Shout Box / Chat

M

Mokeli

New member
Ive noticed this has become a big deal , It would be alswome if there was a built in shout box , make it Ajax or something pro , it would still be nice. We have over 15 members online it would be nice if we could chat to spare time. Or There could be Shoutbox Mod addons . So we can edit it and make it more appealing with more features. And I think you should add a feature where you can take of the side bar and leave the stats at the bottom of the forums or make the forum text a little larger, Plus with description the forums would look bad.

Mokeli
Admin Junction Founder
Goodbless
 
Upvote 14
+1 as an add on but not in the core product. Some days think they are great other days don't, it's like my policy on changing undies, every other day is fine.
 
Lost said:
Mod / Author / Release Date:
---------------------------------
Shoutbox / Robbo / Soon

Check!
Click to expand...
Haha, I may as well. I do a lot of modding for SMF. And XenForo has really impressed me so plan to migrate to it in the future. And if I do anything I need I will make and release if I think anyone else could use it.
 
I can't realistically see a shoutbox feature ever being officially bundled in with modern forum software - they tend to detract from the main focus of a forum, in my opinion and from my dealings with various shoutbox and integrated chat programs.
 
I've been posting at a forum now for three years which is approaching one million posts and has around 600 active members. The shoutbox feature serves two functions:

1. to keep small chat off of the forum and thus enhance the discussion on the forum (it's a quasi-intellectual board)
2. to keep flamewars hidden from public view

I'm looking to make the move to XenForo with my community, but they won't come along for the ride with a shoutbox since they're so acclimatized to it. I'm hoping that fully integrated one does arrive or failing that, a mod that won't cause problems.

Hopefully we can get updated on this thread :)
 
We go in spurts with the shout box, but I really prefer a chat room. Some of my members actually use the chat room for online baby showers.
 
It's kinda silly to issue blanket declarations about how terrible they apparently are. It depends. My forum has had one for maybe 8 years, but it's custom and not in the traditional chatbox style that seems to have become common.

Anyway, it certainly shouldn't be standard, but on the right community they can be great. Ours has its own little sub-culture, in-jokes, etc., and it keeps a lot of random, short comments from clogging up threads or dragging them off-topic.
 
TWTCommish said:
It's kinda silly to issue blanket declarations about how terrible they apparently are. It depends. My forum has had one for maybe 8 years, but it's custom and not in the traditional chatbox style that seems to have become common.

Anyway, it certainly shouldn't be standard, but on the right community they can be great. Ours has its own little sub-culture, in-jokes, etc., and it keeps a lot of random, short comments from clogging up threads or dragging them off-topic.
Click to expand...

Agree. I think there are sites who wouldn't benefit from a shoutbox, but I know for a fact (from designing them and selling them at various points over the past 5-6 years) that there are tons of sites who use them to great effect. A good shout/chat box should always have thread/post notifications as well, which actually tends to *increase* posting (because people have a reason to stick around and wait for a reply) rather than the decrease most people expect when they have a chat/shout box.
 
I don't see where all this hate is coming from. Countless times I've posted in a topic, hoping for a quick reply. Countless times I've gone to bed before getting that reply. In a shoutbox, I'd have an entire conversation going within 5 seconds.

A shoutbox is there for nothing but convenience, and I don't see that as being a bad thing.
 
I support the idea of an integrated conversation solution. I'm not concerned that it will detract from forum posting. I could see the benefit for forum members to communicate in a chat. Further, if it's not needed, a simple toggle off should do the trick.
 
I have found that the shoutbox is an invaluable tool. (I've had one running on my forum for 9 years).

Someobody will probably have to shut me up because I have a lot to say about its merits. It literally breathes life into the forum as it brings everyone together. I suppose it all depends on what your forum is all about, and the temperament of the people it draws. Mine is a sort of experimental place, a bunch of us share how we see the world from different vantage points. We're all very different, from different parts of the world and the country, and we all have a lot of questions and curiosity about how the world works, or doesn't. So we like to draw from different sources on the web and discuss our viewpoints on subjects that span the globe. In the shoutbox we can post links to articles or to threads we've started, we can post pictures and youtube videos, and it all becomes part of a flow of knowledge, insights, images, ideas, which are very engaging. It doesn't matter if some of the threads thin out, because other threads actually grow and migrate from the conversation. So there is an organic flow, and it is the shoutbox that allows that to happen.

I think positioning across the top of the board is also a factor.
 
Mokeli said:
It still would be nice instead of waiting for someone to make it.
Click to expand...
I've asked the guys over at dragonbytetech if they had plans to port their shoutbox to XenForo.
They told me it's one of their first priorities, I'm using their shoutbox for some time now and everyone loves it :-)
 
Mokeli said:
Ive noticed this has become a big deal , It would be alswome if there was a built in shout box , make it Ajax or something pro , it would still be nice. We have over 15 members online it would be nice if we could chat to spare time. Or There could be Shoutbox Mod addons . So we can edit it and make it more appealing with more features. And I think you should add a feature where you can take of the side bar and leave the stats at the bottom of the forums or make the forum text a little larger, Plus with description the forums would look bad.

Mokeli
Admin Junction Founder
Goodbless
Click to expand...

I like the idea, but I think should only be like an addon or optional, because the "shout box" built-in would discourage some users to actually post of the forums
 

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