We need a chat room in this forum.... Please do something about it

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"Simplify, simplify, simplify". Henry David Thoreau

Oh, I can easily do something about it. BUT whether or not a) the head admin (Chuck) and b) more importantly, the board at large, want one, is a different matter.

Chat rooms put constraints on a persons available time in real time in the cyber environment based on one common real time factor while all are logged in.

Message boards on the other hand can be both a leisurely conversation geared to each persons available real time availability where each posts as they have time to spare between their individual real time real life activities or a hectic chat room environment where all participants are logged in at the same time firing off messages at one another. All it takes to turn a message board into a chat room is for a group to agree to reserve a particular time to all log in.

Any message board can function as a chat room. A chat room however cannot function as a message board.

Interest in chat rooms generally dies off more quickly than interest in message boards does, which probably explains why many free message board hosts that offered chat room facilities along with their message boards stopped doing so a few years ago and those message boards that currently have chat rooms tend to see little activity on their chat room features.

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"I didn't have time to slay the dragon. Its on my "To Do" list !"

I believe the younger folks will make more use of a chat room on this forum as they are the most likely to already be involved in chatting in other places. It is also possible that those of us who live alone or are very isolates due to location might enjoy being able to reach out and talk in real time to another human on occassion. Just my two cents.

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www.MontanaSticksAndStones.com

I see no reason for one. It just gives us one more thing for people to fuss about how it's run or not run.

Besides, a new option around here doesn't come about with a vote. It's respectfully requested and then Chuck determines if a big hole is missing without it and if he feels it would be beneficial for HT.

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"Challenges are what make life interesting -- overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."

I remember this being discussed before, obviously it was a no go.

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" Not all who wander are lost" J.R. Tolkin

I agree! It would just be another subject for people to fuss and fret and complain about. Someone would always be upset about that something someone said.

And, who would moderate it? I'd be good at that job! People would be flying out of there like their butts were on fire!

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On another "homesteading" type of forum there is a chat room and during the day, you can almost always find someone there to chat with. In the evenings, the chat room gets busy. People in there tend to "moderate" themselves as the moderators look at it as a time for people to "let their hair down".

The nice thing about the live chat is that people go in there to just get to know one another, not really to ask homesteading questions, but just to chat and joke around... and it tended to be people more in their middle ages... not very young and not very old although there were several older people that chat.

The other advantage is if someone has a question that needs a quick answer, for example. If someone is canning and doesn't understand something or has a problem they can find someone to answer quickly.

I see it as a good thing, but not a necessity. In that type of environment, people do a good job of "policing" themselves and most of the chatters are on their best behavior.

Paul, people have gotten to know each other on here very well. Many have become best friends, visit each other in real life, and we've even had a few marriages from people who met here. Besides, there's PM's and if people want to chat, there are all sorts of instant chat options through mail servers, etc. Everyone seems to connect that care to.

I hardly ever see a question asked that doesn't get almost an automatic response just by posting. I'm always amazed at how quick you get an answer...lots of answers, in fact, to just about anything someone can ask. Chat wouldn't make it much quicker, plus it's good to have a response that can still be there when, months or years down the road, someone else has the same question or needs to reference that thread. Chat just goes away and only helps the person asking the question at that particular time.

People moderating themselves??? I had to LOL at that one..LOL!! If they could, we wouldn't have mods and there's a lot to mod here in a days time as it is. I can't fathom what real-time chat would be like!

Plus this is a family site and in real-time chat anyone can say anything and I'm willing to bet that without moderation the swearing and inappropriate context would certainly be present.

Another thing would be the trolls, spam, etc. We don't need any more of those than we toss out of here as it is. You wouldn't believe the number of those that get tossed out every single day.

So can see there's a lot to consider. It isn't just a "I'd like HT chat" and that's it. It's a complex dance we go through every day of things going on behind the scenes that the average member doesn't realize. Plus it's one more function to keep maintained and Admin. is some days dancing as fast as they can to keep us up and functioning well as it is.

All in all, it would be nothing but more trouble than it's worth and just asking for big trouble IMHO.

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"Challenges are what make life interesting -- overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."

It still isn't the same as a group of people chatting, laughing, etc. Nothing compares to "live" interraction.

The thing about the chat is that it really isn't much about homesteading. It's more about social interraction which a lot of rural people miss. On the forum/chat I was referring to, there's a lot of chatter but very little of it has to do with homesteading.

It's because you haven't experienced it. On that forum, things get ugly and out of hand very often. But, for some reason in chat, it doesn't happen and the time or two that it did, the chatters resolved the problem in a civil manner. You'd be surprised how well it actually works.

Yes, but I think people would surprise you with how well they would behave.

Yes, I do know all about that. There are security measures you can take that would keep trolls and spam out of the chat and it would be much easier than you think.

It doesn't have to be as complex as you make it sound.

Are you speaking from experience with chat?

I'm not necessarily for or against a chat. If it was there, yes I would use it. I think it would work much better than you would imagine. My only reason for posting was to give the "other side of the coin".

The reason I'm not on the other forum is because of the way people are so rude and hateful on a daily basis. But, when they would go into the chat, it was like a different world. Also, admin kept logs of the chat in the even there was a complaint. Not only that, usually there were mods that would join in as members not in a mod capacity and enjoyed it as much as the regular members.

Like I said. I'm not really for or against it but would use it. I just think you should give the members more credit than you do about their behavior and give them a shot if there is enough response. If it doesn't work, get rid of it.

Forums and PM's still cannot compare to live chat for social interraction.

I agree we don;t need a "live" chat room. This forum has been working just fine for many years now just the way it is.

While I can't speak for Karen, I do; I've been an admin of various sites for going on about 10 years now and have implemented countless chat rooms.

In general, I would tend to agree that on the whole, people tend to behave a bit better in chat rooms, simply because there's a 'realtime' component. This being said, when it's worse, it's a LOT worse.

I don't care either way
If some people don't like chat rooms, just don't go to the chat room.

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Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Mark Twain
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America before Obama!

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Speaking from experience as well....AMEN!

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"Challenges are what make life interesting -- overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."

I have been a part of many forums with associated chat rooms. The benefits tend to outweigh any imagined risks. It is a way to get to know the REAL person ont he ohter side of the keyboard. It is also a way to connect with someone immediately and in real time should a problem arise with livestock or pets. It also tends to make the forum a bit more hospitable as people get to know each other. If you don't want the chat room, stay out of it if it is created; it really is that simple. I never understood the concept of people opening a thread they already know will not be something they agree with, and then complaining about the thread. Nor do I get coming downstairs to GC and PC just to complain about how mean we all are. The internet is a wonderful thing; if you don't like something, don't click on it.

One down side; a chat room tends to form cliques, like it or not. This *may* play into some thread hijacking and so forth as people use threads as a platform to joke between each other; a biproduct of getting to know and be comfortable with each other.

I volunteer to be a moderator of the chat room if it is approved.

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Becky

The logical solution would be for those who want to participate in a chat room find out more about the site PaulNKS mentioned and try it out.

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"I didn't have time to slay the dragon. Its on my "To Do" list !"

Simple problem with a simple answer.

But not so simple for we mods and admin. that have to deal with the problems from it.

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"Challenges are what make life interesting -- overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."

I think this forum needs to be updated. I think other forum are getting ahead and updated, but this one, don't get me wrong I love the forum and I love to come here and I have friends, the same friends for years, I have my enemies too. But a chat room is needed wanted or not. And is only one step to keep the fourm updated to the Cyber World. See ya and Administrators I know is more work, but is in your best interest to keep the fourm alive and well ergo to keep the magazine alive and well. I remember I read somewhere years ago, ( I am a member of this forum since 2005) somebody said when you guys opened this forum the magazine increased their membership and their selling. Just think about this, also no chat means no apealing to young people, and the forum is getting old and Older I can tell for the comments. Adjust, diversify or just die... is all I want to say.

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"Simplify, simplify, simplify". Henry David Thoreau

"Stagnant" or not, I don't think you will see it happen, as the gods, I mean Mods have spoken .

Can't you start a chat on a given chat host, and post a link to the location and how to participate on CF, ST GC or wherever you think the chatters would come from?

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Comfrey Root Starts, $18 per dozen, I pay postage. Kefir grains: $5 for 4, I pay postage.

Adding a chat room adds another complication. HT is run with the help of volunteers and lots of time and patience. I don't see the benefit for the potential hassle. In a time when lots of people that think faster and sooner is better, lots of us don't need another avenue of instant gratification.

I'll add that I've never owned a cellphone. They don't work here anywa. I don't see the point of facillitating something that could become an addiction.

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Stop being enslaved by foreign oil. Tell Congress to pass House Bill 1380.

The greater purpose of this forum is to collect homesteading knowledge and save it for posterity. A chat room adds nothing to that objective.

Clearly the decision has been made by both the mods and the poll of members, and I respect that. But I would have voted for the chat myself. I agree it wouldnt add anything to the forums knowledge base, but it wouldnt take anything away either. Its more just for fun and has a much different flavor then a forum. Ive noticed it is much more likely to heal any hostility between members that dont like eachother then to cause it. Im not on facebook and all that jazz, I like simple forums and chats.

Of course its all moot right now anyway...

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I have a high desert arid mountainous climate. Working towards self sufficiency. The potentials of plant breeding and building micro climates amaze me. We must learn to ride the wave.

Ahem.

Independent of our opinions, if you completely eliminate any votes by any moderators or admins, the majority of those who have voted are against the idea of a chatroom.

I know the chat room you speak of Paul. I have been there MANY times, and yes, those folks did a fantastic job moderating themselves.
99.9% of the conversations were about 'homesteading things', the weather, their health, and topics that were applicable to the season.

I have not been in that chat for a good long time, but for the YEARS that I was, I have never been involved with, or seen with my own eyes, any ANY inappropriate behavior.

Having said that, I do not see a chat room working with this particular site.

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I am sure of two things: There is a God, and I am not Him.
The movie Rudy

There are a lot of free places on the net to start a chat room, it doesnt' have to be associated with HT
Start a room and invite who you want to talk to

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Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Mark Twain
______________________________________________

America before Obama!

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

That already happens every day

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

So if I have problem I can probably resolve this in 5 sec if you have a chat room, but instead I have to continue serching for a solution of my problem here or somewhere else. So basically, clients for the chat room go to another places, So Chuck less traffic in this forum means less life and ergo possible death of this forum. SO I wander what happen with our knowledge in this forum? do you sell it?

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"Simplify, simplify, simplify". Henry David Thoreau

Chat rooms contribute nothing to the archive of knowledge that HT is. So having a chat room not recording info for others to use, would far more likely kill HT than not having one.

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Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup........

That's just plain crazy. When have you ever asked a question and not gotten an answer? You post, you get an answer within minutes (even seconds) and from a variety of members here. In chat you only get an answer from the few who are in chat at the time; so you're response time and volume increases in general forums any way. Chat is for socializing, not emergencies anyway. And how many immediate emergencies does a person have anyway that they need help from people they don't know? That's what 911, vets and doctor's office are for.

Plus this site is no where near death. We have new members joining daily and more participation than ever before. It only continues to grow with no indication of even leveling off, so we surely are doing something right.

Besides, as it's already been pointed out, the majority don't even want chat. The decision has been made. Time to move forward and away from complaining because it didn't go your way.

BTW, just so you know, all the information contained at HT stays at HT. Chuck has never sold any content and has promised never to do so. He only sells advertising space so we don't have to charge members to keep the site up and running. Some members either don't know or don't remember when Chuck paid out of his own pocket to keep this site up and going -- for a VERY long time.

Furthermore, although Chuck owns the site, some of the forums are not technically 'owned' by Chuck. They are independent forums from the previous site on Lusenet who were invited, by Chuck, to join HT when we moved to this site and remain in the control of those who began them previously. These forums maintain the same rules of the HT site, but also have their own set of rules, uniqueness, and personality and Chuck has never interfered in their operation of how their owners choose to moderate or run them. Chuck's not the enemy; he's watching HT's member's backs.

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"Challenges are what make life interesting -- overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."