Frequently asked questions.

• When was the Out-Of-Sight.net website formed and why?
• What type of activities do you offer on the Out-Of-Sight.net website?
• What type of information do you require for membership and why?
• Is there a cost to join?
• Do I require any special software to participate in the voice chats?
• Who may join Out-Of-Sight.net?
• How is Out-Of-Sight managed?
• If I would like to host a program on Out-Of-Sight.net, who do I speak with?
• Who can assist me if I am having problems with my computer or the chat rooms on Out-Of-Sight.net?
• What can I do if someone is bothering me or making me feel uncomfortable in the chat rooms?

When was the Out-Of-Sight.net website formed and why? The Out-Of-Sight free voice chat community launched on January 16, 2008 with 27 members. Among other things, it was formed to give the blind and visually impaired a voice chat community where they could share ideas, network with one another, play interactive games, and learn about a variety of topics.

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What type of activities do you offer on the Out-Of-Sight.net website? Our voice chat rooms allow people to chat with one another, share their musical or singing talents, play games, receive chess instruction, talk about their favorite books, listen to tutorials, receive technical computer assistance, participate in theatrical productions, attend church services, and much, much more! For a current listing of our tutorials, events, and games that are scheduled each week, please click on the Schedule link on our Out-Of-Sight.net home page. You may also subscribe to our“What’s Happening”email announcement list, to stay informed about our daily events and programs. In addition, anyone is welcome to open a room and chat at anytime during the day or night. We strongly encourage this, and you may view a list of our available chat rooms, by clicking on the “Unoccupied Rooms” link on the main chat rooms locator page.

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What type of information do you require for membership and why? We require very little personal information for membership. At a bare minimum, we require your first and last name, along with your email address. After your membership application has been approved, we will email you a User Name and Password that will allow you to login to our free voice chat community. Although there are a few additional questions that ask to learn more about you, you may offer as little or as much as you like. If you wish to update the information at a later time, that is not a problem. We do not give out your email address, nor do we send you any spam, jokes, forwards, or other junk mail.

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Is there a cost to join? No! There is absolutely no cost to join! Likewise, there is no charge to participate in any event or program that we sponsor on Out-Of-Sight.net. We hold an exciting Fall Auction each year that serves as our only fund-raiser, which pays for our operational fees for the site.

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Do I require any special software to participate in the voice chats? We use a very accessible chat client from Talking Communities. It is free to download and easy to use. Anyone using a screen magnifier or speech program will have no difficulty using our Talking Communities plug-in. Once you have submitted your membership application, we will email you a link where you can download the free plug-in. You will also require a microphone or headset hooked up to your computer to be able to voice chat in our rooms.

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Who may join Out-Of-Sight.net?
Membership is open to anyone. Although Out-Of-Sight.net is based in the United States, we also have members from Canada, the UK, and other countries from around the world. Most of our members are blind or visually impaired, but this is not a requirement to join our site.

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How is Out-Of-Sight managed? Out-Of-Sight.net is managed by a President and five board members, who meet monthly to discuss and implement the policies and programs necessary for the efficient operation of the site. The board members are volunteers and are committed to ensuring that everyone enjoys their time on the site.

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Debi Black,the Events Coordinator, handles the approval and scheduling of all Out-Of-Sight.net events and activities. On occasion where special programming is required, the board will approve these requests. If you would like to offer a tutorial, host a game, lead a discussion group, or anything else, do not hesitate to contact us with your idea. We will definitely consider it, because we know that we all have lots of talent to share with one another!

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Who can assist me if I am having problems with my computer or the chat rooms on Out-Of-Sight.net?We have a few suggestions to assist with any technical difficulties you may be experiencing. First, you may send an email explaining your computer issue to our Tech Team at, TechTeam@out-of-sight.net, Second, you may also drop into our Technically Speaking chat room on Tuesday evenings at 8:00 PM eastern, and have our volunteer Tech Team try to assist you with your computer problem. Or, finally, we suggest that you contact our Webmaster, Mark Dew.

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