The return of Ajax Chat...

[GreyGoose]

Dear Members...

You were promised a few weeks ago that Flash Chat was here to stay providing there were no major issues and for awhile, there were no major issues. Everyone who uses the chat room probably thought this was a "done deal". That's what I thought too.

But then, the problems began. At first, just wee little problems and only every once in awhile. Before long, more problems popped up and I began receiving PM's from members who were unable to access the chat room - even though they already had the requisite number of posts and should have been able to gain access.

As time went on, the problems became worse both on the member-end and on the administrative end to the point where I was about ready to head for the hills and live with the bears. I put off dealing with this for awhile - not wanting to make any waves or cause already anxious members any more anxiety.

In time, the problems got worse and the frequency of problems grew and even more problems (not the revolving door) sprang up to the point where there was no other worldly choice but to bring Ajax Chat back.

The upshot of this is that at least we still have a half-way decent chat room. It has a lot of great features, lots of colorful emoticons and it's open 24/7. Before installing it however, I took into account some of the issues members were having with it the last time we had it installed and fixed a few things. For example, to cut down on lag, the number of members logged in at any given time has been reduced to 10 (staff are not counted). While this means that some people might need to wait to get in, it also means that the chat experience for those already logged in will be much improved (and faster).

The inactivity interval has also been increased to 15 minutes so that members who "hang out" in the chat room without saying anything will have more time to do so without having to worry about being logged out simply because they got up to grab a cup of coffee. Other changes and improvements have been made as well.

A few things to know about Ajax Chat: It works best in Firefox whether on Windows, Linux or the Mac. If you are using IE, you will want to disable all compatibility settings (ie; "compatibility view/mode".) to avoid the "jumpy" scrollbar, flashing screen each time you post, etc.

If you experience any issues with Ajax Chat or there is some feature you really wish to have, please post in this thread or send a PM to myself or a Moderator and we'll see what we can do to accommodate you as much as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding .

- Regards, GreyGoose

[katmoon]

Will Flash be coming back or are we stuck with ajax now?
Kat xxx

[GreyGoose]

The number of members logged in at any given time has been increased from 10 to 20. It can be adjusted further down the road if needed. The shout box has also been disabled for now to see what effect it has on the chat room in terms of speed/lag.

@katmoon - That depends on the developers and release of a stable version.

- Regards, GreyGoose

[hello40]

Thanks for all your hard work with the chat issues!

[0681012]

OK...first let me say I do appreciate all that is done for the community through this website.  However, after trying to log in to chat I found I am no longer eligible because I haven't had ten meaningful posts in the forum.  I am in a pretty good place as far as recovery.  I am medicated and no danger to myself, which I have not always been able to say.  But, it seems that new people who register today without ten meaningful posts may be the people most in need of someone to talk to...*just saying.*  I'm sure there are reasons why this policy has been adopted.  I think that maybe those reasons should be weighed against the needs of newly registered potential chatters that may be in need of someone to understand their feelings at the time of registration before they have ten posts.  Just something for consideration.

[Fletch]

thanks for the update

[Elrino]

I don't understand how this works. I am new to this whole website. What I gather is that I'm supposed to have ten meaningful posts on 10 different forums before I can access the chat? I understand that this was a necessary change, but it's somewhat inconvenient for the people who are new to this site. I agree with 0681012. I will try to get in my ten posts though so I can access the chat :)

[jane134]

It doesn't mean 10 different forums, Elrino. Why not pop over to Introduce yourself and welcome a few newbies? It takes no time at all to accumulate ten posts. See you in chat soon. 

[Elrino]

Jane, I still don't quite understand, sorry! I believe I already posted in "Introduce Yourself" and, I told my story and such. But I'm still a bit confused as to why I can't access chat.

[sixpack]

Jane, I still don't quite understand, sorry! I believe I already posted in "Introduce Yourself" and, I told my story and such. But I'm still a bit confused as to why I can't access chat.

just post on 10 threads.  It can be one that you start or reply to another person's thread--in any folder--GAD, OCD, Hypochondriac, Lounge, Inspiration, Introduction, Meds & Therapy....  You can post a welcome to other new members in the introduction folder.   Anyone can easily acquire 10 posts by saying a quick hello to our newest members in 5 or 10 minutes.  Every new member likes to have a warm welcome.

[Elrino]

Thanks! I think I get it now!

[sixpack]

Thanks! I think I get it now!

okie dokie

[runner60]

still having problems with site.hopefully it will get better.give it another try.

[Cuchculan]

What problems are you having? Obviously posting in the right sections is one of them. 

Other than that. What can't you do? You should be able to get into chat now as you have made your three posts.

[sixpack]

read this link:

http://www.anxietyzone.com/index.php/topic,46127.0.html

[OliPicard]

Thanks for providing an awesome service.