To participate in an Online meeting you need a different program than your normal web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator. You can get these programs free over the Internet; however the program needs to be downloaded and installed before it can be used. If you need to get such a program, click here and we'll tell you where to download one.

Once you have downloaded the file, go into your Windows Explorer (File Manager) and double click on the file you downloaded. It is self extracting and will step you through the process of setting up either MIRC or IRC Gold. It doesn't matter where you have it stored originally because the program will create its own directory to house its files during the setup process.

Here's some details on using two popular programs:

First, get online as you normally would. Then start the MIRC program. Once you start MIRC, a dialog box comes up. The first time through it will ask you your email address, first name, etc. to get set up. Eventually you will come to a dialog box that lists a server with a dropdown box. Click on the arrow to choose another server from the list. You want StarlinkIRC - either Houston or a StarlinkIRC server in a city near you. Then click on the bar that says Connect To IRC. This should get you connected to a StarlinkIRC server, but you still have to choose the room. Again, a dialog box will come up with many names of rooms on the left side. In the blank box at the top, type in #saa and then click on Add on the right. Next, click on the #saa room now on the list, and then click on Join on the right side. This will put you into the room.

In general, you type in the space at the bottom of the screen and after each line you hit return to send it to the room.

When you first come in, you will not be able to do that because no one knows if you are a sex addict yet. (You can type, but the room will not see what you say.) The chair or someone helping the chair will DCC you (open a private window with you to ask you if you have a desire to stop your compulsive sexual behavior.) Once you answer this person yes, you will be given the ability to speak in the main room. Watch how others do it, and then share as you feel comfortable. Please save questions for the DCC or after the meeting (or now, if you get a chance to get in and see how it works.) Sometimes folks new to the meetings take the floor to ask questions - that's not how the meetings should work.

Follow these steps:

1. Get online as you normally would.
2. Start the IRC Gold software.
3. Click on login (upper left hand corner drop down menu)
4. Click on the tab for server settings
5. Click on the arrow beside server and scroll down the list until you find Houston.TX.Starlink-IRC.org
   (it is tricky because you can only see the first half of the server name from the box.)
6. Choose a nickname - you need to put something for real name, but it need not be your real name - you do need to put in your real email address
7. Then click on OK at the bottom
8. Go back to the login drop down menu and click on connect

At that point you should see messages scroll across the small black screen in the upper left hand corner. In the blank white dialog box just below the small black screen, type /join #saa (and then return) - this should put you into the #saa meeting room. - from there, someone will try to contact you to confirm that you have a desire to stop your compulsive sexual behavior. (Our meetings are only open to those who have such a desire.) You may need to minimize the meeting dialog window in order to see the 1-1 message from the person trying to contact you privately. You can also look under the general commands dropdown menu at the top to see if any other windows are active. You can also right click on the name of the meeting leader and then under user click on 1-1 chat.

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