General FAQ
I’m not affiliated with Harvard University. Can I still join?
Yes! Unfortunately, your activity on the server will be limited. For example, you will not be able to send embedded images or gifs, and you will not gain access to any of the “verified” channels intended for Harvard affiliates. Please review the rules before posting any content in the public channels.
I’m a student. How can I get verified?
Head to the #verify-here channel on the server! The most up-to-date verification process will be outlined there.
How do I know who is a student?
Anyone whose name is colored (any color other than white) has a relevant role. Light blue coloring indicates undergraduate students. Pink indicates graduate. Green indicates alumnae. Orange indicates prefrosh (incoming freshmen). If you’re unsure of a role color’s meaning, simply click on the user’s name to see their roles!
Am I allowed to ask for admissions help?
It depends. You are more than welcome to ask for tips and such in the #prospective-students channel, but keep admissions discussions isolated to there. If you PM students without their permission asking for help or academic advice of any kind, you will be warned and, for subsequent infractions, banned according to our server rules.
What is the primary language of this server?
Our primary language is English. While we encourage people from all ethnic and national backgrounds to join and participate, we ask that all conversation be held in English for moderation purposes. The only exception to this rule is the private channel called #foreign-languages, where verified members of the community are welcome to speak in any language. This is not available for unaffiliated folks.
Someone violated a server rule! What do I do?
The first thing you should do is take a screenshot and ping @Mods and @Admins. If the person deletes their comment, you will have proof to send to moderators and administrators. We will handle it from there. If someone is being openly antagonistic, we encourage you to not engage and simply ping or PM moderators and administrators.
Why did you make a new server?
In short, the owner of the previous server was wildly inactive for months at a time. They would only come online once every few months to give instruction to the moderators or randomly remove permissions, which indicated how wildly out of touch they were. When the issue was brought to the community, the community began protesting his ownership. Our most active and trusted members began to leave, and many of the LGBT+ members left as he violated the privacy of the LGBT+ chat. In an effort to preserve the community, we migrated here, to HCom! You can find more information about the motivation for the migration here.