Hey everyone! :) I just wanted to test the waters on something which I'm been mulling over for awhile. Last few years we've had a chat room, using AIM, and it was wonderful. But it was somewhat tricky to get into, and the servers liked to drop people from the chat. Not to mention some computers getting grumpy about the program. To me it seems like the problems have been getting worse with every year. All in all even at its worst its only been annoying, but still I started thinking that there must be a better way.
So! I was wondering what people thought about using a browser-based chatroom, like chatnano or tinychat. Should I see about setting one up? (If so, does anyone have an opinion about what service is the best?) Or do we want to stick with AIM?
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Alaska/Mat-su Valley Co-ML
Website/Twitter
"Life is a journey. Time is a river. The door is a jar" - Jim Butcher (Dead Beat)
32,916 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 14 17
I'm not familiar with either of those chatrooms, but I have a question: when you get a message on one of them, does the little bar flash? Because that's the way I sometimes know a word war is through, and it'll be annoying to be constantly checking the chat to see if someone else has written something.
24,432 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 17 35
Oo, good one! I didn't think about that! Good thinking.
tinychat doesn't make the window flash, but it has a soft little 'bloop' noise. The same seems to go for meebo. I haven't been able to check out mibbit yet, which is what chatnano works on. I'll keep investigating. :)
----------Alaska/Mat-su Valley Co-ML
Website/Twitter
"Life is a journey. Time is a river. The door is a jar" - Jim Butcher (Dead Beat)
32,916 / 50,000
Oct 9, 2009 - 23 17
Although that 'bloop' noise sounds positively giggle-worthy, there's also the problem of some people either listening to music using headphones or their music just being so distracting they don't notice a cute little 'bloop' noise. I'll see if I can find some in-browser chatrooms that make a cute bloopy noise and blink obnoxiously. ^^
14,255 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2009 - 18 18
Hmmm, the web-based chats are always S L O W and way more buggy than AIM.....I don't know........ICQ is pretty great, super quick, nice interface non-buggy, is free and also works with all the pan-chat engine software such as Adium and I forget the name of the PC chat app.
The more I think about it, the more I think ICQ would be a great way to go! Cleaner and VERY fast!
----------Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
—John Steinbeck
27,993 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2009 - 20 39
How about Twitter? Tag entries with #AKNano or something? It might not be suitable for extensive chatting but at least for progress updates.
----------http://www.twitter.com/tallswedishguy
http://2talltales.blogspot.com
Nanowrimo 2005 Winner - "Valley of the Dead"
70,325 / 50,000
Oct 15, 2009 - 12 05
The more I think about it, the more I think ICQ would be a great way to go! Cleaner and VERY fast!
It's Trillian
My problem, would be that sometimes I have to mute my sounds in order for my mother to sleep.
----------Wolfling with a new look!
4,081 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2009 - 20 59
There's also Pidgin for PCs. As for muting your sound, could you do headphones or taskbar blinks instead?
I'm against shifting to web-based chats--I forget I'm in those when nothing tells me a new message has come in! I'd prefer to go with something in AIM, MSN, or Google Talk, but I'd be willing to get ICQ just for NaNo--it's why I got AIM, too! :)
48,269 / 50,000
Oct 22, 2009 - 19 40
I used the chat room during the first half of Nano last year and didn't have any problems. After that, I sort of stopped, I think because I was writing more during the day and logging on when no one was in the chat room.
The year before I remember having a lot of problems, not being able to get in, but I think Jean-o was able to correct the problem after talking/emailing with the AIM people.
I know how to use AIM after three years of learning. Which is why I'd prefer we wouldn't switch. I only use it for NaNo and if we switch to something else, I will need real clear directions for Macs since I'm don't know anything about other chatroom software.
(I'm the one who kept asking question after question in years past.)
18,024 / 50,000
Oct 22, 2009 - 20 20
I very much prefer AIM....I use it all the time, and it works fine for me.
10,073 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2009 - 00 41
AIM has always been a little problematic in some ways with me. But luckily last year I had no problems with it. When it comes to other services, there's also IRC. It's never been too much of a problem for me. If it's that, then I'd suggest mIRC for PC or Colloquy for Mac. I've yet to run into any problems with those two programs.
----------Bide your time, and hold out hope.
2,945 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2009 - 01 20
I still prefer AIM the most-- I'm almost always on it, so it's the easiest. I have had the problem where I can't load 'aknano' at all, but 'alaskanano' works just fine, and I can easily start lurking it in/inviting people/etc.
for the record, I'm kerianawilliams on trill/AIM/pidgin/whathaveye, so. aye. yeah. WOW, I shouldn't post at 1am.
44,246 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2009 - 16 42
I'd prefer not using a web-based chat program. I use Pidgin, and would be willing to use a chat program I can use with that, including AIM.
57,912 / 50,000
Oct 26, 2009 - 17 16
I had problems with AIM, but would try again if that is what is being used. I find MSN works very well also.
Pam
----------http://pamkwill.wordpress.com
2,945 / 50,000
Oct 26, 2009 - 19 34
MSN isn't good for chats that you can create and just enter/leave as you please, though, is it? Back when I used it (and nowadays it has issues updating) the most you could do was invite people to a pre-existing IM window, instead of creating a full chat area.
57,912 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 00 01
Once I am in a conversation I stay in even if I'm not posting. And I have never had a problem being invited in on MSN. AIM for some reason has never worked well for me. It seems hard to get into. I will have to sign up for a new user name and see if it works this time.
Pam
----------http://pamkwill.wordpress.com
14,255 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 12 00
I think that this close to Kickoff we ought to stick with AIM. And most people are up to speed on it already.
TOMORROW NIGHT Folks!! That's when we all get online together and KICK WRITERLY BUTT!
We have always had a main chat room called ALASKA NANO, and then the more local areas would open their own, such as FAIRBANKS NANO, Mat-Su Nano, etc. But for Kickoff Night it is so much fun to be all in one great room!
Also, to have ALASKA NANO open whenever someone is looking for a writing buddy means we can support each other no matter how far apart we are, and there have definitely been times that there is just ONE person on, say, Kodiak, who can only do writing challenges via AIM.
The writing challenges are major forces of Nano, believe you me! Do several 15 minute challenges and you'll see your word count ZOOM!
----------Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
—John Steinbeck