[Debate] Using Chatrooms On Your ProBoard

[♣Ty¢ho♣™]

I don't think it will actually reduce the amount of posts made on the forums... Chats are for quickly talking and saying random thinghs, but the difference between a chat and a forum is a chat is where you type short, and quick messages. A post on the other hand is a longer, more thurough message. Ultimately you cannot do some things in a chat that you can do in a forum. I personally wouldn't want to have a long discussion over a chatroom. Who would have the time? By the next day a new discussion will have started. At least with forums you can have an endless discussion that members can take part in no matter what time they get on. So as for my opinion, no I do not think it damages the forums activity.

[Enchant]

Nov 21, 2007 15:34:31 GMT -8 darkmagican said:

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Nov 21, 2007 16:01:15 GMT -8 darkmagican said:

LINK REMOVED

Please make sure that you read the rules of the boards you are posting in. If you are wanting support help, then please ask the support boards, if you are wanting opinions on graphics, then ask the graphics boards. Neither of your post here have anything to do with using Chatrooms on your proboards.

[†Mason Fett†]

I think it depends on the chatbox. If it requires a code, than yes, i'd say it's a waste of space. I had a coded chatbox on my site for a while and deleted it since that along with the music codes (as mentioned in a different topic) really slow down the loading of the site.

[Draco Falkor 777]

I currently run a magic forums and have the chat room set up only for my members so not to get any troublemakers in it. Even though it's not the one supplied by ProBoards (currently using Userplane for it's voice chat and web cam capabilities), I have it in a board so it don't clutter up the main page since there's so much to do from the main page already. It al depends on how you have your forums set up.

With the chat room being embedded in a board allows a person to have it open for a set amount of time. I'd like to actually use it for a special event if I get a wiccan specialist on board on my forums who can do sesions with my members. Afterwards, I can leave it open for my members to chat a while longer. I may even have a scheduled time for a wican specialist to be in the chat room/ The wiccan can announce when they will be on and what room they will create to chat with members.

It all just depends how you use the chat room. It don't have to always be open on the forums.

[harcotalk]

Jul 26, 2006 14:20:49 GMT -8 @myke said:

So, what's your opinion on using chatrooms on a ProBoard? Do you think it's a good idea or do you think it can potentially harm a forum?

Debate!

I don't like 'em.

IMHO a board is a board, not a chat room.

If members want to chat - that's what listing your IM nickname is for.

[Kami]

My opinion:

Sites just starting out -- recently opened/created, and/or few members -- should not have any form of chat ~ remotely hosted, c-box, or what have you. It'll take away from getting the site off the ground into something a little more successful if all everyone is doing is chatting -- especially for RP forums.

I think though, that sites with a well-established member base and success level should try to have a chat, especially if they're the kind of site with many members on at a time, so that the members can communicate with each other in real time, rather than having to rely on PMs.

[HoudiniDerek]

Jan 25, 2008 13:46:01 GMT -8 harcotalk said:

Jul 26, 2006 14:20:49 GMT -8 @myke said:

So, what's your opinion on using chatrooms on a ProBoard? Do you think it's a good idea or do you think it can potentially harm a forum?

Debate!

I don't like 'em.

IMHO a board is a board, not a chat room.

If members want to chat - that's what listing your IM nickname is for.

I don't mind having a link to a chat room or something similar as PBS has at the top. What I hate is the c-box or whatever it is called since it tends to lead to spamming and at times is more heavily utilized than the forum, which is just wasteful. I agree with the IM idea over a c-box...and usually over an attached chat too.

[Lucky. C]

Jan 25, 2008 16:47:16 GMT -8 HoudiniDerek said:

Jan 25, 2008 13:46:01 GMT -8 harcotalk said:

I don't like 'em.

IMHO a board is a board, not a chat room.

If members want to chat - that's what listing your IM nickname is for.

I don't mind having a link to a chat room or something similar as PBS has at the top. What I hate is the c-box or whatever it is called since it tends to lead to spamming and at times is more heavily utilized than the forum, which is just wasteful. I agree with the IM idea over a c-box...and usually over an attached chat too.

There are advantages and disadvantages from chatrooms:

Advantage: Media where members can greet each other at the same time when they're online. Of course you don't have to make a new topic to just say "Hi how're you." and then "I'm great, what's new with you?" stuffs like that.

Disadvantage: Chatboxes do draw members from forums. They find talking in chatboxes is a lot easier than have to post replies in the forums. So then, the chatbox will be full with talks and discussions while the forum's boards are empty . Anyway, I agree with Houdini Derek. We all hate spamming, don't we??

[HoudiniDerek]

Jan 25, 2008 21:24:47 GMT -8 Lucky. C said:

Jan 25, 2008 16:47:16 GMT -8 HoudiniDerek said:

I don't mind having a link to a chat room or something similar as PBS has at the top. What I hate is the c-box or whatever it is called since it tends to lead to spamming and at times is more heavily utilized than the forum, which is just wasteful. I agree with the IM idea over a c-box...and usually over an attached chat too.

There are advantages and disadvantages from chatrooms:

Advantage: Media where members can greet each other at the same time when they're online. Of course you don't have to make a new topic to just say "Hi how're you." and then "I'm great, what's new with you?" stuffs like that.

Disadvantage: Chatboxes do draw members from forums. They find talking in chatboxes is a lot easier than have to post replies in the forums. So then, the chatbox will be full with talks and discussions while the forum's boards are empty . Anyway, I agree with Houdini Derek. We all hate spamming, don't we??

I agree that it can be nice to have a place to just say HI, but I think AIM is better or PM if nothing else.

[lilacsky]

hello,
I have had my forum up for 3 years now, and I had both a chatroom and shoutbox for a while.
I am gonna have to say that the shoutbox was more trouble than the chat room, due to many folks spammin it with their own rude remarks or what have you.
I took it down today actually, because the good thing about shoutboxes is members would let me know if they had problems activating their accounts or if they couldnt get into the forums for some reason..so it helped in a that way..
but people still put their rude comments on there or just idiotic remarks so I took it down.
now the chat room, I used to schedule weekly chats and in fact it was very successful, so I would actually put another one up on my forum for that reason.

[Michelangelo "Spike" Scarlatti]

I really dont get the point of a chatroom on your board really
I mean I see spamming happening in alot of them so whats the point
If you have a roleplay board just make a section for ooc chatting then
and if its another kind of board why would you really need one since your already talking about whatever there
also I would just make a section on that board for the chat area instead of having a chatroom
besides it may slow other members page loading down then you risk losing them cause you chose to have a chatroom

[GSJ]

Well I guess I have to say I like Chatrooms, having a large roleplay forum it can be really fun for all the members if scheduling a time or day where everyone can meet and actually do an in the moment online group Rp. And seeing as its scheduled, Admins like myself, my partner and mods are there too, so its overseen. For other times of the day you can easily lock it, but really its never been an issue on my site, you have to be a member to access it, as its in a board and there's set rules. We use it for staff member get togethers for opinions or suggestions and it can be a quick way to speak to someone who doesn't have MSN yet the site's staff need to speak with them quickly to resolve a problem they're stuck with (in a private room of course).

^.^;; Can't help myself but I have to say it. C boxes are what I don't like, not only are they unmoderated, can be spammed in, with advertising or derogratory remarks. But on a roleplay site such as my own, can you imagine?? You'd have tonnes of members trying to roleplay with each other in it...it'd be awful as they're not rated or moderated roleplays...plus fights...*cringes* no its painful to even think about. In my eyes anyway ^.^

So yes to Chat rooms, I can see other's points on that it can take away from the boards, but on a large very active board its just something members can use for fun occasions, I mean realistically its way easier to chat on an actual software program like MSN, AIM ect then a code chat room in a site, so I can't really see it damaging a site too much. XD while as I said, I see C boxes as awful nightmare things XD.

GSJ

[Sun Dragon of Ra]

I think if you make a chat room for the board it should have 1 purpose and only 1 that way people will still come to the board for every thing else

Like my I have 5 Crazy Chat rooms set up
One for MY Yugioh Team Only
One for Megaman (Thinking about shuting down)
One for Duels and Battle (I been to a lot of Yugioh Boards and they all have one problem the Duel area alwas end up with thing but spam topics from the same people I made this to stop it before it starts)
One for Neopets (My sister runs a Neopet Guild and they need a chat room and a lot of them can not have messangers)
One for Pogo (My Mother runs a Pogo League that needs a chat room)
And that is it i keep it were each one has 1 purpose and only 1 purpose

That is what i belive if you use a chat room

[nyaccent]

There is a chatroom on one of the other forums that I co-admin on... It isn't a proboard....

No one uses the chatroom feature.... We wanted it to be there so that on a certain time of day we could all get together and discuss the soap opera.... but like I said it didn't work out.

On the board I have here on proboards, I WILL not have a chatroom..... First of all I think chatrooms should have moderators on them 24/7.... I have seen what goes on in some of them... I am also running a board that is geared for teens.... AND that too can lead into trouble..... I don't think forums should have chatrooms..... There are plenty of chatrooms like yahoo etc that people can go to if they wants such a thing....

I also think if people end up chatting on the forum chatrooms, why should they post in the forum.... They said all they needed to say....

[ksd75]

I added the chat room to my forum a few months ago, and find it to be a great addition. It certainly doesn't take posts away from the board. It's just a fun way to kick back and get to know each other a little better in real time. I have great members who don't abuse it, and I think that is the key to it's success. There has been no fights or breaking of rules in the chat room either.

I think the success of the chat room depends on your board subject, your staff and ultimately, your members.