofficial channels should they involve a breach of deviantART policy, or if we have received a request from a Founder within that channel.

You will often find MN@ in custom channels, this may be that they are a member in that channel, or that they are reviewing your channel for inclusion in our featured section. It's nothing to worry about!

So, if you have never been on dAmn before, now is the time to check it out. There are thousands of artists on there everyday, networking with other artists in the community, and we want you to be a part of it too!

Featured Chats and Events

As well as moderating the network, MN@ provide a number of featured chats and events which provide you with the opportunity to engage with high profile deviantART artists, staff and external artists. We are currently working on developing our next series of events so watch this space for more info!

Featured Channels

MN@ regularly select a number of custom user created channels to be featured. Over the next few weeks, we will be selecting our next series of channels, and you can expect to see a special news article which will provide a review and promotion of any channels which are selected. Now would be a good time to make sure that your channel is running smoothly and providing a welcoming environment for any dAmn user who drops by.

Forums

Alongside the chat element of dAmn, MN@ also provide moderation in the Forums. You'll find all sorts of topics and conversations going on in there - some of the more popular forums are:

- The Deviants Forum - the place for general forum chatter and a fair bit of crazyness.
- The Music Forum - From mozart to mcr, you're sure to find someone in here claiming they have the best playlist, or are the biggest fan!
- - The Complaints Forum - Want to moan? Here's the place to do it!

The Forums are currently undergoing a review, and over the next few weeks you can expect to see a number of changes, including a revamp of the forum descriptions and perhaps even a few name changes to the actual forums themself. We've asked you all for feedback and have taken on board your comments, keep them coming!

In future newsletters you can expect to see specific forum threads being promoted and praised, along with guidelines on proper forum etiquette and examples of good posting. We've got a few contests up our sleeve for the forums too, so make sure you're keeping an eye out on the news.

You can request thread closures by submitting an inquiry to the Help Desk, or by going to #MNAdmin.

The MN@ who are currently providing the main moderation in the forums are:
@shutdown, @sapphiretiger, @Narfmaster, @darklylit, @Tachy-on, @electricjonny, @mykel, @Rendarin and @quickdraw. You can also find %godofodd in there along with $lolly, $realitysquared and myself.

I hope that you have found this first dAmn newsletter useful. Feel free to contact me at anytime with any ideas, questions or suggestions which you may have for any items which you would like to see included, or any specific dAmn related articles which you feel would be welcomed.

See you all on dAmn!