trade-channel
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The ins and outs of chatlinks
I know -- most of you will hear the word "chatlinks" and think of horrible times in Trade channel where people are spamming the names of abilities and items in different ways, from nonsense to offensive. But chatlinking is a skill that isn't talked about much, and there definitely are place where it's useful (telling guild members about an item that might help them, or linking an enchant to show what mats it needs). So, encouraged by this thread over on Epic Advice, let's run through a few of the ways you can put links to items in the chat channel.
Breakfast Topic: Oh, Trade chat
Trade chat; that wretched hive of scum and villainy, that baying pack of horse thieves and reprobates, that hopelessly addictive ongoing chronicle of server zeitgeist. The stupidity that invariably infests the channel makes it tough to stomach at times, but there's no faster way to get something you need or catch up on the local gossip. I was introduced to WoW Bash the other day and spent an entertaining morning laughing at the various private and trade chat gems chronicled on the site (much of it, just as an FYI, is definitely not safe for work), many of which irresistibly reminded me of my own server's best offerings. I can't help but remember a trade chat conversation that took place at some godawful hour in the morning on a Saturday between several overcaffeinated people, all of whom were playing a sort of "finish the story" game in which a plucky single mother attempted to finance her astrophysics and fishery mangement degree by participating in Ice Road Truckers. Tragedy (hilariously) ensued, but not before players managed to sneak in a Star Trek reference, an allusion to A Winter's Tale ("Exit, pursued by a bear"), and several threats to ignore or report each other. Do you have any particularly fond memories of trade chat, or do you avoid it like the plague?
Tradeskill links coming in Wrath
Another fun little addition for tradeskills and crafters straight from the Beta realms is the ability to peruse the recipes that someone else knows. It works very simply, too. The crafter links his tradeskill like it were an item. You click on that link and a regular tradeskill window pops open, minus the option to craft, create or enchant what you're looking at. You can see all of their recipes and the materials required for them.This seems like it's going to be especially useful for the tradeskills that have a large variety of things that people need. Jewelcrafting, Enchanting, et cetera. It would be much easier to link a guildmate the list of what I can do rather than look up everything they need myself. "Can you do Savagery? Vitality? Spell damage to bracers? MP5 to chest? Strength to gloves?" Maybe! Here, check and see! Linking your recipe book over the Trade channel should help sell enchants and inscriptions as well, hopefully replacing the endless spam of three paragraph advertisement macros. Okay, so maybe those macros will never go away, but we can hope can't we? By the way, you can click on the image to the right to make it bigger, in case you can't see it very well as it is.
[1.Local]: WoW Insider's local chat comments this week
[1.Local] serves up a smattering of reader comments from the past week, from the sublime to the ridiculous.It was a chatty week at WoW Insider this week. More than a few posts bristled with multiple pages of comments. [1.Local] looks back at not only the popular posts, but others that may have slipped beneath your radar: the need for a global chat channel, a popular list of common in-game annoyances, and a good, old-fashioned, rough-and-tumble debate over whether or not the Mage class needs buffing.The week continued with discussion on the new ratings balance in Season 4 PvP , WoW Insider's new weekly crossword puzzle and whether or not leveling is more enjoyable than end-game activities. Readers with an intellectual bent got a kick out of our discussion of WoW's digital culture, and readers with an phlegmatic bent got down and dirty in a lengthy debate on sexism in WoW.Join us after the break for this week's meatiest reader comments here at WoW Insider. Be sure to dive into the comments area of each thread (not this one!) and add your own thoughts – unlike your mama, we like us some hot, fresh backtalk.
Insider Trader: A discussion of our trade channel
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.This week, Insider Trader will be starting a discussion about trade channel in World of Warcraft, including its usefulness to its likability, abuse, and role in the game. At first glance, trade channel is supposed to be a channel linking all major cities, providing a forum for craftsmen and buyers to meet up and exchange goods and services. Within this context, players make a living, purchase gear and consumables, research goods and services, make friends and business associates, and learn the ins and outs of server economy. Unfortunately, when asked their opinions of trade channel, many players describe it as annoying, useless, or offensive, and many keep it turned off permanently. Still others seem to hover in trade chat, spending a great deal of time in it either chatting, selling or sometimes, buying.
