how to use trade channel

[johnmacd]

Actually I have 2 questions.
When you are in a major city, I thought that the trade channel was only for that city. Yet the other day, when I saw a rouge was opening lock boxes, I pst him only to find out he was in another city. Why would he broadcast on a city that he isnt in?

Next, how exactly do you use the trade channel? I know that you /2 and then type something, but how are people putting an item in brackets that is clickable and in the proper item color? Blizzard's website was useless, I couldnt find any info on this.

I'm working on upping my leatherworking and I would like to offer something along the lines of : Now crafting x item free bring your mats, and then state what the mats are.

[Beruen]

There is one trade channel per faction (alliance/horde), so all the cities are linked.

As for the links in chat, you can shift-click the item with a chat entry box open to insert the item into that chat. This doesn't work in general chat, and there are probably other places it doesn't work as well.

[larissa]

Yes, the Trade channel is linked through all the allied cities (and only in cities. If you venture outside, you will leave the Trade channel until you return to a city area). The General channel will only be for the particular city you're in.

Linking an item is done as Beruen suggests, shift+left clicking the item in question. Note that this will bring up that spefic items, so any enchants or enhancement made to the item will show in the link you create. You can link in most chat areas; Trade, Party, Tell, Guild, Raid. I believe the ability is non-functional in General and Say.

You commonly only get to put three links into one message block, sometimes 4 if that is all you post (due to character limits). I would suggest just linking what you are making. Anyone interested can whisper you for the materials needed. Plus, I believe that the 2.1 patch will list the material requirements in the item link by default.

~~~Larissa

[johnmacd]

There is one trade channel per faction (alliance/horde), so all the cities are linked.

As for the links in chat, you can shift-click the item with a chat entry box open to insert the item into that chat. This doesn't work in general chat, and there are probably other places it doesn't work as well.
I think I tried that, but I may have tried it on a recipe and not an item.

Yes, the Trade channel is linked through all the allied cities (and only in cities. If you venture outside, you will leave the Trade channel until you return to a city area). The General channel will only be for the particular city you're in.

That makes sense, as I've seen the General chat change channels and assumed that trade changed too. If the other person is in another city, how do you do the trade? Does one of you need to go to the other city?


You commonly only get to put three links into one message block, sometimes 4 if that is all you post (due to character limits). I would suggest just linking what you are making. Anyone interested can whisper you for the materials needed. Plus, I believe that the 2.1 patch will list the material requirements in the item link by default.

~~~Larissa


I'll try this tonight. Is there some ettiquete on how often to spam (or not spam) the trade channel with this stuff? I dont want to spam the channel.

[mesonm]

Shift click on the item, to create a link to it.

[Ashenshugra]

To actually do a trade you would have to be in the same area. Rather close actually. RTClick on that player, click trade. One of you puts an item up for trade, the other the agreed upon price. Or you can agree to mail it cod if you guys are too far away. Mail can take an hour or so though.

[larissa]

I think I tried that, but I may have tried it on a recipe and not an item.

Currently, you can't click on the recipe/pattern in your list. You have to click on the icon that appears in the lower part of your profession window. I believe this is what is being changed in 2.1, where you will be able to shift+click on the pattern in your list, and it will show up as a link with the materials necessary to make it.

That makes sense, as I've seen the General chat change channels and assumed that trade changed too. If the other person is in another city, how do you do the trade? Does one of you need to go to the other city?

Answered above. You have to be next to each other, or use the mail system.

I'll try this tonight. Is there some ettiquete on how often to spam (or not spam) the trade channel with this stuff? I dont want to spam the channel.

Pretty much just a judgement call. Look at what you're trying to advertise, and the activity on the Trade channel. Unless it's really busy, there's little point in constantly advertising while your previous advert is still showing in your chat window. I don't advertise myself, I use Trade to see if anyone has anything interesting, and to see if anyone is looking for a Tailor/Enchanter for something. I think every couple of minutes or so is more than enough. Most people coming to a city will be there for a while, so you're likely to catch any new arrivals to the cities after your last advert after a few minutes. Personally, if I'm in a city for only 10 minutes, and I see an ad over 20 times ... well, I didn't want the service the first time, and even if I was considering, I would probably be a bit annoyed at the spamming and not even bother considering the offer any longer. But everyone's different. Go with what you think feels right, and what you would like to see if you were just watching the Trade channel.

~~~Larissa

[Toxicshadow]

Yes, the Trade channel is linked through all the allied cities (and only in cities. If you venture outside, you will leave the Trade channel until you return to a city area).
Actually the Trade channel is linked through all cities. Period. A rogue hanging out in Ogrimmar can tell his friends in IF this by using the Trade channel. I've tested it :D

'll try this tonight. Is there some ettiquete on how often to spam (or not spam) the trade channel with this stuff? I dont want to spam the channel.
If you send the message more often than once per minute it'll get annoying. Send it 2 times in the same 5 lines of text (or however many the standard chatwindow can hold) and ppl will start /ignoring you.

[Beruen]

If you send the message more often than once per minute it'll get annoying. Send it 2 times in the same 5 lines of text (or however many the standard chatwindow can hold) and ppl will start /ignoring you.

I like the second sentence better than the first. If I see someone posting a repeat message while the first is still on the screen, I'll almost always add an ignore for that person (yes, I use an addon that lets me get around the 50 user ignore limit). And keep in mind, just because it's scrolled out of your window doesn't mean it's scrolled out of mine. I'm not in a large guild, and sometimes guild chat gets quiet, even when we have 10 or more players online. And if I'm not in the AH, odds are, I'm not seeing much in the way of chatter from people around me.

Also, don't advertise in all caps thinking it will make your message more noticable. It tends to annoy people, and then trade chat gets filled with people arguing about these kinds of issues, so people are less likely to see your message.

I once saw someone that macro'ed his message, so that it would repeat three times every time, and he hit it once a minute. It took less 5 minutes to make trade chat unusable, because people started writing "shut up!" macros that would post that message enough times to scroll his messages out of the window before anyone could see them. While I don't approve of this method, it did get the person to stop, at least.

Now, I don't have any reason to think that you're the kind of person that needs these tips, so please don't feel insulted. To me, it's just common sense to be polite about things like this, because encouraging people to pee in the shared pool that trade chat can become does make it less valuable to all. Still, just the fact that I can think in those terms indicates that there are enough people out there that don't share this opinion to make me want to stay out of the channel at times.

[larissa]

Actually the Trade channel is linked through all cities. Period. A rogue hanging out in Ogrimmar can tell his friends in IF this by using the Trade channel. I've tested it :D


Good luck convincing me to go to Ogrimmar to trade you something, though. :grin:

~~~Larissa

[Toxicshadow]

Also, don't advertise in all caps thinking it will make your message more noticable. It tends to annoy people, and then trade chat gets filled with people arguing about these kinds of issues, so people are less likely to see your message.
And even more importantly: Those of potential costumers most likely to buy - the ones reading the trade channel no matter how spammy, trying to pick up on a good offer - wont be able to read your capitals. In lower case words will be distinguishable shapes, in caps it'll be a solid block which they'll just skip.

Oh And Holding Shift For The First Letter Of Every Word Will Just Get Annoying.