Functionality problems with the new chat

[Sandman]

Hey.

We had high hopes in the chatter crowd that the advent of the new chatroom would entice more members to chat regularly. Unfortunately due to a number of problems with the new chat program it's had the opposite effect. We actually have less regular chatters now than before. Most new people who come in are turned off by the quirky workings of it.

The most important problem is that it logs you out unless you're constantly active. It's a very short timer as well, and when you're logged off you have to close the whole chat down and then re-open and "pop out" again to resume chatting. The fact that you can't even go AFK for a short time is very annoying for people who have other stuff to do on the side, and even for people chatting hardcore. The fact that it does not count playing a game or drawing in the Handwritten Message function as activity (meaning you get logged out while you do that) is kinda weird too.

Second, the new chat has a ridiculously complicated method for sending private messages. It's very important to a chat to be able to just open a window easily to talk to another chatter in private, to resolve trades, talk about personal stuff or whatever. In the new chatroom you actually have to create a whole new chatroom, invite someone, and then both join the room, which is way too much work and too byzantine.

Finally the new chatroom has only one available background color, white. It's very straining on the eyes to not be able to choose a more soothing color scheme.

If these matters could be fixed, the new chatroom would be great.

[JVS3]

Is the chat still timing out? Cometchat said last night that this had been fixed. Please let me know.

For private chats with people, here's how you do it. If you are in a chatroom, you click on their username on the right, then "Private chat". Outside of the chatroom, you click on "Who's Online", click on the user's name, and a private chat window will pop up. Much like with the previous chat, it's up to the other person to acknowledge the private chat and respond.

For the background color, that's something we'll need to tweak as we move along. I was in there speaking to the users about it recently. I was thinking a lighter blue like you see in the thread posts.

[wolfsfang]

there is also the issue with the "Chat Room" button at the top of the screen that used to take you to the old flash chat

Now it says, and I quote,

"Sorry, your mobile browser does not support chat."

according to comet chat themselves when someone else had this problem

"The URL, for e.g http://yoursitename.com/chat/ is meant to be accessed only through mobile devices and not by web browsers on the desktop/laptop machines. "

does this mean I have to use my tablet to now access the chat room? actually Is a tablet a mobile device?

[JVS3]

does this mean I have to use my tablet to now access the chat room? actually Is a tablet a mobile device?

Ignore that earlier link. It's been removed.

[Sandman]

I tried it just today and it still times you out.

[JVS3]

They just modified the settings one more time. They say it is fixed. If you would, please delete your cache, close and reopen your browser, and let me know if it still times out.

Thank you!

[Sandman]

The timing out seems to be fixed now, thank you.

However that function to get "Private Chat" to pop up when you click people's names does not seem to work in Firefox. I keep getting a message about that script not working, even now.

[JVS3]

If you would, please post the message you are getting here.
Do you experience it in any other browsers? Thanks!

[Sandman]

Most of the time, clicking the "New message" icon in the new chat bar does nothing. The message indicator remains there, but nothing happens when I click it, even clicking multiple times. Occasionally it gives the error message "This script has stopped working" and then the name of the chat program (Comet Chat something).

I'll check in other browsers later.

[Benedict Judas Hel]

Yeah, I got a problem. I got a problem with any chat program that censors "Scooter". I know he was a pretty lame Gobot but that's no reason that his name should be censored.

[JVS3]

Most of the time, clicking the "New message" icon in the new chat bar does nothing. The message indicator remains there, but nothing happens when I click it, even clicking multiple times. Occasionally it gives the error message "This script has stopped working" and then the name of the chat program (Comet Chat something).

I'll check in other browsers later.

I'm sure I'm going to embarrass myself here, but I don't see a "New Message" icon on the chat bar. Where do you see that specifically?

Yeah, I got a problem. I got a problem with any chat program that censors "Scooter". I know he was a pretty lame Gobot but that's no reason that his name should be censored.

You realize people are now going to actually believe the word "scooter" is censored in the chat, right?

[Scotward]

You realize people are now going to actually believe the word "scooter" is censored in the chat, right?

Despite Benny's reputation for exaggeration, "scooter" actually is censored in the chat... so now he can't use his favorite pet name for me.

[Benedict Judas Hel]

Despite Benny's reputation for exaggeration, "scooter" actually is censored in the chat... so now he can't use his favorite pet name for me.

I have a reputation?!

[Replikor]

I have a reputation?!

..[faceplam]... haha

[JVS3]

Despite Benny's reputation for exaggeration, "scooter" actually is censored in the chat... so now he can't use his favorite pet name for me.

Really? That's weird. I don't recall that being on the censor list.

[Scotward]

Yup. It's weird. Not the end of the world, I'm sure Benny will come up with something else to call me.

[Benedict Judas Hel]

Yup. It's weird. Not the end of the world, I'm sure Benny will come up with something else to call me.

Yeah, I'm leaning towards "Angel Drawers" but it doesn't have the punch that "Scooter" has.

[Sandman]

I'm sure I'm going to embarrass myself here, but I don't see a "New Message" icon on the chat bar. Where do you see that specifically?

I have no idea where else you would see private messages sent via the chat. The regular forum PM's of course are a whole different issue.

[JVS3]

Oh, an incoming private chat. I was looking for a "New Message" button.

They work for me. I don't get any errors. What browser are you using?

You may also want to clear your cache and He-Man.Org cookies as some settings have been adjusted in the past few days.

[Sandman]

I have logged in and out, cleared cookies and caches and such, and tried updating Firefox. It works in IE, but I am not switching browsers just for that.

"A script on this page may be busy, or it may have stopped responding. You can stop the script now, or you can continue to see if the script will complete.

Script: http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/cometchat/cometchatjs.php:3"

[Benedict Judas Hel]

We can even type "title" in the new chat without it getting censored?!

*sigh*

[He-Dad]

I have logged in and out, cleared cookies and caches and such, and tried updating Firefox. It works in IE, but I am not switching browsers just for that.

"A script on this page may be busy, or it may have stopped responding. You can stop the script now, or you can continue to see if the script will complete.

Script: http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/cometchat/cometchatjs.php:3"

I get the same error on IE.

[JVS3]

It apparently has to do with the number of people online at the time. That's what CometChat told me. If there's a large number, you won't be able to open the private chat request. I have no idea why.

I may go decrease the queue time for Who's Online and see if it makes a difference.