Should we get a chat room?

[Aaron_S]

The topic says it all:

[gonesnakee]

I voted NO as I would never ever use it myself. Mark

[Aaron_S]

I only put this here for Chase, and I didn't want to make a bad question like "Is Chase technologically impaired?" After reading the other poll thread, I can interchange Chase with Mark LOL

[bo_mister1231]

I think We Should

[gonesnakee]

Ya I tried starting a poll from the existing thread, I guess it only works when starting a new thread. Mark

[C#@$e]

HAHA technololgically impariaed

[Aaron_S]

Yah you're right Mark, only with a new topic.

[LadyParvati]

A chat room needs a minimum of two, and preferably more, concurrent users. How often are several (or even two) people on the website at the same time?

When I get on, most others are offline. Of course, if I got on during the night more, I might run into others on the site as well, though I've never seen more than a couple even when I have gotten on the site in the middle of the night.

The value of a chat room depends on the number of users. At this time, there don't seem to be enough people on at the same time to support a chat room, IMHO. Even so, it would be nice to be able to chat rather than post and wait, post and wait . . . ah well. We need the population for that.

Sandy

[LadyParvati]

This is been percolating in the back of my mind for the last hour, and I had another thought that we might want to consider. One of the valuable things about the forums is that they provide an opportunity for many people to weigh in with their perspectives, ideas, and suggestions. Any misinformation is quickly corrected on the forums.

On a chat, that might not occur, as if only two or three people get involved in a chat, there are fewer sources of information and a much greater probability of misinformation without correction. No one can join a chat that occurred in the past to correct any inappropriate or inaccurate info; that could be bad for the snakes (at least), it seems to me. So, while a chat could be fun, it also could be less than a positive addition in terms of helping people learn how to care for their snakes appropriately.

Just my thoughts.

[Aaron_S]

It was just a poll I made for Chase really, and a topic that came up some months ago when this site was revived.

Even the more visited Canadian reptile site doesn't have a chat feature. It doesn't get used as much and really it's a lot more difficult to monitor. I do recall when this site did have a chat feature, and I know very well not everything is good inside a chat room.

[gonesnakee]

A chat also requires active moderation at all times or is subject to major abuse as well ;) Mark

[LadyParvati]

Yep. Sounds like we're all on the same page on this one! ;-)

[C#@$e]

really i think it sounds kewl ya know like and is a good way to get more people to visit. like you see a friend and your like"hey you should join the forum its called sSnakeSs.com IT HAS A CHAT ROOM!"

[LadyParvati]

I can see your perspective, Chase. It's just that Chat Rooms can introduce a whole host of other issues that any website's management may not want or be able to deal with easily. Maybe someday in the future--technology is changing so fast, the problems we think will occur may be easily resolved in the future!

[Aaron_S]

Most websites seemed to have disabled their chatrooms. They don't seem to be as popular anymore. Yahoo even shut their's all down.

[Wolfus_305]

Meh, I don't think that a chat room is necessary. There are a lot of problems associated with them..I'm not saying that they're all bad, but they're just another thing on this site to have to look after. I think I've only seen two people on at the same time as me and I'm online pretty much from 4PM till I go to bed. . .

[angie_85]

I think that it would be a good idea. You could have certain topics on certain days for like an hour. If a lot of people wanted to talk about Burmese Pythons, you could set aside an hour on some Thursday night to just go oer what everyone thinks. Also for new people, posting qestions sometimes takes a while for someone to answer, with a chat feature, if someone is online they could ask right away if they thought it was an emergency. I belong to an aquatic forum and they have a chat feature, I really liked it. It also gives people on here a way to better get to know each other. I made quite a few friends and asked for plenty of advice on the chat feature there. That's just my 2 cents.

[Kmef07]

Ya i belong to a car forum that has a chat bar on the side of it and it is stupid. no one hardly uses it except for side chat like hey wats up no one uses it for advice but people fight on it alot and it is just really stupid. the only people who use it are the ones that are on there 24/7 and that know each other. i stopped visiting the site because it became to much of a popularity thing because as a new poster to that site no one would post on my stuff only on their friends stuff and were only there it seemed like to post on the chat wall.

[Smilts]

I remember the old chat rooms on here and not fondly.

[Aaron_S]

The old ones were...interesting to say the least.

[Chu'Wuti]

You mean worse than a certain recent thread? LOL!

[Aaron_S]

Oh very much so. I have stories about the old chatrooms!

[Smilts]

yes they were

[dexter 1988]

i say YES YES YES

[xXKATRINAXx]

ha ha technologically impaired that's OK so am i.
im new but i think we should get one. almost all sites have one now.
we shouldn't miss out.

[siz]

Oh very much so. I have stories about the old chatrooms!

Haha, I could see that. I don't think it's a great idea. As mentioned above, forums are great because you can give a thought out, correct answer. Chat rooms are a breeding ground of arguments and bad information. Or you get those "shout boxes" where people don't really talk about anything.

[Aaron_S]

Actually Katrina, I think LESS sites have chatroom features now. It was a fad and now it seems to be gone. Even yahoo shutdown their chatrooms.

[Smilts]

Chat rooms are great in the right enviroment. I like to hang out on the reptile geeks chat, I dont care for chat rooms on forums like this though. This is a nice forum but the chat room when they had one last wasnt. I have noticed that there seem to be less and less chat rooms.

[Chu'Wuti]

forums are great because you can give a thought out, correct answer. Chat rooms are a breeding ground of arguments and bad information.

We HOPE that folks will give a thought out, correct answer--calmly. Sometimes even the forum becomes a breeding ground of arguments & bad info. If we've thought a recent thread was bad, a chat room would be even worse, because people type & post as fast as they can with practically zero thought all too often.

I far prefer the forum for the (at least) hope that thinking people will post rationally & appropriately.

[siz]

Yeah that's what I was getting at.

[Chu'Wuti]

Yep, I know, and I'm agreeing with some detail! ;)

[xXKATRINAXx]

Actually Katrina, I think LESS sites have chatroom features now. It was a fad and now it seems to be gone. Even yahoo shutdown their chatrooms.


they did? wow, i didn't know that. maybe i need to go on my computer a little more often...
:shocked:

[Phoenix446]

Skype may be a better alternative to a chat room.

[Chu'Wuti]

Hmm, I keep hearing about Skype . . . I need to learn about Skype!

[Phoenix446]

Skype is online video/phone software. chatgroups can be formed by those savvy in the computering ways...

[Chu'Wuti]

"Always carry a small flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore, always carry a small snake."

-W.C. Fields

Hey, I have that same quote on my BP's enclosure! A friend gave us a Scotch calendar a couple of years ago that had coasters with quotes about whiskey included. I took that coaster & stuck it on the BP's enclosure . . .

mmmmm . . .

OK, I've been hearing a lot about Skype. I'm not very savvy in the computering ways, but I'd really like to get Skype, because we have grandchildren in NC, and it would be nice to be able to talk to them and see them at the same time. I need to learn how to get this set up.

I guess this is off topic, though . . .

[Kmef07]

just go to skype.com it has all the info there.

[Aaron_S]

why is this thread still going?!

Let it die!

[body_xs_j]

For sure we need a chat. That would rock to good.
Oh add a note off toppic. hope to see some you all at that can make it to the nc reptile show in nc the 14th and 15th