Getting connected with a "chat like" on a "ShopBot owner group"... could be fun!?

[paco]

Is anybody ever considered that it could be fun if TSB forum users could connected on a "Chat" like thing? Maybe (in fact, most probably since we are all VERY busy!?!?) on a scheduled basis... creating a "ShopBot group"... this could be more dynamic for some purposes and we could save the discussion for TSB forum about the most revelant exchanges... a list could be create first for the few first interested then thoses who would like to join could just ask for in this thread... personnaly, I'm often loged with Microsoft Messenger... well, this is an invitation!?

[gerald_d]

Sorry, but I am not a "chat" fan - I like to think properly before I type slowly, then preview, edit and then post. And then go back and edit again. Anyway, this forum is fast enough to chat right here - just remember to push the "refresh" button quite often.

[mikejohn]

what is good with the Forum over chat is you can go back days, weeks, months, even years and find 'conversations' of interest.
Mind you, I do hammer messenger with a few people!
....Mike

[hespj]

In my experience, introducing a chat room to a forum is the death of the forum (and chat room).

John

[paco]

OK then... I kind of agree that the forum is already a good way, and fast too, to exchange... maybe it was a wrong idea... just being enthusiastic...

[Mayo]

I have experience helping set up and run the chat group for the Letterheads web site when it was first getting started. The chat room was set up using mIRC software (free download).

The friendships I made there were largely responsible for my being able to travel across the globe and spend 3 months in Australia, staying with people I had been chatting with for a year or more. I would say it was one of the best things I have ever done.

The chat room goes through continual changes over time as various personalities frequent it for awhile, (weeks, months, or years) then get tired of it and stay away for a time. It can be like a real life party, where several people are chating about several different topics at the same time all in the same room.

Basically you watch conversation as it happens and you jump in whenever it interests you or whenever you have something to say. Some people "lurk" in the shadows without saying anything. Other people tend to be the focal point of the conversation.

Topics of conversation frequently will have nothing to do with the initial reason the chat room was created - people will become friends and chat about everything imagineable.

There is usually some difficulty getting people to show up in a chat room at an agreed on time. The internet is worldwide of course and differences in time zones will be convenient for some and impossible for others. When we had structured discussions for specific topics, most of the time we stated around 8 or 9PM Central Standard time. People came and went whenever it was convenient for them.

The chat room stays open basically 24 hours a day. Sometimes you might find 10 or 15 people in the chat room, other times you might be the only person there until others show up.

We even set up a live web cam at some of the Letterhead meets and broadcasted live video from the meet to the chat room. This way people who could not attend the meet in person, could see some of what was going on there.

If there's any interest in setting up a non-official shopbot chat I'd be happy to help set it up. Possible software could be mIRC, Yahoo chat, MSN messenger - (does MSN charge people now to chat?)

[paco]

I'm still enthusiastic about new friendship Mayo... I do feel alone (as a "ShopBotter") up here in the cold... without any Camp to meet other "Botters"... and I don't quite agree that it could harm the TSB forum in any way...?!
I do know some about Yahoo Chat too... as far as I know, MS Messenger is a free subscription... don't know about MSM though...

[ron brown]

I have been using an IRC chat for years. Mozilla and Mozilla Foxfire both have an IRC client available or built in and there are also mIRC, and TinyIRC as well as clients for LINUX systems.

Yahoo chat crashes my computer. I only use WinDoze because the ShopBot controlware requires it and all my present "translation" and drawing programs are in a WinDoze enviornment. I will not have anymore of the that nice man Mr. Gates software on the computer... they become more unstable the more "interesting things" one has on them.

Ron

[jf_allie]

Don't forget that the forum has two main type of usage: the interaction part (people having a conversation) and archiving (people looking for information in past conversation).

The "getting information" part is crucial for a majority of users (and ShopBot's customer service). Information can be very usefull... if you can find it in a timely manner. The more organized the better. This is why I think it is good to structure as much as possible this information.

But a forum is a kind of discussion and discussions do not like to be structured. Look at this forum for exemple. Even with all the effort put in by ShopBot, very good information is spread throughout many topics. They tried to create a limited amount of meaningfull Main-topics, but users still tend to over use the "Shopbot message board" topic because it is easier.

I think a chat line makes information structuring even more difficult. If you start using topics sections or "rooms" then you face the same kinds of problems as with a BBS... (In which topic should I post my question?)

I think chat is best for live interaction.

J-F

[paco]

Remember all that I suggest that the most revelant discusion could be saved and copied in the TSB forum... in a organized manner.
Keep on giving your views and opinions "Botters"!