Chat for Ringers

[primsong]

I noticed several folks talking about their desire for a chatroom again - thought I'd toss out what info I have. The Shire chat still exists - it's just dormant. Skybly hasn't the time to pursue it, but would probably be glad to give the keys to anyone who has the knowhow and time to run and moderate it. It's a big job.

The other option would be to use the active chat that already exists at Council of Elrond, choosing times to meet there. It requires java, which I can't use thanks to my security stuff but should be open to most of you.

If someone knows of another option that would be usable with mirc as well as java, that would be even better, though I rarely had the uninterrupted time to spend at the old Shire chat myself, it was fun when I could get there and sounds like it would be welcomed by many.

Comments

[stefestella.livejournal.com]

mIRC limits your choices to IRC channels, but if you want a Java chat there are a lot of options. I recommend the paid version of the ParaChat interface. It is about $10 a month, but those willing to chat a lot could donate a dollar or two toward it if they desire. The paid version ensures that it can be administrated by a moderator and that it will be ad-free. I'd be glad to upgrade the Bucklebury.net interface again for a month at my own expense if people want to use that.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

That would be only java friendly? I remember you kicked around the idea of a chat over there before but it never got off the ground somehow - I couldn't get into it, because it was java only. The idea of a non-ad version with small donations to cover it is a good one, but it would still leave the position of 'nonstop mod' open, with (so far) no one having the time. Hmm.... Thanks for the feedback, Stef!

[stefestella.livejournal.com]

The mod would not have to be on for the chat to be used, but the moderator functions would be there. Any chat at all that hopes to enforce rules will require someone to be there to enforce them. Most free chats do not provide for that moderation, but most paid chats do. ParaChat is just one option among many.

Java is so much a part of the Internet now that very few users would have a problem accessing the interface. I would estimate perhaps 1 in 100 may have a problem, and 1 in 5 of those will not be able to solve it. Java itself is not a security risk, especially if you have an antivirus program controlling the traffic. Only certain questionable websites could possibly run an unwelcome Java application, but even then your security is set by default to prompt whether or not you want it installed. Even without Java, though, there are means to force a Java installation if the website is nasty enough. And that goes for other types of installations, too, that your machine runs anyway, like DOS batch files. The best defense is to watch where on the web you go. ;-)