# Do you want a Chat option?



## jar546 (Oct 7, 2010)

Please let me know.  It will allow free flowing discussions outside of the forum that will not become posts.  I assume everyone knows what chat is????????????????

Please comment and vote


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## Yankee (Oct 7, 2010)

I would love that


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## Uncle Bob (Oct 7, 2010)

*chat rooms will bring many, many more "members" to this forum!*

Chat rooms ;two at least; would be a great asset to this forum. We could be more formal with the Bulletin Board, more strict about keeping on topic; and make it more professional; eliminating "off the wall remarks", fishing reports, and other personal chit chat; that takes a thread off topic.

I would be happy to pay for membership to the chat rooms. You can even have webcam with audio; and it would bring us closer as a group. Annual membership to most chat rooms is very inexpensive.

If we had at least two rooms; we could have more formal meetings in one room and have a main room for general visiting.

I know some people are hesitent to enter chat rooms; but, they are a great place to meet, socialize, and reinforce a group feeling and form stronger friendships.

It really will make this site "the place to be".

Uncle Bob


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## mtlogcabin (Oct 7, 2010)

"I assume everyone knows what chat is????????????????"

Not familar with how they work never used one.


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## Uncle Bob (Oct 7, 2010)

MLC,

This will greatly increase our membership!

Uncle Bob


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## Mule (Oct 7, 2010)

I know what chat rooms are however I never participated in any. I have went inside a chat room and was very entertained by some of the topics and comments but felt no need to respond so I am not going to vote one way or the other. It makes no difference to me either way.

Now once I see a chat room that I find interesting I may participate but right now Im a don't really care one way or the other.


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## fatboy (Oct 7, 2010)

I also have never "chatted". I know of the concept, and it has been mentioned on this site before. I voted yes, as I think it would get used, and not really be a detraction from the forums.


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## TimNY (Oct 7, 2010)

I'd love to chat, go for it!


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## rshuey (Oct 7, 2010)

Chat room would be a great tool to have if onsite and need a little help. Laptop in the truck, enter chat and wait for some help!


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## mtlogcabin (Oct 7, 2010)

UB

Not against it, just not familar with them, rshuey makes a good point. might be very useful for a one man (sorry ewenme) dept to be able to get quick help in the field.


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## texas transplant (Oct 7, 2010)

Chat rooms  would be great.   Back and forth right there, right now.   Like Uncle Bob said when people get to wound up on the board, send them to chat.


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## syarn (Oct 7, 2010)

I like being able to see & review a history of a post and being able to revisit the post later on and using search features to plow thru the board's many posts for keyword related info to aid in a code analysis sort of like an online commentary....would the chat be recorded for reference & searchable?  I think google chat has a save history option which makes it searchable.....


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## brudgers (Oct 7, 2010)

So long as I can turn it off.


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## mmmarvel (Oct 8, 2010)

I'll vote yes as it appears many folks want it - bottom line, I'm not opposed to it, but I really doubt that I would use it.  Never know, but hey, the stuff I deal with no one else deals with anyway.  Just sit here watching planes take off


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## Alias (Oct 8, 2010)

mtlogcabin said:
			
		

> "I assume everyone knows what chat is????????????????"Not familar with how they work never used one.


I've been doing webinars recently and they all seem to have them.  Very easy to use and good for group interaction.

Sue, do you ICQ (old chat forum)?


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## FM William Burns (Oct 9, 2010)

Yes it would be an excellent tool for many applications!


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## chris kennedy (Oct 9, 2010)

I'm game...


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## jim baird (Oct 11, 2010)

Like mtcabin I am ignert of this thing...I have been able to get fairly fast replies to nuts and bolts questions here, and like syarn, I like having access to the development of a question and its answers, but I'll vote for it.


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## conarb (Oct 11, 2010)

I guess I'm the only one to vote no, I don't like chat options, but it's okay of others do, it doesn't affect the rest of us that don't use them. .


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## TimNY (Oct 11, 2010)

I really don't see it as being used in the same manner as the forum.  I see it more as the social side of things just to talk shop.  Maybe if you had an urgent question you could pop in there for opinions.  However, most of the sites I frequent don't usually have a lot of people in chat.

It would open the door for some sort of webinar.. Where there is a scheduled date and time to discuss a certain subject.  If Bryan were to do one on bonding and grounding I would block out my schedule (no pressure, Bryan)


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## JBI (Oct 11, 2010)

Not for or against. Sometimes I don't mind when someone sends me an IM or similar pop-up chat message, sometimes I do.  

But I'm moody and anti-social, so I wouldn't go by my opinion on this one anyway...


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## ewenme (Oct 12, 2010)

ConArb you're not the only 'no' vote. I voted no because the chat room will be off limits for me at work. The Board fills a need and I use it at work to ask questions and make comments.


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## MarkRandall (Oct 12, 2010)

I had to answer no because I don't see myself using a chat service. I have no objections if chat is provided. I like having a searchable record of discussions for future reference.


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## Coug Dad (Oct 12, 2010)

Our filters would block chat so I would not be able to participate in any of those discussions.


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## ccbuilding (Oct 13, 2010)

I'm with Coug Dad.


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## jar546 (Oct 15, 2010)

My concern would be less posts and threads because of the chat option.  We need to ensure that won't happen.


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## TimNY (Oct 15, 2010)

jar546 said:
			
		

> My concern would be less posts and threads because of the chat option.  We need to ensure that won't happen.


I don't really think that will happen.

I'm betting most of us will open the chat and there won't be anybody in there.  For the most part I believe it will be a social thing;  you may catch somebody in there and just say 'hi'.  I don't think it will be a substitute for the forum.


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## chris kennedy (Oct 15, 2010)

jar546 said:
			
		

> My concern would be less posts and threads because of the chat option.  We need to ensure that won't happen.


Your pretty well established Jeff. I this is of great concern, why bring it up in the first place? Whats the worst that could happen, you tear people away from their FB chats to chat here? Its a win/win pal.


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## Bootleg (Oct 15, 2010)

I like the BB the way it is and have no need to chat but I vote yes because I'm open to it.


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## JBI (Oct 15, 2010)

How about a 'like' button? Sometimes I read a post and just agree with it, can't say it any better and want to acknowledge it...


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## chris kennedy (Oct 15, 2010)

JBI said:
			
		

> How about a 'like' button? Sometimes I read a post and just agree with it, can't say it any better and want to acknowledge it...


I never liked that. I want to know why you liked it, many times a post of approval leads to tangent discussions.


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## JBI (Oct 15, 2010)

Sometimes a tangent discussion is unnecessary. But that's just my humble opinion, and as we all know opinions will vary.

Maybe I liked it because I couldn't agree more, and the point was made so eloquently that any worded relpy would do it an injustice.

Maybe it left me speechless in it's accuracy and simplicity.

Maybe I'm just too busy to post one of my long-winded, annoyingly accurate replies.

Maybe my carpel tunnel is acting up... LOL


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## peach (Oct 16, 2010)

chat rooms, unfortunately lead to private chat rooms, which leads to much information not being accessible and more "social" .. I voted no and probably wouldn't use the option, but if the majority wants it, go for it.

I'm not a big fan of lots of bells and whistles.. too distracting.


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## north star (Oct 16, 2010)

*~ ~ ~ ~*

I vote "No!"     I too favor the simplistic approach / set up of this current

forum.   A Chat Option would not benefit me, plus I would think that it

would diminish the lively, passionate discussions that we have.

Also, like others,  my office server would probably not let me access the

site because of the "Chat" option.  

*~ ~ ~ ~*


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## TimNY (Oct 22, 2010)

I really don't think the chat room is going to be any distraction from the forum.  I am a member of many other vB sites and 1) there is usually no more than 1 or 2 people in there for a site with comparable membership and 2) the chat is usually "hey, hows it going", "not too bad, just finishing up yadda yadda".  In my experience it's a social feature.  Like talking at the water cooler.  You're not going to put out an inter-office memo on what you talk about at the water cooler.  You're also not going to post a message about what you talk in the chat room.  In my experience, anyway.

I have a few minutes now between getting the kids ready for bed and collapsing for the night.  If there were a chat option I would pop in just to say hi.

Chat rooms leading to private chat rooms sounds like something out of 90's AOL.  Usually the admins create a single chat and you cannot create other chats (unless you want to PM).

Also, I second JBI's idea of a post "like".  Not in the Facebook "like" way, but rather a way to rate a single post.  Right now we can rate a thread, but we cannot rate a post within the thread.  There are usually a handful of excellent posts in a thread, and if the option were there, I would rate the response.  I am not going to threadcrap and say "great post!", nor am I going to clutter another user's inbox with a private message to that effect.  It is a way to give recognition to an excellent post that will otherwise go uncommended.


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## JBI (Oct 22, 2010)

"Like"

Besides, just tried posting "Like" and it's too short as a stand alone response. Looks pretty stupid too.


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## Jobsaver (Oct 23, 2010)

I'm not for or against chat, but also like to see the development of answers to questions in these threads. I think it will be good for those that like to chat, but do believe the development of the threads will suffer.


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## Uncle Bob (Nov 12, 2010)

I think it would be a good thing; because we could be more strict about what is discussed on the open threads. We too often get off course; and insert too many off subject messages and arguements.

It would keep the theads on a more professional level; and we could debate our personal opinions in the chat room. By being required to be a member to enter the chat room; we would increase membership; and, could hash out differences there.

It would also bring us closer together as a group. A good place to do our dirty laundry or discuss it in the chat room instead of the open forum.

Uncle Bob


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## peach (Nov 15, 2010)

We have mechanisms to air dirty laundry (PM, phone, e-mail).. if the membership wants it, go for it.. I probably won't participate...


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## DRP (Nov 15, 2010)

Remember what it was like to strike 3 or four keys simultaneously on the typewriter and have to spend the next minute or two trying to untangle them from in front of the paper? Miss DeBerry could hear the sound of jammed keys, was protective of the county's equipment, and was a deadly shot with an eraser. She had my desk dialed in. Jam key, look up and try to figure out where to duck. This did however, work to my advantage. Another year of my typing simply meant more machinery damage with little improvement likely to show for it. I passed typing class at a respectable negative 5 words per minute.

Which is another way of saying... If you want to chat with me, you better bring lunch.


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## texasbo (Nov 16, 2010)

I have no interest whatsoever in chatrooms or "like" buttons. I have no interest in social networking. I honk at people who are driving in the fast lane 10 miles an hour below the speed limit while talking on the cell phone. I think kids spend too much time playing on XBox. Get out and throw the baseball around for Christ's sake.

But that's just me.


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## jar546 (Feb 2, 2011)

Another dead issue that does not appear to have widespread support.  This idea is also closed unless the natives ask for it.


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## jar546 (Feb 2, 2011)

Til next time


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## FM William Burns (Feb 2, 2011)

Well I hope this gets in since I somehow missed this one.  I would like to have it as an option if available as an option setting.  It can be a useful tool if one has a specific issue that can be addressed in a timely manner if the chatters are online at the same time.


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## jar546 (Feb 2, 2011)

My biggest concern was that more chatting would be going on than posting and take away from the board.  It seems to be a dying option on some of the board that i check out.


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## fatboy (Feb 3, 2011)

And a lot of us wouldn't be able to use it anyway, social network filters on computers at work.


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## Mule (Feb 3, 2011)

What would be the difference in a chat and the board???? If you're online you can post to questions and answer them just like chat...just wouldn't be a flowing chat like you normally see.

On another note....I don't know if you fellers and gals know this but you can set up your notifications in my profile to "sign up" for any thread you post in to get a notification. Anytime a response is made to a thread that you post in you get notified by email. It's a nice feature. It will only notify you once even if there are several replies. Click on the link in the email and go to that thread. Once you close it out if someone else posts you will get another email with as link. This continues until no one else is posting.


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