Chat feature?????

[sk8erkho]

I don't know if this is the right area for this thread or not!! But, is there a way to incorporate a live chat feature!!! Like today I'm in panic mode because I think my poor mantis is in trouble and I don't know what I can do, if anything. With live chat we would all be interactive on a whole different level!!!!! Problem solving and all things mantid!! Anyway, just a thought!

 

[OGIGA]

Hmm, I remember others have talked about this before. I don't know what happened to the discussion. But yeah, good idea!

 

[macro junkie]

its a good idear...guees it wil cost more money tho for the admin?

 

[king_frog]

its a good idear...guees it wil cost more money tho for the admin?

Well, it would be hard to intergrate a chatbox in with these forums. So there could be like a chatbox on the opening page etc. Which wouldn't cost any extra. It's just PHP, which can be found.

 

[sk8erkho]

So admin would have to initiate the chatbox. Are there like advanced members with admin privileges?

 

[OGIGA]

The only thing that will cost anything for admins/mods is time. You can find free ones pretty easily and they don't even have to be integrated into this forum.

 

[Andrew]

Even a shoutbox would be sufficient(see terraforums). Chat has been tried a few times, and pretty much failed. There used to be one a loong time ago that was used all the time, but when ownership switched, it got broken/lost/deleted on accident.

 

[Peter Clausen]

I'm currently involved in moving the roach forum to a new domain, but when that's done the mantidforum is next on the list for upgrades. These will include a software version upgrade, fixing the top links for sub-categories that don't work (for example, click "other", above) and we'll also be experimenting with an integrated chat feature. Experience suggests that a 24/7 chat function is not the best way to go. Nobody will actually use it. It works best when we have scheduled chat times where lots of people can attend at once and chat.

I like the shoutbox suggestion. Will take that up with the mods.

Peter

 

[Ian]

I think IPB has several chat box features, although it's a shame the mod selection isn't as diverse as other softwares.

A stand alone chat box I think will do the job fine. We could leave it open any time (seems a shame to only open it occasionally) but have scheduled chats where more members could chat.

As for the shoutbox, personally I don't think that's a very good idea. They are often host to spamming and inappropriate comments, which it will ealve for everyone to see. Also it often slows down the server quite a bit.

 

[Peter Clausen]

Okay...things to consider

Thank you!

 

[OGIGA]

Oh yeah, spambots love those "shoutboxes" or whatever people call them these days. They even get past capture/captcha things too. Man, they're getting smart these days. =(

 

[Orin]

If someone has a question and someone else is online at the same time with an answer the forum works as fast as a chatroom but provides a written record.

Even a shoutbox would be sufficient(see terraforums). Chat has been tried a few times, and pretty much failed. There used to be one a loong time ago that was used all the time, but when ownership switched, it got broken/lost/deleted on accident.

That was a long time ago, it's hard to remember who was around then. It was shut down primarily because of problems with seriously inappropriate conversation and bashing, it seemed to be a haven for those things when nobody was watching and the moderators couldn't be on there 24/7.

 

[joossa]

It was shut down primarily because of problems with seriously inappropriate conversation and bashing, it seemed to be a haven for those things when nobody was watching and the moderators couldn't be on there 24/7.

I can see this happening if a chatbox opens here. With only a couple of mods and the majority of our members being under 18....