Discord
We will be using a Discord server called DH Rutgers Spring 2022 which is accessible to you if you are signed up or logged in via this link.
The invite links will be distributed in our class sessions.
What is Discord
Similar to Slack, Discord is a chat platform that can bring communities together. It can be used to communicate through text or voice, providing both asynchronous and realtime options. Discord is a tool we can leverage to be in communication, share resources, or have off-topic discussions.
Discord is considered freemium software, offering both free and paid (subscription) plans. For our use case, we will be using the free version. Discord is not open source and is a for-profit company. You can read more about Discord's history and monetization on Wikipedia.
Getting started
Discord's official documentation provides a helpful Getting Started guide.
You can choose to download Desktop Discord for your relevant computer operating system, or the app for Android devices from the Google Play store, or the app for Apple devices from the Apple App Store.
It is not necessary for you to download the Discord app as you can access Discord directly in your browser through the Discord web client.
To create an account, you can navigate to https://discord.com/register in order to register. You will be asked for a valid email address, username, and password. Note that you will want to use an email address you actually have access to so that you can confirm your account.
After creating your account, you should confirm it by checking your email and clicking on the relevant link.
From here, you can join our DH Rutgers Spring 2022 server and any other servers you may be interested in. For example, you may want to join The Digital Humanities Discord or the humanities in tech Discord.
Next steps
Our Discord server will be what we make of it, and we will continue to discuss is efficacy throughout the course.
To become more adept at using Discord, you can review the following materials:
You may also be interested to read how others are using Discord in classrooms:
- Twitter thread by @kawaiilovesarah
- Introduction to Digital Humanities syllabus, Ryan Cordell
- Teaching with Discord: A beginner’s guide (written by a beginner)
- The Digital Classroom: A Digital Humanities Primer on Tools, Methods, and Resources
- Discord's guide on "How to use Discord for your classroom"