[DocJohn]

Since we've been unable to successfully resolve our technical issues with the new chatrooms, we're looking again at other options.

One such other option is now installed on the bottom of the forum pages as a new toolbar. It has chat rooms associated with it. Please test out the chat room functionality and share your feedback on this thread.

This chat system is supposed to be more stable, and has more active technical support in case of problems. It has all the usual features and functionality we look for in a chat room. Note that you can use the "popout" chat to have chat show in a new window (like our current chat). Ensure your browser doesn't automatically block pop-up windows if you use this option.

Finally, if we do decide to go with this option, there will be a mobile chat option available with it. We can't demo the mobile chat option here (because it costs more money), but you can check out a mobile demo option by logging into this website:

vBulletin Chat Demo

Best,
DocJohn

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by DocJohn

Since we've been unable to successfully resolve our technical issues with the new chatrooms, we're looking again at other options.

One such other option is now installed on the bottom of the forum pages as a new toolbar. It has chat rooms associated with it. Please test out the chat room functionality and share your feedback on this thread.

This chat system is supposed to be more stable, and has more active technical support in case of problems. It has all the usual features and functionality we look for in a chat room. Note that you can use the "popout" chat to have chat show in a new window (like our current chat). Ensure your browser doesn't automatically block pop-up windows if you use this option.

Finally, if we do decide to go with this option, there will be a mobile chat option available with it. We can't demo the mobile chat option here (because it costs more money), but you can check out a mobile demo option by logging into this website:

vBulletin Chat Demo

Best,
DocJohn

thanks for this post letting us know.....I wondered what that was. sometimes my computer and laptop downloads tool bars as part of music downloads, computer updates and such so when it popped up I just thought great another un necessary tool bar from last nights adobe update/down load. will look for it, and remove later.

since its part of this website not down loaded on my computer like I thought, like other top of the page and bottom of the page tool bars I end up with, I would have been looking forever in my computer.

glad this isnt some spamming toolbar.

One thing I've noticed about the tool bar is #1, I don't particularly like the "notifications" that show when someone comes on, etc. it is intrusive and annoying. At least can we implement a way to turn off those notifications? Second, I notice that it will show everyone that is online - I am pretty sure it shows "online" in general and not just people who are in chat. I think that's inviting a lot of intrusion, where if I were to come on line I don't necessarily want someone pm'ing or IMing me just because I'm on, only if I'm in chat. Something to consider. Should show only people actually in the chat room if it doesn't do it already. Again if I'm wrong in my interpretation of how it works ignore me.

Originally Posted by s4ndm4n2006

At least can we implement a way to turn off those notifications?

Go to the little gear next to Who's Online. It allows you to disable popup and sound notifications.

You can also make yourself invisibile, which would help with not allowing people to contact you when you're just browsing forums.

[Nightside of Eden]

I really like the toolbar and the new chat. It's simple and easier to use and I like being able to PM friends from the right side when they come online.

[Onward2wards]

It is taking a while to get used to, but so far the toolbar type chat is stable for me and I like it overall.

[HealingTimes]

I am enjoying it

[-jimi-]

It's not too bad, I hope it can be changed around a bit if found necessary.

[Canyon]

I like the toolbar. The only problem that I can see is that when you enter a room you can see what has been said before you enter. On one room I saw a conversation that had occurred 4 hours prior.

The thing about people being able to see that you are in chat even if you have a setting of invisible is not really new. With the "old chat", or the one in use before today all you had to do was scroll over the chat tab at the top of the home page and click "who's in chat". It shows people who are invisible there.

BTW, I just checked the toolbar list of how many people in a certain room (it said 2), then I checked the "old chat" listing and it listed about 10 people in that room. Presumably the ones not listed on the toolbar version are the ones set to offline.

[Skywoulf]

cant say that I care much for the new chat, as you cannot see the current population on the side bar like in the normal one. if a friend suddenly goes to another room (triggers etc...) it would be nice to see where they went so you could join them if requested.

[DocJohn]

To be clear, there are two chat systems for the moment... "Old chat" in the upper menu bar, and the chat we're testing, in the bottom toolbar. These are independent and not connected to one another.

There's an option to see who's in what chat rooms... it's the ? person next to the announcement tab in the bottom toolbar.

DocJohn

Please don't make it too convoluted for technologically challenged old farts like me!

Right now I'm liking the old chat (issues & all) better than the new chat (bottom of screen), and I even liked the older old chat before the newer old chat before that!

Is there any way you can scrap both of these and just go back to the original system?

Sincerely & Thank You,
Pfrog!

I kind of feel like the biggest idiot on earth; I can't find/see any new toolbar anywhere.

Found it, but not after clearing my cache.

...and discovered it seems kind of a step backward.

:/

-----
You can't alter text font or size, and that can get confusing. Color of the font can be changed, but there aren't a lot of useful choices for a white background and there can sometimes be a huge number of people in chat.
Also the console is SO SMALL, and not everyone can deal with that either visually or simply in terms of what they want to be using on the site. [Often people only are chatting at any given time]

Maybe these are all options that can be customized by each user, but I'm having difficulty finding those controls... which I would think doesn't really indicate ease of usability in general.

Also, if this chat is implemented it would probably be a good idea to disable status [AWAY] message capability.

Encouraging people to have their account sit in a chat [though they are not looking at it] as a regular occurrence doesn't seem very conducive to a supportive environment.

[googley]

1) I don't like how you can see what has been said from before. One, how long would the transcript be based on how long the cache of the system is. The other thing is that something that someone might share with some people and not others is then open for all to see by just going into a room at some later point.
2) The writing is really small.
3) To exit the system you have to actually "leave" the room to exit the chat, not just closing the window.
4) I'm confused about the "Friends Online" thing to the right side of the tool bar. Is that just showing who is on PC at that given point from your friend's list?

[buttrfli42481]

I have a hard time seeing the type even when I use pop-out chat. Haven't used "new chat" all day because of that. It hurts my eyes to read it and have all that white space.

[The_little_didgee]

How do you make the window larger? It is kind of small.

[Skywoulf]

I like to see where ALL of my friends are, not just the ones on my list

[DocJohn]

You can make the window as large or small as you want. Just click on the word "popout" after you've opened chat.

The friends list is anyone on your friends list who is online anywhere on the site (not necessarily just in chat). You can start one-on-one chats with them from that list quickly and easily.

We cannot go back to the old chat system because it doesn't support mobile. A good 25% of our chatters, as we learned, are on mobile.

Thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em coming!

Best,
DocJohn

[Skywoulf]

<------- needs large font due to bad eyesight

[Lamplighter]

As someone who doesn't use chat the option the bottom tool bar offers isn't really something I find useful, though I can see how it's good for what you're describing Docjohn.

Can I say though that I'm unhappy with the fact that it shows me as online and apparently available to chat, when I've deliberately chosen to be invisible on PC - I've tried adjusting what looked like options in the menu box to mark 'invisible' but I still appear online and very obviously present (checked with an online friend ).

Is there any way to prevent this and go back to being properly invisible?

Thanks

[A Red Panda]

I've never really used the chat, but it looks like something I'd be more inclined to try using actually.

[Webgoji]

It seems to be working as far as I can tell. I'm not really a big chat person so I can't say if I'll be using much.

[IowaFarmGal]

I like the one on one chats. Sometimes the larger groups can be overwhelming and hard to follow.