Common mistakes

(or at any rate mine)

Using the commands for one talker on another. The command systems are often so similar that it is easy to mix them up, famously turning commands into speech or vice versa. Check whether the talker uses .emote or emote. It is easy to screw things up in the heat of the moment ...

Using the macros on ZMUD and then forgetting what you've done. This means using some interesting sequence you intended to try out with a young lady from Ealing when you're actually talking to the old man from Kent.

Talking 'out loud' when you intended to address one person.

The most serious mistake I have ever made is forgetting that there are real people out there who can be hurt.

Common commands

To say something normally either just type it or put an inverted comma first.
To tell one person something there is a command such as .tell (person) or tell (person) or > (person) which directs your talk to (person)

To do something the command may be .emote or emote. (After a while you can try out semote, and pemote if they are available)
To do something to a particular person it is usually .remote (person) or remote (person) or < (person).
Try to find out something about them first (like which sex they are or purport to be). The command for this is .examine or examine or x
To get help either help or .help
You can also ask someone who knows more than you do, this will be virtually anybody to begin with...
If the people on the talker are unresponsive to newbies try another talker because there is usually someone who can help you. Back a page