Future of the chat

[seraph0x]

The chat has been running for a while now. Time to look back and decide where to go from here. So vote and feel free to also share a more differentiated opinion by posting in this thread.

My opinion is simply - if there are enough people who like the chat we should keep it. If not, we should probably shut it down. I don't mind either way, so it's entirely up to you!

[someone43]

What about a collaboration with OD so there's one chat between both communities?

Their chat already has a lot of the features I think most people would want, the main issue is just getting enough people in it at one point.

[Evals]

Personally I think it's a combination of both the community participation, and the fact that the chat is very bare boned.

The first is pretty basic. Users that visit milovana > users that post > users that chat, leaving very little of the last group. Time will make it work out. Also, when the chat has seemed to be very active was when there were ladies in it. There aren't too many around at the moment, so the chat isn't as active in that regard.

The second is also pretty basic, if you look at successful chats. They're simple and reliable, but at have all the features that other chats have. The web-based chat never worked for me on XP so I used a client to connect to it. However, seeing it on another OS, the web-based chat looks very bare-boned and empty. I think more users would be drawn to it if it appeared more attractive and user friendly. This could be done by integrating it with the site layout, for one, having a small link to detach it from the site in the corner, and finally putting the IRC server info small at the bottom. Font colors and backgrounds, and basic emoticons Would help greatly too.

That's my two nipple clamps worth of opinion however much it helps.

[blue_down_under]

Back when the chat was run through gabbly, it was easy and quick to use. I had a few good chats in there and couldn't wait for the permenant version of the chat to come through. Unfortunately, the permenant version was difficult to use, and almost never works for me. Apperently its run through IRC or something, but I don't know how that works, and it doesn't really seem worth my time to work it out. I'm sure there are a few in the same boat as me, and it's not like i'm a luddite either, but this chat just seems too complicated to bother working out. So, I voted for a completely new chat, but if you fixed the bugs, that'd probably work just as well.

[potveg]

hello seraphOx. I hope that you'll give it time. I'm sure I'm not the only guy who has little enough "me" time alone at the computer who would love to join the chat room and have a nice long relaxed chat with others, but rarely have the time, so end up doing a quick tease and then back off to normal life. On the very few times that I was in chat for a while it was great and very rewarding and I whilst I kknow I don't get there enough, I would miss it.
That's my tuppence worth!

[texturedshroom]

options 1 and 3

also seraph0x, i sent you a PM a while ago about some things I want to do to help it

[otto]

The chat doesn't work for me, so I don't know what the chat is like now. I had some good chats on gabbly and it was easy accessible.

[camipco]

Personally, I say make it a low priority for work done on the site. Obviously few people use it and my guess is that has little to do with the low-tech nature of the chat and more to do with their willingness to chat at all. If people wanted to chat, they'd use even a shitty interface. I'm not saying kill it just because, I didn't vote for the 4th option because I don't think it actively hurts the site to have it up, and it seems to provide value to some, but I'd put it near the bottom of the "to-do" list. Just my vote.

[Arianna]

Well, I must say so far I didn't have any trouble with bugs in the chat. Beside the server being down completely
I'd suggest you write a tutorial how to set up an IRC client, since it seems that using them leads to less difficulties. I'm using the IRC plugin for Trillian for example which is pretty easy to use and working fine so far. Guess many users might have conflicts with firewalls and so on, when trying to use the webclient, which seems to be a much smaller issue when using multi-messenger tools.

The biggest problem of the chat, as far as I'm concerned, are the people itself. Mostly agree here with camipco's post.
Additionally I have to say it's just annoying for me to enter the chat and be spammed with silly requests of denial by strangers. Being a woman and entering the chat, doesn't necessarily mean I'm looking for someone to tease. A headline or introductory message from ChanServ with the rules when entering the room might help a bit here.

Despite that I can say I did have a few amusing discussions in the chat and I'm positive it can become an interesting place to be. Give it the time to develop a certain group of people using it regulary and build up some kind of knowledge of each other. Which would lead to more in depth talkings that are more interesting and motivating than the usual "are you m or f" crap. Might even attract visitors of the site (which are trying the chat as I've seen) to become a member then.

Arianna

[Nika Ferlinghetti]

It didn't work for me. Said it didn't recognize my name! Harumpf

Might be because I use Firefox, I don't know.

Nika

[Cunning Linguist]

I get the name not recognised a lot as well. Plus sometimes it just kicks you out and won't let you back in again - the screen just hangs.

Gabby was better, but if this is fixed and some instructions are included to guide people through IRC, then this should be better.