Questions
Short answers to the usual questions.
- How do I get started?
- Get Telegram, then follow the getting started steps. It takes about two minutes, plus printing.
- Do I need Telegram?
- To own a shirt, yes. The bot is the whole app: it makes your code and it's where requests land. To scan a shirt, no. A phone camera is enough.
- Can I have a solo shirt and a group shirt?
- Yes. They're separate codes with separate lists.
- Can I be a different snack for different people?
- Yes. Make a separate Telegram group chat for each one and add the group bot to it. Every group gets its own QR, its own list, and its own page line and colour, so different crowds (or different kinds of snack) never mix. A group can be just you and the bot.
- What does the snacker get?
- One text, with your name in it:
You've been approved as an Emergency Snacker by Alex. Snack responsibly.
That's it. - What happens if I ignore a request?
- After 48 hours it expires, and that number can't ask again. They're never told either way.
- Can I unblock someone?
- Send
/blockedfor the list, then/unblock 2for whoever's second on it. In a group, only admins can. - Can two of us share a solo shirt?
- No. A solo code answers to one person. Make a group instead: two people is a group.
- Does it work outside Australia?
- Mostly. Numbers are read as Australian unless they start with a country code, and the text goes anywhere our SMS provider reaches. But Australia is what it's tested on.
- Is this serious?
- Yes. It's a fun way to meet people, and the parts that protect people are real: consent is recorded, photos are deleted within 30 days, a number only ever reaches the person or group behind the shirt, and nobody is told they were turned down.