[Luce]

I have come up with a tentative time for a group chat next weekend - Saturday, 3pm EST - and would like to get an idea of if this will work for most people or not. I think most of you are in the US, but there are a couple of us non-USians who are awkwardly situated, time wise, and this time seems to accommodate us most easily.
So the poll is simple... choose whether 3pm Sat works for you or not... and if you choose other feel free to offer different options.

[Aardwolf]

I may or may not be free.. Work depending ! Should be though

[yagr]

While 3pm works for me, I would be happy to be awkwardly situated - time wise, if it'll accommodate more folks. Thank for taking the lead and doing this Luce.

[TrailRunner14]

I'm curious. I've not been a part of a chat room before and for some reason it intimidates me. Can't explain that reaction.

How does it work? I'm sorry to sound so ? Don't know the word.

I feel stupid to the fact.

[elevatedsoul]

i never have a schedule, especially for the weekends..

no telling what ill be doing hour to hour

[yagr]

Originally Posted by TrailRunner14

I'm curious. I've not been a part of a chat room before and for some reason it intimidates me. Can't explain that reaction.

How does it work? I'm sorry to sound so ? Don't know the word.

I feel stupid to the fact.

No worries TrailRunner, it's pretty simple after you've done it once or twice, but like everything else, it can seem daunting until you do. On a related note, I sent my first text message this month. Speaking of which, it might be compared to sending text messages - just with more than two people doing so at the same time.

Toward the top of the page you'll see a horizontal list of words that say:
Forums...Social Groups...Blogs...Chat...Photos...Ratings...My Profile

The word chat has a number after it telling you how many people are currently in the chat rooms. At this moment, there are 14. If you slide your mouse over the word 'Chat' a menu will drop down. This menu will show: Flash chat, Lobby, The Coffeehouse, Auditorium, etc.

Slide your mouse so that the cursor is over one of these (try The Coffeehouse), and right click on it. A new window will open up. You are in chat! To participate, go to the bottom of the page and type in the box provided. When you've finished your thought, click on the button to the right of the box you typed your thought in that says 'Send'. Everyone in the room (including you) will be able to see what you've said. Above that box is where you'll be able to read our responses as we are all welcoming you ecstatically!

When we meet, it will almost certainly not be in The Coffeehouse but you can move into another room easily (and I suspect that Luce will tell us all which room we'll be meeting in long before).

On the far right hand side of the chat room window, there are three tabs. The top most one tells you who is in the room with you. The next tab down lists your friends here at psych central who are also in chat. If you wish to access that list, just right click on that tab. The third and bottom most tab shows you the other rooms that are currently open - often with no one in them. If we are meeting in room 'DID-chat' then right click on that room and a little box will open giving you the option on clicking the link 'Enter Room'. Do that and you are there.

I tried to break this down into the smallest steps I could, hoping to make it less daunting. Now I'm concerned I may have put in so many steps that it looks daunting. You can practice at any time btw...I've never found an unfriendly chat room here. Please ask if you have any questions.

[Luce]

Originally Posted by TrailRunner14

I'm curious. I've not been a part of a chat room before and for some reason it intimidates me. Can't explain that reaction.

How does it work? I'm sorry to sound so ? Don't know the word.

I feel stupid to the fact.

That's okay, TR. If you've never been in a chat before it is natural to be wary of it.
It is basically a text chat, so it isn't a great deal different than the forum here apart from the text messages coming up on the same screen, and a lot faster... as in real time. So while I am typing this another person might be typing and posting another comment that will get added below the previous one.

The 'chat room' itself is just a page with a list of the participants on the write, a typing bar for you to type out your comments at the bottom, and the bulk of the screen is taken up by a scrolling page on which all the typed comments appear.

Each of the participants can see the same scrolling comments that everyone adds, and type their own comments in response (or just sit in and read along - you don't have to add anything if you don't want to).

It is basically just a way for people to be online together at the same time and communicate in real time... it is closer to having a conversation than posting in a forum and waiting hours for a reply.

Annnd, the good thing is you can leave a chat room simply by clicking on the button. So it is okay to join just to have a peek and then leave the chat room completely. And if you did do that, I am sure everyone would completely understand.

Basic rule is - if it doesn't feel safe, don't do it.

I should be their too

unless i'm either in the hospital, having an episode of some kind, or I forget.

(which all could happen!)you never can tell the future is a new meaning when it comes to MI.

[TrailRunner14]

Ok. I'm in for a try. . 3 EST is good for me if I can get there on my phone. Tapatalk?

so luce,

which chatroom will the chat be in?

[Luce]

TR, I don't know if you can access chat on a phone. Even if you could I think it would be quite challenging to follow along on such a small screen. I computer would probably be better if you have access to one. If not, maybe an ipad or tablet?

SS, I don't know what room. Do oyu know if you can make a private room? I think it would be better if it could be set to private. Anyone know?

Originally Posted by Luce

TR, I don't know if you can access chat on a phone. Even if you could I think it would be quite challenging to follow along on such a small screen. I computer would probably be better if you have access to one. If not, maybe an ipad or tablet?

SS, I don't know what room. Do oyu know if you can make a private room? I think it would be better if it could be set to private. Anyone know?

i'm not sure

guess the best thing to do is private message a member of the admin team and find out

[Luce]

Have just this moment done that.

Originally Posted by Luce

Have just this moment done that.

exilent

please post back here and tell us what they say

[Luce]

The reply is any chat host can set up a room with a password, just for us.
Big question is: is there a 'chat host' amongst us?

[TrailRunner14]

Originally Posted by Luce

The reply is any chat host can set up a room with a password, just for us.
Big question is: is there a 'chat host' amongst us?

You?

[Luce]

Unfortunately to be a chat host you need to meet set criteria, and I don't have 2 hours a week experience in a chat room.

"To become a chat host and have the ability to host your own chat rooms on the Psych Central community, you must be:
A member in good standing for at least 3 months.
No current or outstanding community support or administrative issues.
Experienced in our chat rooms (e.g., spend more than 2 hours per week in them).
Have not more than one past serious infraction while in chat.
After April 1, 2015, new chat hosts need to be nominated by an existing chat host."

Is anyone currently a chat host, or does anyone meet the criteria to become one?

I have an idea

if we can't find a chat host, what about creating a social group.

I know it's not the same, but you can write on their like visitor messages (it could be an option), plus I don't think their's a social group for D.I.D anyway

just random obsevrations from atlantis

hey luce.

so what's happeneing about the chat tomorrow?

[Luce]

Hi SS. I am not sure. At this stage it looks like we will have to use one of the open rooms, which means that anyone can join. That will probably be okay, but a private room would have afforded more, well, privacy. :P

As for your idea... I guess that wouldn't be too much different from chat, other than the messages will be saved for all to see. Do you know how to set one up?

[Luce]

Okay, at this stage no-one has been able to get back to me about if there is a way to set up a private chat room without a 'proper' chat host, so it looks like we will have to meet in one of the open rooms. That will be okay.. it will just mean that other people can enter the room. I am okay with taking on the role of being the one to politely ask them to leave our chat so we can chat without others in there, but I can't guarantee that others will respect that request.
So unless I hear something in the mean time, the chat will be in one of the open rooms on the chat server here. Just log on to chat and then enter the room that lists any of our names... that is where we will be. (I can't specify a room yet, because I don't know which ones will be empty).
Hopefully we will see some of you at the designated time!

Originally Posted by Luce

Hi SS. I am not sure. At this stage it looks like we will have to use one of the open rooms, which means that anyone can join. That will probably be okay, but a private room would have afforded more, well, privacy. :P

As for your idea... I guess that wouldn't be too much different from chat, other than the messages will be saved for all to see. Do you know how to set one up?

I remember setting 1 up ages ago for emilie autumhn chat- then closing it.

now to remember how to do it

[Luce]

Ya gonna go give it a whirl?
We could head to the chat rooms and see if we can figure it out?

Originally Posted by Luce

Ya gonna go give it a whirl?
We could head to the chat rooms and see if we can figure it out?

i'm around for a while (probably an hour or so)

just gonna update the boards and stuff

if you'd like to meet in chat, we can.. just let us know

[Luce]

Sorry to miss you, SS. I am going to go to bed now. I have a virus and am not feeling the best. I will be back for chat at the scheduled time.