I've been notified that the chat room service that is part of the board's software is going to be discontinued this spring and before next season starts.

There are some alternatives I can look at purchasing and integrating into the site, but before I do I thought I'd start a dialogue on people's thoughts on the chat room.  

To be clear, I have no issues investing into an alternative if it is a service that people really like and will continue to use. So if you like it and use it, please speak up. 

I don't use it on home games because I am at the game, and my usage on away games has been hit and miss over the last couple of seasons, so curious on other peoples thoughts.  

So some questions for you all to ponder...

Do you want to see the chat room replaced?  

How important is it to you for the game day experience on the site?  

Do you find it to be superior to a "Game Day Thread" to follow the game?

Any other features in the chat room you would find useful or that is lacking in the current version?

I wouldn't suggest the owners of the site do this but...

Maybe someone could host a stream of the game with chat hosted externally and locked down privately for invite only.     The chat transcript could be saved and linked on the main site later?   I believe Youtube and Facebook can do this?

I've seen it done for NHL and UFC already....

 

 

I'm somewhere between meh and keep it. If BB are playing well, then I will watch live and enjoy the chat, but if they have been on a crap streak, I usually PVR and start watching a couple hours later and would not venture into the chat.

But I didn't vote.

there are probably around twenty people using it. don't think many of them are voting.

Please keep it, it's a lot of fun.

 

There has been enough interest that I will for sure investigate and experiment with some alternatives. 

Current chat goes away at the end of April, so will need something setup for the draft. 

I could go either way on it.  Usually end up in there during games, and enjoyed it.

If it didn't come back, it definitely wouldn't stop me from coming back to the site.

If the GDT were used more, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

4 hours ago, Rich said:

There has been enough interest that I will for sure investigate and experiment with some alternatives. 

Current chat goes away at the end of April, so will need something setup for the draft. 

Thank goodness, I was worried we wouldn't have a chat for the CFL week in March 2017..

In all seriousness though, I enjoy the chat function, as others have mentioned I too only use it exclusively for away games, since I attend home games. If the new cost model/system is based on a per-use basis, maybe consider only having it for 11 games for the regular season (Preseason + 9 away games + LDC)? That might help keep costs down.

Well considering iHeart and I are in there for the Jets games too I'd miss it.

Sucks to hear this. On the Oilers board, I think we have plans to use Yahoo Chat once the invision one is gone.

Way prefer a game day thread.  Don't care for the chat one bit.  Just my opinion.

I like it for the draft and fa, but seldom if ever use it during a game.

Different animals anyways........Reactions (Chat) vs Analysis (GDT, PGT)

The chat is what sets this place apart from other sites. It would be a loss if it was taken away. My opinion anyway.

I prefer a game day thread.

For different reasons, I usually record the games and watch when able, but I found that in chat, I would find they kicked a FG..before I actually saw them kick a FG.. I wasn't in sync with game time action. So, it's no use me cheering a TD when they're already kicking a convert. 

Also, I find there is less discussion about the game after discussed in chat..and no record of what was discussed.

Somehow, it makes the game seem less important? and the board interest seems lacking...visually.

Instantaneous reaction in chat is an attraction and interesting, it just doesn't work for me.

I float in and out of wherever the discussion is during the game, whether it's a thread or chat. Found myself leaving the chat room a lot though because the ignore feature doesn't work in there, and I'd get driven out by the crap I don't want to read. So in some ways prefer a game day thread because the few users I don't want to hear from I don't see and can enjoy the rest of the discussion.

So I'll still be here either way whether it's a GDT or chat room.

I know this isn't everyone's thoughts, but the overall theme I'm seeing is that those who use the chat room really like it, those that don't prefer the game day thread, many so they can re-read the thread after the game.  

I don't really want to take away the chat room for those who like it for the sole purpose of others reading the game day thread after.  

As for posting chat logs, I think the post below summed it up nicely and why I don't think posting logs would give people what they are looking for.  You get a lot of things in chat that make no sense unless you are in the moment watching the game.

16 hours ago, do or die said:

Different animals anyways........Reactions (Chat) vs Analysis (GDT, PGT)

Was poking around some alternatives yesterday and came across a new addon from a 3rd party that looks the most promising so far.  Because it is an addon, it would integrate seamlessly into the board.  The current version actually looks remarkably like the old chat.  

Don't want to get people's hopes up too much here because you never know how or when these things get released, but he is trying to get version 3 complete in time for when the old chat room is shut down.  

Version 3 looks pretty slick.  It includes things like the ability to ignore users, media embeds - pictures / videos (they come up hidden in a “spoiler” type of wrapper where you have to click it to view them so the chat doesn’t get spammed), ability to quote other people’s chats, multiple rooms, private chats, etc.

Some of the comments have been if the current chat was done like this it wouldn't need to be shutdown because more people would use it.

Pretty slick, if you can make 'er work......as many have stated, whatever you end up doing, isn't the end of the world either way. 

I would really hate to see it go even though Frosty and I are the only ones who use it during Jets season, and usually during Bomber games my posts get lost in a sea of posts, if there is a decent replacement I will use it. but then again I'm sure my posts will be seen more during the GD threads

On 1/29/2017 at 0:52 PM, Mr Dee said:

I prefer a game day thread.

For different reasons, I usually record the games and watch when able, but I found that in chat, I would find they kicked a FG..before I actually saw them kick a FG.. I wasn't in sync with game time action. So, it's no use me cheering a TD when they're already kicking a convert. 

Also, I find there is less discussion about the game after discussed in chat..and no record of what was discussed.

Somehow, it makes the game seem less important? and the board interest seems lacking...visually.

Instantaneous reaction in chat is an attraction and interesting, it just doesn't work for me.

I agree, once the game starts this board becomes as quiet as a morgue and often doesn't pick up for a couple of hours afterwards as everyone in chat has already exhausted their opinions.

So maybe folks should come join us in the chat?

We have in the chat room.

 

and I've been kicked from the babble, but it's probably part of the bugs that are still being worked out

 

 

Edited February 5, 20179 yr by iHeart

12 minutes ago, iHeart said:

and I've been kicked from the babble, but it's probably part of the bugs that are still being worked out

 

 

Yes, as far as you know, that's exactly what happened.

RIch already explained to me he was removing some spam accounts and mine may have gotten caught in the crossfire

 

I know people don't always see the sticky posts.  I've put in the new chat.  There still should be an upgrade coming to it down the road, but what is in there now seems pretty good.  More info here.

 

 

18 hours ago, iHeart said:

RIch already explained to me he was removing some spam accounts and mine may have gotten caught in the crossfire

 

 

1 hour ago, Rich said:

I know people don't always see the sticky posts.  I've put in the new chat.  There still should be an upgrade coming to it down the road, but what is in there now seems pretty good.  More info here.

 

Hey Rich, just between you and me, you kicked iHeart, didn't you.  Just deny it if you did