Hi Paragod, i'm just joining the game too, got a couple of toons knocking around and keep rolling new one as i make a new costume i want to try, lol 
Global name is Henri so look me up, i'm on most nights, i'm gmt+2, but always up for a team
Cya, H
Firstly, welcome to Union and the game 
Secondly, join 3 channels names Sals Badgehunters, Union Taskforce and Union Chat. Plenty of people there talking and teaming, Sals is mainly for badge related/tf queries UTF is for tfs/events and UC is general chat. If your looking for a team and friendly chat i would recommend joining all 3 
Also thirdly with the launch of i17 today there will probably be a lot of Demon Masterminds running about Mercy so dont worry too much if heroside is a bit quiet, in a cpl of days things will settle down back to normal and you should find plently of people to team with.
Hope you have fun and if you got any queries just give me a shout ingame and i will try to help where i can. My global is @Nightshade
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Short Story I did: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=228383
DevArt Page: http://tamedragon.deviantart.com/
Hate to sound this simple, but how on earth do I join a chat channel? Haha.
right click in the chat window, scroll down to 'join channel', a box will appear allowing you to enter the channel name. Once entered, right click in the chat window again and scroll down to 'edit tab'. A new window opens with all the current traffic assigned to that chat box. Find the chat channel you just joined on the right hand side, highlight it, click add, click ok. You should now be able to see that channels traffic in your window too.
As Henri said, in my sleepiness of last night i totally forgot to say how it was done. Really sorry about that :S
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Short Story I did: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=228383
DevArt Page: http://tamedragon.deviantart.com/
About joining chat channels.
Henri summed it up.
There is a slash command aswell.
In example
/chan_join Sals badgehunters
Then you only have to enable the chan channel (so you can see text and see what your typing in there). Right click global, chat.. any of the names you got in your bar and press "edit bar", then enable chat channels.
Welcome to the Union server, may your time here be long and merry
Lady Arete on Unionhandbook
My Excel Badge tool
Welcome to the game and best server around
Rule number 1: Dont be shy, talk
Rule number 2: You have to say something crazy at least once a day before we all start looking at you as one of those *gulp* normal people. Normal people not allowed on union! 
Welcome again though! Hope you have a blast on union, you'll see me mostly talking in one of those 3 channels as im mostly teaming these days instead of standing around atlas. Make sure you try out that new positron taskforce!
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
Rule nr one is a good one.
Rule nr two.... Damz... Nothing wrong with being normal is there? (strong look)
Yup, be certain you are in atleast one of those three for the social network to increase, The paragod. As there will be much (sometimes too much) happening on those channels.
And if you do got questions just send a few my way /t @lady arete,
and i'll do my best to answer.
Lady Arete on Unionhandbook
My Excel Badge tool
Currently questing in The Hollows, only level 9 mutation blaster but I'm just a newcomer :P.
. Thanks guys.
Can't see anyone jumping around, but if anyone wants to help me out, I'll most likely be there for a while. Hit me up in game @Paragod
Hope to get a team rolling soon
(sorry if this is the wrong section for this stuff, couldn't see anywhere else to put it.)