Chat room - Page 2

Clancy · March 23rd, 2006

OK, it's up. Flashchat is the new chat room here on the forum. We've decided to give it a bit of a trial run for a while and see how it goes.

I've just made it available (at this stage) for our most active members. So, if you see a link saying chat in the nav bar, you will be able to access the chat room... you can see who's in the chat room (if you have access) as you will see up the top of most of the forum pages just under the nav bar a box saying "Members currently using Flashchat".

We are starting this out slowly for a couple of reasons, but the main one is to see if it puts too much strain on the server, we don't want the forum running slowly because of the chat room.

The other concern we have in starting a chat room here is that it won't be moderated in the same way the forum is moderated and we don't want things to get out of hand, as has been the problem on other forums, so we're going to test it out to see how that side of it goes too.

Please note, although the chat room may not be moderated at all times, logs are kept of all chats so if there are any complaints, this can be easily looked into and resolved.

What you can do in the chat room.

You can chat to up to 10 other members per room.

You can start your own room and invite other members to join you.

The best way to see how it works is just to log in when you see another member is online in the chat and have a click around and test it out.

I had a test run the other day with jayjay and nocat and it all seemed to be running ok. It had a few bugs but they seem to be sorted out now.

Anyway, it's there to be used by anyone who is interested.

Clancy

si16 · #16 March 27th, 2006

Hi Ian and welcome back. Just out of curiousity, can you remember how many unread posts were waiting for you?

danthelion · #17 March 27th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by justinthyme

Well, I finally got myself organised with dial-up (UGH!) here - DSL is ridiculously expensive - Telkom have a lot to learn ...

NZ is the biggest internet joke in the world! Experts agree, ranked 23rd out of the 24 OECD countries (Mexico 24th), this is constantly in the news here, it's because one company has control over the copper loop, but there is talk that the govt. will legislate to make them unbundle.

The broadband deals start at about $29.95/month which in it self doesn't sound bad, unless you take into a/c that the download rate is about 256kb/sec, the fastest you can get is about 2MB/sec (pay more for this option as well) with a 1 gig limit, or if you pay more again you get a 10 gig limit. In OZ for a similar starting price you can get plans 24megs/sec & no download limit. I have family in Japan who get 100s of megs/ sec with no download limits cheaper than our cheapest plan.

So I use dial up out of principle! Unlimited downloads for $7.50/month

Downside is 5kb/sec download speed (@56 connection)

Also for some reason very few people phone me these days.

Dan

PS. NZ also has the most expensive mobile phone charges in the western world, also because of lack of competion, but it doesn't stop NZers having the greatest ownership ratio of mobile phones in the world.

si16 · #18 March 27th, 2006

Dan, that sounds like how things were in the UK a few years back. The regulator stepped in and forced BT to open up the network and to allow other companies to place equipment in their exchanges. Take up has been pretty good since then with prices coming down and transfer rates going up, but the argument held the industry back quite a bit. The fastest rates you can get are only about 8mbit/s and prices still a bit high, so still some catching up to do.

I had PC trouble a month or two back and was on dial-up for a few days. I'm still having therapy for it.

Jean · #19 March 27th, 2006

I know what you mean Dan!

justinthyme · #20 March 28th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by si16

Hi Ian and welcome back. Just out of curiousity, can you remember how many unread posts were waiting for you?

That's testing the 'lil grey cells, M'sieu, but over a thousand I seem to recall.

justinthyme · #21 March 28th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by danthelion

NZ is the biggest internet joke in the world! Experts agree, ranked 23rd out of the 24 OECD countries (Mexico 24th).

Dan, they must have left South Africa out of that study! That's where I am at the moment and the situation is similar - Telkom have the monopoly, with all the attendant problems that monopolies bring - expense and poor service ranking top of the list. I'm in South Africa for about 3 or 4 months of the year and its just not worth getting DSL. I downloaded a 13MB Zone Alarm update file last night (dial-up) and it took over 2 hours

Ridiculous. I'm d/l a file now - at a rate of 2.8 kb/sec.

In Australia, where I live for most of the year its another matter - no complaints at all - reasonable speed at a reasonable price and I can suspend the service whilst I'm away - unlike here, where if I suspended the service I would have to re-apply for the line when I returned - costly, and of course I'd have to wait for the 'installation'.

End of rant

jasoncohen · #22 May 11th, 2006

how active do you have to be to be allowed in the chat?

Clancy · #23 May 11th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasoncohen

how active do you have to be to be allowed in the chat?

If you see the chat button in the nav bar, you are active enough. You can also see who is in the chat by scrolling down the bottom of the forum home page, below the online users.

You are active enough Jason.

Cheers

Clancy

guttertrashsingalong · #24 May 31st, 2006

how long does it take for a new member to be able to chat?

nocat · #25 May 31st, 2006

Get involved in the forum, post some stuff, respond to some of the posts, contribute
a little, and before ya know it, the little chat icon will pop up...!!!

Cheers
Ben

Clancy · #26 May 31st, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by guttertrashsingalong

how long does it take for a new member to be able to chat?

This will explain things guttertrashsingalong. Trouble accessing the chat room

By the way, welcome to the forum... why not tell us a bit about yourself our the "Introduce Yourself" forum.

Cheers

Clancy

Big_Chris · #27 June 13th, 2006

So people that contribute can ask a question of people in the chat room ad-hoc as it were but the ones who may have an instant question can't. I.E people like myself just learning so have not a lot to contribute. Mmmmm seems a tad cliqueish!

Rockerbob · #28 June 13th, 2006

The only reason is to keep the trolls out of the chat. Those that register just to stir up the mud in the chat, and the Internet is full of them. Not much posting and participation is required, although I don't know the exact threshold, but it really does help discourage the serious whankers.

goldengirl · #29 June 13th, 2006

There really are very few that use the chat... myself and Scott try to be there most of the day, but we are off and on because of work....not clickish at all hun, just keeping the forum and chat a friendly safe place for everyone

gg
shawna

nocat · #30 June 13th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big_Chris

So people that contribute can ask a question of people in the chat room ad-hoc as it were but the ones who may have an instant question can't. I.E people like myself just learning so have not a lot to contribute. Mmmmm seems a tad cliqueish!

The fact that you are just learning has nothing to do with your contribution to the forum
in general...
We are all learning from each other by contributing... This involves, asking
questions, stating a point of view, responding to a point of view, taking part in polls,
commenting on the music that is posted here by the members, contributing ideas on
how to improve the forum, encouraging people who are having problems... Etc... Etc...

It really doesnt take much to be a contributing member... If you are an active participant,
you reap the rewards for your participation... Plain and simple...!!!