Chat

http://www.forgotenscars.me/eggs.php

So recently I started dabbling in AJAX. To be honest, I suck at it, but I managed to get a few small things done.

In the link above, if your screen is wider than 1400 pixels, a chat area should appear on the right. If your screen is smaller than that, you'll have to use the button on the left to turn it on. It works on every page, strictly though the use of a master Javascript file. If you're a staff member of the site, it should give you ban/delete/edit controls.

Now, this could easily be applied to SuperCheats. Even I could think of a way to make it members only, or responsive to your staff rank.

Something worth considering, or just not something for us? Have any of you enjoyed options like this in the past, such as ZetaBoards' shout box?

Eh, it seems alright. Some people might just chat in it and just forget topics in the forums. It's why I would be against it.

It's pretty nifty but I don't think it would work too well here unless it could be moderated easily.

« Last edited by steelersrock01 on Oct 9th 2012 »

Well, there is a way to only activate the post box if a staff member is online. Of course it would appear for anyone online, so said staff member would have to be looking at it.

eh, I don't see a need for it to be here tbh.

Could we have it just for the games boards? or is it going to be site/forum wide?

It's not going to be either until I actually suggest it in S&P. Right now I just want to know if people like these kinds of systems.

But yes, you could have it in the game boards only. You could really put it anywhere you want, and have it do anything you want.

Nope. Rich has always been adamantly against a chat room, for security reasons. Moreover, someone would have to be staffed there on a permanent basis to enforce the rules.

I never really messed with shout boxes so I really don't have a stand on them. Some of them that I have seen seem fun but in one case there were no forums and it was being used in place of that. I'd be willing to give it a try here.

Mind elaborating on the security reasons? I'm curious now. <3

It wouldn't be hard to appoint quite a few Shoutbox moderators, since it wouldn't be a position of too much power. Just enough active people who know what should and should not belong in the shoutbox. Even 10 of them wouldn't be too much.

Forgoten_Scars said:

Mind elaborating on the security reasons? I'm curious now. <3

More specifically, Rich's position is that it could be used as a means for sex offenders to contact younger members, and if a member happens to be underage, we're screwed. It's more of a hassle than it's worth.

Moreover, if we're forced to have a chat room, that's an admission that we're not a professional site. As far as I know, IGN, GamesRadar, 1UP, and Gamespot don't have IRC channels.

I see where you're coming from with the professionalism thing.

I already know of one way to kill off the sex offenders though. xD A PHP array that picks up on keywords or phrases such as "sex", "a/s/l", or similar things. Have it set to ban the IP that submits those words. I could key in a system like that in 2 minutes.

You think that would stop a "professional" offender? They're well aware of what would potentially be used through these kinds of means. they're horrendous people yes, but a lot of them have become adept at concealing the true nature of their intent. Most pose as people of the same gender, become friends, with profiles already on this site, with PMs, it would not be difficult to pass off an email or something to a person they were grooming and bam - your security measures are nothing mroe than a joke.

This is suddenly reminding me of those "I love you" PM's I get from random bots.

Hehe, you're telling me. >_<

I like the idea, but as was said earlier, I feel with the site's current activity that this would serve as a diversion and reduce activity in Forums and T&C.

However, I still think it's an interesting idea. Neither for it or against it though.

Where could it even fit at?

Depends. How would you want it? Like I have it set up on my site, or Facebook chat style?

I don't think the way you've got it on your site would look right here. I'm kind of against more clutter lol.

So you would rather Facebook style where it hovers at the bottom? Or do you have something else in mind?