Reviving the Chat Room Feature

I posted this in the Instant Chat Room and decided to also post it here.

I noticed that the Chat Room, different from the Instant Chat Box, isn't being used.

I noticed that one of our new members said "hello" in there.

Perhaps we need to try and revive using the Chat Room feature.

Thoughts?

Here is the link to it:

http://www.maritime-sda-online.com/forums/chat/flashchat.php

I had a short chat with Green Cochoa in Chat Room #1 the other day.

I am going in there now for the next 30 minutes or so.

Will I see you in there?

I have wondered a number of times why they aren't used. I know I went in one once and it was empty. I don't think I've ever been back in there.

I like the idea of a chat room, but also found there was never anyone there.
But I also found that if too many people are in the "chat", it is hard to have a cohesive discussion. One cannot answer them all at the same time.

One way to revive it in our context with few people here.....Is to set an appointed time to chat. Maybe set the same appointed time once a week. That way could get people logging in on the appointed time for a friendly chat.

Go for it and set a time and post that date and time here.

Well it should be a time most people are usually here which seems to be Sunday.

How about Sunday evening. Sometime between 12PM-1AM(GMT) which is 8-9pm(AST)? Is that a good set time and long enough to get most people?

Or we can just say every Sunday evening and set no specific time.

Or we can say both, a precise time to hope to get more people and the remaining of the evening by chance.

Well some people aren't PERMITTED by the hierarchy here to use the chat room, so maybe it was that mindset that blew the blessing that could have come from such a feature?

You are unable to access the following link???:

http://www.maritime-sda-online.com/forums/chat/flashchat.php

I can't access this link either. I tried Sunday night to get on chat but wasn't able. I just assumed it was something with my computer as my window version is quite old.

1. Chrome, Firefox & Opera don't like Flash
2. The Chat is working perfectly in IE9
3. Chat ID shows login <username> instead of <display name> (would have preferred the latter)
4. Option to save conversation (to post on forum) exists

///

These days with Skype and Yahoo Messenger and the like, people like their private cliques behind the scenes. These chat rooms are just too public for them.

I am using Chrome and the link works OK for me.

I noticed that Elle was/is in there today.

I am in there now.

We will have to try this again sometime when I see that you are online.

I am in the Chat Room now.

Just noticed that APL was in the Chat Room a couple of hours ago.