New IRC Chat Box

[Majin_You]

Touche, sir.

Ah, well. I got along just fine using the forum, primarily, to communicate with other members en-masse, and I am certain I can go back to doing that.

 

[Skyrider]

Sub is right. Not only the delay, I also wish to put some less strain on the server. As I mentioned above, this is an Experiment at first to see how things goes. People are able to use chat commands on IRC now such as .help .files .download .steam .forum (with the . added) once joined and get instant information.

Example:

FF|Skyrider: .steam

SurgeBot: Steam is required to legally run and play Earth's Special Forces. Steam can be downloaded at: http://storefront.steampowered.com/download/SteamInstall.msi | Support will not be given to non-steam users! More information how to install ESF, go to: http://forum.esforces.com/faq.php?faq=esf_manual#faq_esf

or:

FF|Skyrider: .files

SurgeBot: Earth's Special Forces can be downloaded at: http://esforces.com/index.php?page=files | Remember that you still need a valid copy of Half-Life and Steam in order to play the game. More information about steam can be grabbed by using the .steam chat command.

I also would like to make the #ESF channel more popular and being used more often. I'll also will add the subdomain irc.esforces.com so people can easily use that URL to get in to the chat.

 

[sub]

It's all good. Thanks for the update Sky.

 

[Skiwan]

I'm still gonna boycott it. Do not like it :|

 

[TehMuffinMan]

i like idling in irc and not having to log into the forums anymore to chat, but is that a good thing?

 

[Deathshot]

I'm still gonna boycott it. Do not like it :|

I guess we cant chat with anyone anymore. You dont like it and I cant log in no matter what.

Time to steal a room on some Yahoo Chat.

 

[Skyrider]

I guess we cant chat with anyone anymore. You dont like it and I cant log in no matter what.

Time to steal a room on some Yahoo Chat.

I still find it odd it says your username is in use, no matter what username you use. Try using this chat instead.

 

[Deathshot]

I still find it odd it says your username is in use, no matter what username you use. Try using this chat instead.

Works for me there. Even though it connects really slow on it.

 

[KYnetiK]

In all honesty, if I wanted to use #esf, I still have mIRC kicking around. I don't hate IRC, but I thought that the chatbox was more than convenient enough and, like most others posting in this thread, loved having an actively-updated list of threads being created/updated. Also, I didn't find the chatbox delay THAT noticeable. Perhaps it was time to clear the archive again
In any case, IRC is fine and dandy, but I think I'd rather just use mIRC for when I feel the IRC-craving... which may be sparingly :\

No, Im not a fan either. This is impractical and just doesnt feel like it belongs...

Its not on every page, so a tab must be reserved to maintain the connection. The login method invites sociopathy. It looks and feels clumsy.

If I wanted to be on #esf I would leave my own IRC client up. Simply using mirc is the logical ergonomical choice - it means I can easily maintain the connection and its out of the way in my taskbar. It doesnt feel clumsy, and it is customised to my needs. Its a shame that we need to hotlink to #esf within a browser for it to get activity. Surely there is another way - having our own chat applet rather than piggybacking off irc is just one solution.

All it really seems to accomplish is offloading some server resources in return for text appearing marginally faster... Ive havent noticed any chat activity since the change.

 

[Skyrider]

Works for me there. Even though it connects really slow on it.

That link is using http rather than https. (secure). Is there something wrong with your internet? :s.

As for the others, why don't you give it a test drive first regardless if you dislike it? I know some of you say you'd launch an IRC software if you really wanted to use the IRC, but I never see you guys to that regardless. Because heck, we have a forum chat box! Only a few people of you used it, tops. The chat box may have been convenient for a lot of people because the chat is a lot easier when you just scroll down and see the latest chats. But lets not forget this is a chat box, in a forum. We have all the discussions in a thread while the chat box is mostly separated from it. We supposed to have small chit chats in it, but it became more and more popular.

With the forum growing, it bound to happen that people will keep asking questions in the chat box and not everyone can be around at the time, thus my idea to add SurgeBot to the #ESF IRC channel which will answer your questions with a simple trigger command such as .help. And with Mibbit able to connect instantly by typing a simple nickname and use of quite a lot of skins and multiple options to set, Mibbit was a great choice for this.

A lot of you people dislike it because you were simple used to the older chat box. While I do perfectly see the valid reasons why you guys dislike it, IRC also has great advantages over the previous chat box.

 

[Majin_You]

A lot of you people dislike it because you were simple used to the older chat box. While I do perfectly see the valid reasons why you guys dislike it, IRC also has great advantages over the previous chat box.

Yeah, but it's not as though the people who are dissatisfied with the IRC applet don't understand that IRC has advantages. I think almost everyone who's posted in this thread has used IRC at least a fair bit in their time. I, for one, used to frequent #esf and all of the ESF channels every day when I was on break from classes.

What's being said is that if we wanted to go to #esf, we know how and can use our own clients. You counter that by saying we don't use our own clients anyway, and that's true; it's likely because, despite everything else, #esf is sparingly used, even with the IRC applet right there on the forum index. Even when there are 30 regularly active users on the forums, #esf sees the same dozen or so people (almost all of which are idling there, anyway).

I see the advantages of having IRC around for some things, but as a pop-in-and-pop out means of chatting, it's really not doing it. The proof is in people's abstention from it...

 

[Skiwan]

With each passing day I hate the new chatbox more and more. I think its really hurting what little activity we had on this forum.

A forum is somewhere where people drop by and leave their comments during whatever point in the day, while at work/school/home, It's not somewhere you idle for conversation for most people. The beauty of the old chatbox is I could see somebody leave a comment that they might have left half an hour ago, and then reply to it, and maybe a conversation would start up. I could leave a comment and then in an hour or two somebody logs in sees it and starts replying to it. This is not possible in the new chatbox. Now I have to logon, I can't see what anyone else has said previously, and I open and close tabs continually, so it makes this new chatbox an absolute nightmare, and I cannot see why there are ANY positives for it. If you like IRC, then use IRC, I really don't think it works well with the forum.

 

[Skyrider]

I've replaced back the old chatbox, but will leave an IRC link active in the top and on the forums for people to use

 

[Damaera]

Thanks. I, myself, was getting tired of the new chatbox.

 

[Snowm@n]

Yeah, i'm glad we have the old chatty with us again, its so much efficient.

 

[Skiwan]

/dances on its grave

 

[KYnetiK]

A forum is somewhere where people drop by and leave their comments during whatever point in the day, while at work/school/home, It's not somewhere you idle for conversation for most people. The beauty of the old chatbox is I could see somebody leave a comment that they might have left half an hour ago, and then reply to it, and maybe a conversation would start up. I could leave a comment and then in an hour or two somebody logs in sees it and starts replying to it. This is not possible in the new chatbox. Now I have to logon, I can't see what anyone else has said previously, and I open and close tabs continually, so it makes this new chatbox an absolute nightmare, and I cannot see why there are ANY positives for it. If you like IRC, then use IRC, I really don't think it works well with the forum.

Whilst I totally agree here on the old chatbox, I do think that a mibbet option is a good thing when it comes to enticing people to #esf. Being experienced with irc, I will use my client, but newcomers need some initiation. A hotlink to the mibbet system would be a neat addition to the old chat applet imo. I believe promoting the use of #esf is a great thing that needs to be explored, but not at the expense of the old chat box.

 

[The Deco]

I can't see the chatbox!

 

[Mous4u]

[EDIT: I've replaced back the old chatbox, but will leave an IRC link active in the top and on the forums for people to use]


As a lot of people already may have noticed, I've replaced the forum chat box with the Mibbit. Mibbit is a nice AJAX IRC web script. The only thing you have to do to join the chat is to scroll down the forums, enter your nickname and to click the "Join" button. You may ask, why the change?

First, Mibbit is completely independent of the ESF Website Server. This means that the Chat Box no longer uses the resources of the server that the website and forums are on. This means that mibbit will show your chats instantly with no delay, and you are easily able to private message other people and able to ignore them as well. To make it even easier for you guys, the #ESF chat channel located on the GameSurge.net IRC Server has a bot named SurgeBot. From this bot you are able to use commands such as .files , .forums and .news to trigger actions and gives you answers related to the name of the command which will help the new people further without the need of someone to be around in the channel.

And as last, The ESF channel has been inactive / almost dead for quite some time now, so it would be great to revive it once again.

I know this is kind of getting used to, but I think you'll like it if you give it some time. There are 2 themes currently. A white one (default of mibbit) and a black theme which is set on the Forum Black theme. For those who are using an IRC Software, you can join the #ESF channel on irc.gamesurge.net.

You are welcome to give comments, suggestions, complaints. But I'm afraid I cannot set mibbit so it'll automatic use your forum name. Just remember, impersonating someone (especially a team member) is a ban able offense on both IRC & Forums. If you wish to stick around for a long time, It's highly recommended to use an IRC software such as http://www.mirc.com/

OH MAN! i didnt get to even see what the preivous update WAS!

---------- Double Post below was added at 11:11 PM has been merged with this post created at 11:11 PM ----------

[EDIT: I've replaced back the old chatbox, but will leave an IRC link active in the top and on the forums for people to use]


As a lot of people already may have noticed, I've replaced the forum chat box with the Mibbit. Mibbit is a nice AJAX IRC web script. The only thing you have to do to join the chat is to scroll down the forums, enter your nickname and to click the "Join" button. You may ask, why the change?

First, Mibbit is completely independent of the ESF Website Server. This means that the Chat Box no longer uses the resources of the server that the website and forums are on. This means that mibbit will show your chats instantly with no delay, and you are easily able to private message other people and able to ignore them as well. To make it even easier for you guys, the #ESF chat channel located on the GameSurge.net IRC Server has a bot named SurgeBot. From this bot you are able to use commands such as .files , .forums and .news to trigger actions and gives you answers related to the name of the command which will help the new people further without the need of someone to be around in the channel.

And as last, The ESF channel has been inactive / almost dead for quite some time now, so it would be great to revive it once again.

I know this is kind of getting used to, but I think you'll like it if you give it some time. There are 2 themes currently. A white one (default of mibbit) and a black theme which is set on the Forum Black theme. For those who are using an IRC Software, you can join the #ESF channel on irc.gamesurge.net.

You are welcome to give comments, suggestions, complaints. But I'm afraid I cannot set mibbit so it'll automatic use your forum name. Just remember, impersonating someone (especially a team member) is a ban able offense on both IRC & Forums. If you wish to stick around for a long time, It's highly recommended to use an IRC software such as http://www.mirc.com/

OH MAN! i didnt get to even see what the preivous update WAS! :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry::cry: :cry: :cry::cry: :cry: :cry: :cry::cry: :cry: :cry::cry::cry::cry: :cry::cry::cry: :cry::cry::cry: :cry:

 

[Synth]

If you keep resurrecting dead threads... you will reap consequences.