eplaya summit

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 7:40 pm

I think an IRC chat would be just great. But they usually suck ass for people with old computers, outdated browsers, or dial-up.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 7:44 pm

Geekster came up with one and I have 2 that I've posted.

It would be nice if they were to really be tested out.
I think it would cut down on the BBS chat trafic.

BHA and sputnik and the webteam already tried out one of my IRC's but it would be nice to see what Geekster is talking about.

Wind_Borne · Post by **Wind_Borne** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 8:03 pm

Ranger Genius wrote:I think an IRC chat would be just great. But they usually suck ass for people with old computers, outdated browsers, or dial-up.

True, if too many heavy features are offered that then become de riguer over time. But most of us can remember using simple, light IRC clients 10 years ago that ran fine on 33KB/s connections.

Keep it light, fast, simple and easy to maintain (my system mantra).

cowboyangel · Post by **cowboyangel** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:39 pm

I actually spent time reading through a bunch of posts here. The discussion is real and refreshing. This board has definitely been a learning experience for me, and it's been delightfully weird enough of the time.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 11:03 pm

I suggested voodoo chat because it works. It has no java so it doesn't hang your browser, it has a couple of different modes so it will generally work through firewalls and it works with a regular browser so no custome client software is needed. It also allows you to create rooms, post avatars, and send offline messages to people in addition to private messaging.

The bar, for example, could be a chat room and the bar thread might be where a regular would post something they want announced to the other regulars. There is a perl and a c version. I know the c version is very stable and runs for months at a time without problems at one site on the net that I used to frequent before I came here.

Since it is open source, it is completely customizable and the site I used to hang out at has considerably modified the standard look/feel.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 11:57 pm

I'm doing a search now for voodoo chat on source but a direct link would be great and save a lot of time.
I'm doing (as usual ) a bunch of things at the same time and it would really help.

I'm sure the same would be for the other techs.

Thanks.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:34 am

this it?
http://vochat.com/

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:02 am

PhP again.

Look php is nice and all but in order for me to get voodoo working I need to setup a php site on a server and my serv that I have available has plone on it. I'n not gonna setup php on that. How about I put up the java chats I already have and someone else put voodoo up on their server. Either that or wait till I set up another server in a few days.

Plus I have some issues with the readme txt file and the "Support: installation & usage". (why do they make it like that.)
With they way the directions are written how am I to know that I am not wasting my time installing it with the way those directions are written?
plus I have to compile the dameon with a C++ compiler?

Jeeeeezzzzzz.

what a lot of trouble. I'm sure it's nice and all but this type of php code thingie is what others here on the board complained about.
heck, if anyone is using os7-9 or windows 95, windows 3.11....... in either case....... that has a dial up........ just makes me wanna donate everyone a computer. each and everyone just to save time.

there has gotta be a better solution.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:11 am

also,

setting up voodoo through a CVS would be better.

eaiser for me. (and I found that out by accident.)

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:15 am

So, I'm pretty ignorant about 'chat rooms' per se, so this may be a little off. But bear with me:

Geek, are you recommending moving to a single line of chat? I would loathe that. I largely ignore the Bar thread for two reasons: one, it's nearly impossible to catch up on things. That's why I prefer threads like 'Fuck': when people post there, I don't miss what's going on in their lives. If it's posted in the Bar I may never see it. Secondly, having different threads allows me to filter my own experience. Sometimes (usually) the things that happen in the Bar are not why i'm here and I don't want to deal with them. If we're talking about one line of chat for all of this that happens in GD, i'll probably just leave.

I'm tossing about a few options in my mind... as far as board structure, what if there were more specific areas in question and answer, another layer perhaps? What if things were subdivided into issues of survival, participation, BMorg politics, etc? (Just pulling some concepts out of my ass.) I mean, it's pretty sad if we have to cater to people who are too lazy to sift through things, but it IS difficult to use the search function, and it IS hard to find old threads, and the eplaya COULD conceivably be mildly daunting at first glance. Maybe this will reduce the number of new threads that are really repeats. (And it woudn't hurt to put something on the boards that new posters see when they arrive encouraging them to add on to old threads instead of making unnecessary new ones.)

I'm mulling some other ideas, but would think on them for a while before posting them.

Except cloning Technopants. I miss her.

Oh, yes... and regarding purpose, i suppose the above is directed toward my feeling that the eplaya exists in part to assist people, but not necessarily as its only (primary?) function. I do think it is here to create a space for community to develop and thrive - not to create it itself, but to enable it to expand. And yeah, i use the word community. And I will explain one thing about this particular use of it: forced community fails. And I don't think the eplaya really attempts to do that. It simply creates space for multiple types of interactions, some of them complex, rich, and ongoing. And in that sense, there's space for a lot of things on this board - flame wars, helpful answers, thoughtful conversations, shooting the shit, taking the piss. If there isn't going to be space for a variety of manifestations of a society's communication, then we just need to have one person sitting there answering emails of peoples' questions.

sparkletarte · Post by **sparkletarte** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 11:07 am

For the eplaya I would say no to chats except as an addition to what we have already. And even then...so much of the 'chatting' conversation that goes on is stuff that I want to look back and sift through and you can't do that with chats. I've been on other message boards with chat and honestly the chat was hardly ever used and it wasn't for lack of trying, it just didn't work as well (not technically, rather for keeping track of conversation).

I only use chat if it's one-to-one conversation about nothing in particular, and even then, I'll close the chat and then realize I should have written something down but now it's lost.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 11:13 am

Wanna 2nd that on the chat. Much as it's sort of a chore on the time front, I love going back through the bar see what's been happening in my absence and comment on that. (Sometimes you people miss the most obvious set up lines. *fin to head*) Okay, I suppose it's like a shared world novel without the D&D geekfactor. Where else am I going to find that?

Fair cop, Badger, on the 'purpose' of eplaya being informative. But not the sole purpose. And we're back to how do we fulfill multiple purposes.

Ahem. Assuming admin had time to do this, how many of us would answer an eplaya survey? And how many of hte low count posters?

aforceforgood · Post by **aforceforgood** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 3:55 pm

Ok, before you flame me, yes, I have searched (and searched and searched ) and I haven't been able to find it, and I don't want to waste more of my life doing so, so I'm asking some helpful soul if someone ever came up with a way to unsubscribe to the etf thing so I can use that email again?

If so, could ya pleeeze reply here?

I've tried to unsubscribe countless times.

Thanks!

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 4:00 pm

Email Spanky.

I'll send a message also.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 5:13 pm

For the eplaya I would say no to chats except as an addition to what we have already.

The only reason that this was brought up or suggetsed was that one of the more popular threads on the e-playa is The Bar. It seems that so much traffic is going on there at any one time that a chat room might be of some benefit to those who'd want to take advantage of it given the rate of posting. It was never submitted as something necessary to make the board better.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:23 pm

In taking Wind_Borne, Ranger Genius, sparkletarte, geekster, Cryptofishist and the Badger’s concerns in mind, I believe that the Geekster’s VooDoo will most likely be the best type of chat that can be implemented seamlessly with the eplaya php code. But I think I would like to see what the new php guru’s that just joined the ETF come up with. This is what I have and I believe it is the best of the 2 chat’s I’ve come up with.

(Yeah I know I know it’s java but it works.)
It also can be implemented into eplaya seamlessly.

This chat will work on Mac’s Safari and all Microsoft windows, unix and irix machines. For windows you need java installed. There is a link on the chat site that will direct you to the java download site and should inspect your machine for java automatically.

Try it out and tell me what you think, good bad and ugly.

The chat room

sputnik · Post by **sputnik** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Can the screen size be adjusted? The area for reading past entries is too small in my opinion.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:30 pm

Also,

I would like to have streaming music on it....say like.....from sputnik and/or Sandwichman or whoever wants to dj.

but that's just me.

I also have a 3D chat that I'm working on that may put another dynamic on chat's in genneral that may be fun.

Any thoughts?

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:31 pm

sputnik wrote:Can the screen size be adjusted? The area for reading past entries is too small in my opinion.

yeah I can change it to any size.

Give me a minute and refresh your screen.

rodent · Post by **rodent** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 7:10 pm

Ok, the chat ran very slow on my iMac g3 400mhz with 256meg RAM.

I also had to reclick on the imput bar after every send

There was no obvious way to create a new chat room or that other chatrooms were available.

---
rodent (putting the eek in geek)

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 7:25 pm

rodent wrote:Ok, the chat ran very slow on my iMac g3 400mhz with 256meg RAM.

I also had to reclick on the imput bar after every send

There was no obvious way to create a new chat room or that other chatrooms were available.

---
rodent (putting the eek in geek)

Thanks rodent.

anyone else want to add? I need all input.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 11:17 pm

Before I forget,

It would be nice if there were as many people as possible get on the chat at the same time to see how it does under presure.
Also could somebody check all areas/buttons/links to see what works for you or not so I have a better idea what to expect please?

Break it if yall can.

You guys rock.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 11:18 pm

shit,

I broke 4000 a long time ago huh?

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:37 am

Hi, DVD.

The problem with Java is that it MIGHT work depending on which JRE people have installed, which web browser, what platform they re running, etc. It might work fine for you 100% of the time and might kill my browser 5% of the time, just enough to make it a pain in the ass to use. That is the problem with Java. It has become "write once, bebug everywhere" rather than its promise of "debug once, run everywhere". There are just too many quirky platform issues involved that make it a poor choice. Since Voodoo Chat uses HTML, it just works with a regular browser. Any browser. It has a streaming mode for updates but some firewalls don't like that so you can switch to a different mode where it "refreshes" at regular intervals, going from a push to a pull mode. The bottom line is that it works and you can customize the look/feel to be consistant with whatever community it is "hooked" into.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:42 am

That's totally understood. That's why I posted what I did the way that I did.

Voodoo, as I said earlier is the best choice but until the php guru's take a look at it, the chat posted is the only alternative for right now.

Unless you want to host a php server for eplayans to test voodoo out on?

I do not have an available server for voodo right at the moment.

I agree with you though that voodoo maybe the best solution for those that want chat.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:52 am

I dont think it would be a problem to throw up a server they can use. I could install Debian and give them root.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:54 am

geekster wrote:I dont think it would be a problem to throw up a server they can use. I could install Debian and give them root.

Dood you would be the man......well the other other other man anyway.( Cant forget Sir Spanky and Ra and the guys on the webteam.)

That would so rock.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 1:11 am

I think we have a roomful of supermicro 1U machines we don't use anymore. One of those would be fine for that application, I think.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 1:55 am

geekster wrote:I think we have a roomful of supermicro 1U machines we don't use anymore. One of those would be fine for that application, I think.

Sun machines?

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:29 am

No, Supermicro

http://www.supermicro.com/products/syst ... -6010H.cfm