What are you looking for in a chat?

[goosebumps912]

This question is for all of SpudFiles

What exactly are you looking for in a chat room? I have 2 main things to decide between...

-Do we want a chat that acts like a dedicated chatroom? You click the "chat" button, it opens a new window that is specific for the chatroom. Mainly useful when there are multiple people on that want to chat at the same time. Mainly useless when no one else wants to chat. Refresh times on the chat however can only be so fast, maybe 5 seconds at best so it's not quite like an IRC chat or AIM chatroom.

Pros - More like a dedicated chatroom. Can have large conversations.
Cons - Only useful when people are online at the same time & want to chat with eachother.

-Do we want a chat that acts like a "shoutbox"? This would mean that registered users would have a little box on 1 specific page, probably the main forum page. http://www.spudfiles.com/forum.html The box would be near the top and fit directly into the layout. This would allow someone to "shout" basically at others, regardless if anyone is on SpudFiles at the time or not. All users on this page would be able to see this, and it would refresh once every so many seconds only on that page/in that box. Someone could come online, and ask/reply to anything posted in there at any time regardless if there are people online or not.

Pros - Less like a dedicated chatroom, people can "chat" to eachother over much longer periods of time. Does not require others to be online/participating at that time. Easy way to ask quick questions and have someone come respond later, for all to see.
Cons - Not very realistic if you had say 20 people trying to have an active conversation at once. Could entice people to shout "junk" but mods can handle that by removing people from it/warning/banning/etc whatever is needed.

Thoughts?

so what you mean is like a comment box?

[PCGUY]

Would it be like a comment box? It could. However from the votes & the consideration on server load it will start out as a separate page as it was before (hopefully I get a day or 2 before my holiday from work is over to get it up, family from out of town is in!)

[POLAND_SPUD]

I've been using this in the past - setting it up takes just seconds -> chatzy.com
In fact I just set up a test chatroom - I wonder if anyone visits -> http://us11.chatzy.com/87872508126892

[jrrdw]

Well that room works...I would buckel down the controls before using it. Looks like anyone can be a administrator just by logging in...maybe.

[mark.f]

TBH, I don't see why we don't just setup a jabber server (xmpp). There are probably tools to integrate with phpbb's user table, and would use less resources than a flash chat. Or even IRC...

I miss talking to my spudfiles buddies.

[Mr.Sandman]

......and would use less resources than a flash chat. Or even IRC...

I miss talking to my spudfiles buddies.

Damn the resources! I simply desire old flashchat, that chat has a huge nostalgia value that imo. I miss talking in the chat as well.

[PCGUY]

Chat... you said? Look around at the nav bar up to!

-Still working on something that will show who is chatting on the main forums