Chat?

Unable to sleep, I ended up tinkering all night and set up a little chat room here at HawaiiStories. While the blog reigns supreme, a fun spot to simply shoot the breeze couldn't hurt, right?

That is, if there's someone around to shoot the breeze with.

I know, I know, Stupid Web Tricks. It's just that I played with a variety of free website chat packages while researching options for a client, and figured, I might as well plug one in here. Talkstory in real-time!

What do you think? Are you just not the chatty type? Is the setup too slow (or the JavaScript requirement too presumptuous)? Does it crash your browser? Or, does it look promising — yet another corner of the site to pop into now and then to see if something's up? And if the idea's a winner, would an informal, weekly hui time help improve the chances of finding someone to chat with?

Comments

Original in German? Is it Spinchat's version? I'm in one of those for the zlist one or two times a week, so I'm familiar with the style.

I dunno, at least most participants would be in the same time zone, so it would be convenient for many, I think. Why not?

I like it! Any chance of showing who's in the chatroom on the mainpage?

I just left my browser logged in as I caught my four hours of sleep (before Katie started pounding on my head), but NemesisVex, Ali and Julia breezed through already. Just not at once.

For a community with its heart in Hawaii but many members on the Mainland, what's a good time of day to set as 'the chatting hour'?(Like the witching hour? Never mind.) Something like 7 p.m. might work, though that'd be like 1 a.m. in New York.

Or, I wonder, is HawaiiStories a 'from work' thing? Then we could go with 9 a.m. HST/3 p.m. EDT?

And Ali, I was looking for something like that, but this is a HTML-based setup, and doesn't use any special features of the webhost server. Thus I think the member list is handled by SSI when you see it on the login and chat page (which are generated by the chat script). I'll keep looking, though!

What's wrong with 1 AM eastern? :) Oh, right, I bet most of the other east coasters have schedules and stuff, huh?

Neat stuff, Ryan!

Well, personally, I'm not a chatroom person (I did dabble in ICQ for a time, but stopped when I had trouble getting its client to work on my XP box). But I'm curious about that chatroom. I'm definitely interested.

I just had a couple of questions...it looks like I have to register again. When it asks for my "username", do I put my HawaiiStories login name, or something else? (Just trying to avoid a name collision, because we have two Keiths here.)

Keith, you don't need to use your HawaiiStories login information. Indeed, you do have to create a separate account for the Chat area. (I'm not enough of a coding genius to get MovableType and GTChat to share the same user database.)

I'm still trying to get a "who's online" to appear on the main HawaiiStories page, Ali. There is a script, but I'm having a hard time getting it to work. Of course, it would be a short list. I check in now and then, but always seem to miss folks (who also similarly breeze through, and find themselves alone).

The chatroom will remain for anyone who ever wants to use it (even to easily arrange to chat with other folks online). But as far as regular use is concerned...

How about Thursdays, at 7 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (that's 1 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time)?

If weekly doesn't work, well, we should probably start more modestly and pick a day in late-June. Heh.

Update! I got the "Who's Online" indicator working for the front page. Like it, Ali?

Now. To set a regular chat date...

Hey, I just dropped in a few minutes ago! (Thanks for putting up the "Who's Online" link, Ry. Sorry I didn't stay long, though - the cold meds just kicked in...)

Anyway, as a set chat date, I can handle a weekly schedule. I'm usually home and online at 7 pm HST most days, since I'm always on the field for work. Plus my schedule's probably going to get a little looser after the Filipino Fiesta on Saturday, so hopefully I won't be too tired - or, worse, crabby. ;)

Yeeeeheee! Yes, thank you, Ryan. I love it! Chat on Thursday evening sounds good to me. I'll pass the word around as best I can.

Reminder to everyone! Chat tonight! (Now, what are the chances I'll remember myself?)

But right in the middle of Homicide: Life in the Streets? I'm just starting to catch up on that show! ;)

Hee! Doesn't Court TV usually run H:LotS marathons on holidays? Or is it only because I'm so close to Baltimore? Or maybe they traded it in for Law & Order, to become part of the growing Law & Order conspiracy?

I had fun chatting with you guys last night. Sorry I had to leave, but it was getting late over on my side of the country. :)

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