chat room - please vote

[Mel]

EDIT: OK friends, I'm trying to decide where to go with this thing...and if it's really wanted. I added a poll, so please let me know what you think of the above questions.

Thanks Mel :)

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here is a thread to give feedback, opinions, critiques of the chat room added.

As of now, we're running the freebie version of the sigmachat java applet. (when you go to the page you might need to allow some time for the applet to initialize).

If every body likes it and people are going to use it... I might pay the yearly fee so I can get advanced functionalities to the system.

If I upgrade to a platinum license... I can completely integrate the chat into the forums. At the bottom of the home page, for example below where it says "who's online" there will be a "who's chatting" section to see who's in the chat.

There can also be a who's chatting page exactly like the who's online page... http://www.hockeystation.com/online.php?

Lastly if I were to get a real license... I can set it up so that members are forced to be in the chat with their HS user name.

In a nutshell it would allow complete control and integration. However, that's not something I would pursue unless there was demand for it. For now we'll just see how the free version goes.

[Madferret]

Have you considered or thought about moving the site Mel?

:D

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

I'd use the chat room often, but like the chat at the other forum, nobody else seems to use it :(

[PDO]

I'm sitting in there right now while I compete in a sit & go poker tourny.

[leaferfan87]

I'd like to see some sort of list on the page that will tell me who is in the chatroom because I'll know if it's worth going in or not.

[J.R.]

I'd use it infrequently.

I've always thought that specific chat rooms attached to forums are unnecessary, because the whole forum is used to chat and there is a private messaging system as well.

[Rusty]

I rarely use the chats.

[Madferret]

Forgot to answer...personally I'd rather post Matty, but I'd check it out of I knew who was in it with that 'who's chating' feature.

[KB in Kelowna]

I can barely type when I post on a regular forum, I don't think I am quick enough to be in a chat room. :(

[a4l]

I like the idea of a chat room but I would also like to see who's in there, in advance. Nothing is more frustrating than entering an empty chatroom.

[J.R.]

I like the idea of a chat room but I would also like to see who's in there, in advance. Nothing is more frustrating than entering an empty chatroom. Or one with a bunch of horny teenage boys. =}

[PDO]

Or one with a bunch of horny teenage boys. =}

Maybe she likes that :wicked:

[Madferret]

Or one with a bunch of horny teenage boys. =}Maybe she likes that :wicked:

http://www.artgally.com/wayne/images/cougar_small.jpg

[PDO]

:laughing:

Anyone wanna join me for a chat? :wave:

[scorpionn]

Its a good idea, Matt. Personally, I will use it. Only problem is it is always empty... the "Who's Chatting" feature would be great.

[Bob burns]

I like the chat room but am not a fan of the language check thing. I feel like Ricky in that TPB episode where he is trying not to swear or smoke in the court room but is failing miserably. :]

http://www.bbcamerica.com/images/genre/comedy_games/trailer_park_boys/buddy_icons/ricky_icon.gif

[Mel]

Were you saying naughty words in the chat room burnsy? :conspire:

I can disable that filter... but based on the vote so far it looks like I may upgrade to a premium license for full site integration and more features. Hopefully there will be a way to customize the filter then.

I want some kind of filter because it's still open to a general audience and people tend to chat differently than they post. Mods can't watch or track what is said in there all the time.... on the other hand I don't wan't to force people as if they're in church either... "jerk" is not a word that should be filtered for instance.

It's a work in progress, some day it will be JUST right. :nod:

[Mel]

Ok the premium upgrade is in progress. soon we will have the full integration described above. "Who's Chatting" on the home page, and authentication integrated with the forums permission system, that means only HS members can get in the chat, and they can only do so with their assigned HS name. Changes will be implemented today or tomorrow most likely.

Also, there's no reason I can't offer the chat page as both a forum page, and a popup window version from the nav bar, so everybody's happy.

:thumb:

[TimmyTabasco]

I can barely type when I post on a regular forum, I don't think I am quick enough to be in a chat room. :(

Hunt and peck, eh mark? :laughing: ;)

[Mel]

OK looks like we're fully integrated. You'll only see who's chatting at the bottom of the home page when there's actually people in there. (refreshed every 2 minutes)

Under "quick links" you'll also see a "who's chatting" link

in the nav bar you'll see a chat link. You can either launch the chat in a popup window or go to the forum page. Your choice. (Note you can switch from the web page to a popup and vice versa by clicking the "float" button, however if you close the main window the floating window will close as well.)

SO that's it for now, I'll be tinkering with it more in the future. Since I upgraded there's a lot more options to play with. (including access to history transcripts of what gets typed ;))

But not today :)

I hope you enjoy this. Mel

Please let me know if you see any problems or bugs with it.

[Mel]

We're still a small site so I know the chat is not used a lot... but now that we're integrated I just wanted to let you know that the help button [?] is a good resource to feel your way about how to use the chat (for those unfamiliar).

Please note even in private rooms you can't block the admins from coming in. And all text is saved in archives for later reference.

Several of you recommended FlashChat and I looked into that heavily before settling on a Java applet solution. The Java applet is hosted remotely. FlashChat would have run off my server and any flash/PHP/mySQL chat system is a bandwidth and resource hog which I cannot afford.

This should do us for now... suggestions/requests welcomed.

Also, I removed the log out button. The chat is integrated with our own vBulletin user database. As long as you are logged into the forums... you will get into the chat automatically (without logging in). There would be no reason to log out of the chat really.

A bit of advice, don't log into the chat without first being logged into the forums. I won't hurt anything... but you might get unexpected results as you try to move about the site.

Best thing to do is to be logged into the forums first, and don't even think about login issues with the chat... just go in and out as you please.

That's it, I hope that helps and I hope people enjoy it. :)