Fone Forum

Hi

I would like to suggest a facility on this forum where it allows members to have live chats. At the moment if someone pm's a member, it could take a while until the member responds. If a member is online then it would be a good idea to have live chat rather than pm. Similar to skype,windows messenger etc.

If fellow members agree and there is a demand for it, then if possible to have this facility I would think it to be a good addition to this forum.

What do you guys think?

I think it's a good idea, I've thought about it in the past.

A very good idea jagga303 - would definitely quicken the communication process...let's hope it's possible.

I don't know whether the SMF forum has such an add-on but in any case, it is essential that it could be disabled if so. Not everybody wants to be randomly disturbed :)

There's no particular desire from myself to have a chat here, but if other members want it I shall not stand against it.

dlR

that will b very usefull

I highlight few points of Live Chat, which doesn't match with this forum or the nature of the forum/website.

First of all Live Chat can be beneficial where:

• There is need of quick response needed for professional reasons.
• There is a wide variety of subjects or none (like on-line Chatting websites, if we consider it an entertainment forum)
• Some live events are taking place, like sports, etc (so that members can discuss about those events)
• There are chances of some (at least tens if not hundreds) members on-line. (so that some would find some to chat).
• Admin or Moderator (at least one) is available to monitor live conversations.
• Some extra funds are available to enable these facilities.

The existing format serves the forum well as:

• Members can go through the topics any time without help (if they give it some time).
• They can get help by posting or sending PM to other members.
• I haven't seen any forum providing LIVE CHAT facility with such nature. (seen some with sports channels, etc)
• Some New members are already lazy to read through the topics, in Live Chat format there won't be any need of topics or board, A TOTALLY DIFFERENT THING, LIKE REGISTER, CHAT AND GET THE SOLUTION (Would it be free???).

In my opinion, Live Chat is something else, than the site won't remain a simple telecoms discussion forum, it's a total transformation, which itself need so many other things (even not covered in this lengthy post), so if the Admin steps forward, obviously we would be there as a part of it.

These are my views, so the members not need to be agree with me, but it would be helpful to present some really useful points in favour.

Still the decision is to made by the Admin & team, so let's see what they decide.

I don't wish to stifle contributions of new ideas, but just a few practical points:-

1).  As far as I know, our software does not support live chat, so it is not practical;

2).  Even were it possible, I couldn't say if the host of our forum server would be happy with providing the larger bandwidth that such would necessitate;

3).  As yil; has pointed out, live chat would change the nature of the forum, and too many are lazy in reading threads already;

4).  As davegr pointed out, live chat might be a boon to lazy members, but would be a bane to those who are busy.
      Members who are very busy, especially Mikael I should guess, would have to opt out in any case;

5).  There is nothing to stop members from swapping contact details with friends via PM, and ad hoc arrangements can be made to live
      conferencing on Messanger, Gmail chats, Skype, or a host of other possibilities.

So I am afraid that my conclusion is that the idea is impractical, of questionable desirability, and above all unnecessary, as such arrangements exist elsewhere already.