Getting started on Discord

Rainbow Fireside lives on Discord. If you’re new to it, or you’ve only used it for gaming, a few minutes of setup now can make it a more comfortable and more private place to be.

None of this is required, and you don’t have to do it all at once. It is a starting point, not a checklist you can fail.

Make an account that fits you

How you show up here is up to you. Some members use their real name and photo, and others prefer to stay anonymous. Both are welcome, and you are never required to share your name or photo.

• If you’re comfortable being yourself, feel free to use your real name, your photo, and whatever else you’d like to share.
• If you’d rather keep a lower profile, use a nickname and an avatar that isn’t your face.

If you’re not out yet

If you aren’t out to the people in your life, we encourage you to do the following:

• Create a separate account. A new Discord account for Rainbow Fireside keeps it apart from your school, work, family, and church circles.
• Pick a username you aren’t using anywhere else. Reusing a name makes it easy for someone to connect your accounts.
• Use a separate email address. Avoid work, school, and church email accounts, and avoid shared or monitored ones.
• Choose an avatar and bio that don’t identify you. A photo of your face, your ward, your workplace, or your hometown can give you away. A drawing, a photo of a plant, or a cartoon character works fine.

Lock down the basics

• Use a strong, unique password. A password manager makes this much easier.
• Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA). In Discord, open User Settings, then My Account, and look for the 2FA option. An authenticator app is safer than text messages.
• Never share your password, 2FA codes, or login tokens. Moderators will never ask for them.
• Keep your device locked, and log out on shared or borrowed devices.

Review your privacy settings

Discord renames and moves settings from time to time, so exact wording may differ. In User Settings, look for the sections on privacy, safety, and connections, and consider the following:

• Who can send you direct messages and friend requests. Limiting these to people you choose cuts down on unwanted contact.
• Whether people in shared servers can message you by default.
• Connected accounts. Check which ones show on your profile, and hide or remove any that link back to your real identity.
• Activity status, so other people can’t see what you’re doing.
• Your birthday, location, and pronouns fields, which are optional. Only add what you want others to see.

Protect what’s on your screen

• Turn off notification previews on your lock screen if other people might see your phone.
• Check photos before posting them. Pictures can contain location data, and backgrounds, reflections, and screens can give away more than you meant to.
• Be careful with screen sharing. Close anything private first.
• Consider using Discord in a browser rather than the app on a shared computer, and log out when you’re done.

Arriving for the first time

• Start by reading. Take a look around, read the server rules, and get a feel for how people talk. There’s no pressure to introduce yourself right away.
• Share at your own pace. You decide what to say about yourself. It’s fine to be quiet for a while, and it’s fine to keep things light.
• Use content warnings for heavy topics, and keep those conversations in the channels meant for them.
• Ask a moderator if you aren’t sure how something works. That’s what they’re there for.

Watch for scams and phishing

• Don’t click unfamiliar links or open unexpected files, even from someone you know. Accounts get hacked and used to message friends.
• Be wary of “free Nitro” offers, fake verification pages, and login or QR codes sent by other people.
• Don’t authorize bots, apps, or browser extensions unless the moderators have introduced them.
• Nobody here should ask you for money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. If someone does, report it.

If something goes wrong

• If you think your account has been compromised, change your password, sign out of all devices, and tell the moderators so they can warn others.
• If someone is making you uncomfortable, you can block them and report them to a moderator. You don’t owe anyone a conversation.
• If you or someone you know is in crisis, see the crisis resources in the Code of Conduct. Rainbow Fireside is a peer community, not a crisis service.

Questions?

Email us at rainbowfireside@gmail.com. Please don’t send your legal name, address, phone number, or other identifying details.