Feel Like Chatting?
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:47 am
There is a new feature on the forum, which is that I have installed a chat tool called "ChatBox". This will allow registered users to converse in real time via their browser.
If you look at the main forum page, down at the bottom there is a category named "Who is Online?", and near the bottom of that category is now a list saying "There are X user(s) on chat now", with either a reminder to log in or a link to click to join Chat.
Once you are logged in and click the link, a popup window will open in your browser (assuming your browser allows them), and you will be presented with a new interface where you can read and enter messages. Users who are in the ChatBox with you will be listed on the left pane. Each message is prefaced with the chat poster's name. You can enter any message up to 240 characters in length and click "Send" to display your message. The ChatBox reader refreshes each 10 seconds so you can follow ongoing conversations.
If you don't post anything for five minutes, your user name gets put in the "Away" column, indicating that you might have slipped out the back door for a smoke or gone down to the bar for the rest of the night. Posting again will bring you back to the "Online" listing.
It's possible to put Smilies in your post using the "Smilie Box" link.
There may be some bugs in this installation, so we need to try it out and get a feel for how it works. I can make any needed changes once we figure out how it all works, extend the time it takes to "be away", allow longer messages, etc.
Someone (Rudy?) should help figure out how to know when we might want to gather for a chat. Something like Mon, Wed, Fri from 5:00 - 6:00 PM PST, or the like, which will allow a better chance for two or more users to be on chat at the same time.
I'll try and be on tonight at 5:00 PM PST to start up some conversation.
Post any thoughts you have on the use and function of the ChatBox in this thread.
(The ChatBox is not meant to replace our enjoyable dialog in posting here, but to provide a less formal and short term means of conversing. I don't want it to kill the flow of information on the rest of the forum, so keep those posts coming in.)
If you look at the main forum page, down at the bottom there is a category named "Who is Online?", and near the bottom of that category is now a list saying "There are X user(s) on chat now", with either a reminder to log in or a link to click to join Chat.
Once you are logged in and click the link, a popup window will open in your browser (assuming your browser allows them), and you will be presented with a new interface where you can read and enter messages. Users who are in the ChatBox with you will be listed on the left pane. Each message is prefaced with the chat poster's name. You can enter any message up to 240 characters in length and click "Send" to display your message. The ChatBox reader refreshes each 10 seconds so you can follow ongoing conversations.
If you don't post anything for five minutes, your user name gets put in the "Away" column, indicating that you might have slipped out the back door for a smoke or gone down to the bar for the rest of the night. Posting again will bring you back to the "Online" listing.
It's possible to put Smilies in your post using the "Smilie Box" link.
There may be some bugs in this installation, so we need to try it out and get a feel for how it works. I can make any needed changes once we figure out how it all works, extend the time it takes to "be away", allow longer messages, etc.
Someone (Rudy?) should help figure out how to know when we might want to gather for a chat. Something like Mon, Wed, Fri from 5:00 - 6:00 PM PST, or the like, which will allow a better chance for two or more users to be on chat at the same time.
I'll try and be on tonight at 5:00 PM PST to start up some conversation.
Post any thoughts you have on the use and function of the ChatBox in this thread.
(The ChatBox is not meant to replace our enjoyable dialog in posting here, but to provide a less formal and short term means of conversing. I don't want it to kill the flow of information on the rest of the forum, so keep those posts coming in.)