Chat.... Chat?

[Michael Morris]

Chat is the last possible piece needing to be set up on EN2. The ISRP chat program - flashchat - is already up and running (partially), but the current plug in for IRC chat is no longer supported and over 3 years old. So what to do?

My personal preference is to use one install of flashchat for all chat services. The ISRP's rooms would be joined by one or two rooms for general ENWorld chat. The alternative is the provide a page about the ENWorld chat room with a link to download a chat client.

Thoughts and suggestions welcome - however this thread is non-binding.

 

[xmanii]

Bynw may have some suggestions, I'll point him this way.

 

[ToreadorVampire]

Mibbit?

Indeed, that Java client is a little old.

Might I suggest Mibbit.com as an alternative client, embedded into a page. It does not use Java at all, and works through JavaScript/AJAX. We already have an authorised connection from the Mibbit embedded client to Otherworlders.org, and we'll be activating WebIRC functionality soon (I'll be installing it on my server today, then I'll pass it round to the other netadmins to activate later on).

In short, there's no reason not to use #dnd3e (or #dnd4e, or #enworld or anything else) on otherworlders.org, since that's where the community is and has always been?

If you'd like more identity, then I'm sure that with xmanii's (xmanii maintains #dnd3e at the moment) permission a redirect could be set up #dnd3e -> #enworld if you wanted to rename the channel or whatever?

In fact, a Mibbit client could be used for ISRP too? No need for ENWorld to maintain a chat server at all?

If you want any help configuring/installing/using a Mibbit client, give me a shout - toreadorvampire@hotmail.com - since I've done a lot of customising work on it for my own purposes on a website I'm developing.

 

[Michael Morris]

If mibit can provide a chat page gateway into the chatroom that's all I really want. As to ISRP, they've chosen flashchat and I really don't want to try to move them off of it.

 

[Bynw]

I actually havent looked at the exact java chat that is in use since I use an true IRC client myself. The java chats we currently are offering to others is PJIRC. (Apparently they are changing their website because its going to a landing page right now since the 13th of March). This is embeded into a website. It was last updated about a year ago but at the last time I was aware was actively being developed.

The current EN World chat may be a some version of this that was coded specifically for the forum engine in use here. And unless there has been a major upgrade to that software I dont think the chat would need any changes. The old addage of ... if it works dont fix it.

Mobitt looks pretty neat, I think it might be based on the CGI:IRC project but I'm not sure. We also offer that chat client (CGI:IRC) to some clients as well if they are against java for whatever reason.

#dnd3e has long been the home of EN World and its predesessor. And many of its users do use an IRC client of some kind. You may find the community against any move towards a flashchat option. Not to mention the other changes that would have to happen doing that.
Bandwidth, finding and training all the chat moderators, bot coding since the current IRC bots in place wouldnt work either and probably a ton of other changes that are not realized until it happens.

I have seen some flashbased IRC clients out there that could be embedded into a website but I've never been able to get them to work, but that could be due to my lack of technical knowledge when it comes to flash as many of them require some kind of changes to the source.

Thats my 2 cents worth ... I think it would be a bad move on EN World's part to change the chat engine. IRC has long been the accepted norm for EN World and is cross platform and has a ton of options for chatters to use to access it. Changing to all Flashbased is the kind of thing that WotC did which alienated a lot of its users. No solution will be 100% acceptable to everyone, thats not going to happen. Cost effective in terms of time it takes to implement and develope ... and IRC wins over any flashchat. Everying is already in place.

 

[ToreadorVampire]

Sure - here's one I made earlier:

http://ksl.dev.craigfowler.me.uk/who/chat/ - NOTE - this is intentionally broken at the moment while we transition to WebIRC - you will recieve "connection terminated" messages from any Mibbit client used to connect to Otherworlders.org until all of our configs are updated. Shouldn't take too long. - fixed, WebIRC is configured and working on all otherworlders servers. Thanks Bynw and DarkSir!

It's a pretty heavily customised embed client (userlist removed, server messages and server notices muted, and I'll be tinkering with the colour scheme in a while) - bits of that web page need fixing too, but you get the picture!

The guy who developed Mibbit goes by the name Axod and hangs out in irc.mibbit.com #help and he's absolutely great for answering questions and processing feature requests (no, really, I mean it - I've had new features/bugfixes completed within minutes!) - plus there's a wiki over at http://wiki.mibbit.com with some documentation (bit disorganised at the moment though, Axod might be better for general Q&A)

 

[Ymdar]

Gotta second Bynw here. 99% of the ENWorld chat community uses IRC and IRC clients and there would be a strong opposition to any kind of change.
Not to mention Flash requires lots of memory from PCs.

 

[NiTessine]

I'd vote for Otherworlders.org, too. It's worked fine thus far, and we have an extant community on #dnd3e.

Personally, I would not bother with a chatroom I couldn't access with an IRC client.

 

[WickedTroll]

I actually registered for an account just to post. If there's any way that it can be done without losing support for the IRC people, it'd be great. I've only ever used the chat, not the forums, and I think a lot of people do the same. :/

 

[AltReality]

Possible Changes to the Chat System

Hi All,
I just wanted to put in my two cents...
IRC is the internet's standard Chat application. It was created before the World Wide Web, and it is a proven technology. We have an established community at #dnd3e on otherworlders.org, some of which came from the enworld site, some who have come just through word of mouth and google searches. Changing the chat service so it is not accessible with a standard IRC client will split that community. Some will move over, others will stick with IRC, and both sites will have less visitors as a result.

I'm assuming that this change was suggested as a result of the rather funky webchat interface that is currently being used. There are many options available to spruce up the existing page, and maintain the current destination of the chat room. Bynw's mention of the CGI:IRC project is the first to come to mind, and the MIBBIT.COM site looks outstanding...so please allow us to assist you in getting the webchat up to the same standard as the rest of the site, and don't punish the existing community for decisions they have no control over.

Thanks,
AltReality