Instant message with friends online

For those who don't know what it is, Openfire is an open source Jabber protocol IM server (GTalk uses Jabber, or a flavor of it anyway).
Thats only part of the story. There are plugins to connect to MSN, AIM, Yahoo!, etc. So this means that if you could connect Openfire to XenForo, you would essentially connect XenForo to Google talk(=Jabber), MSN, Yahoo, AIM. This gives a wide range of possibilities.

Not only is a chat box possible, its also possible to push notifications and subscriptions to your members their IM client. So they are instantly alerted when they get a new PM, a thread is replied to, they are quoted, liked or if a friend comes online. That would attract quite a lot of members to your site that would otherwise forget about it for some time.

I would be very very amazed if such functionality would not lead to a rapidly increasing active member count and post count.
 
I don't want to completely shoot down this suggestion, but I don't believe it should be part of the core functionality of XF. Kier stated somewhere that he's aiming XF's features at the majority of users and I personally don't see this being used on a large scale.

I have faith that someone will create a modification to implement something like CometChat into forums, or even a custom IM client. A lot of users would disregard an instant messaging application if things like threads and private conversations were to use AJAX to fetch new content. It gives the feel of instant messaging but also uses core functionality... I also feel the term "conversation" implies some form of instant communication.

To completely contradict myself:
IM is not needed on a Forum - There are Private Conversations and the actual Forums themselves to post in. Some forums will also have a shoutbox which is pretty close to IM - Leave the IM'ing to the IM programs ;)
I get what you're saying, but the whole point of evolution and "keeping up with technology" is to integrate things like IM and forums ;)

But yeah, AJAX-ify the PCs and threads and I am a happy chap ;)
 
The reason why it didn't fit well for my community was it is too ephemeral, good content disappears and gets lost.

I've used tufat's flashChat before in conjunction on my main forum but with scheduled chat sessions for interviews, webinars, etc.

I schedule them because it's easy to moderate, people plan to attend and the chat gets logged for later posting and further discussion.
 
Chat is probably the most requested addon for vbulletin. And thats the reason why IPB has it.
Many webmasters fear chat though.
A full fledged chat has a chatbox, facebook like chat bar, chat rooms, log, and connection to desktop (trough IM networks or trough a desktop client)
 
With all the available IM services already (MSN Messenger, AIM, YIM, etc), users are probably talking to each other there anyway.

this ^

Having IM services on your site just mean more use of resources I think, with no return unless you want to eavesdrop.
 
If XF don't do one, I hope someone does a chat mod similar to the StarTrekGuide one for phpBB.

I don't want to IM all of my members or add them to my MSN contacts, I just want to be able to chat to them in real time via my site as and when I wish.
 
I don't want to IM all of my members or add them to my MSN contacts, I just want to be able to chat to them in real time via my site as and when I wish.

Exactly. You see the point clearly: a site needs an integrated IM function, independently of any external clients like Windows Live Messenger etc. When I am on a social networking site, I want to talk to my friends I have there. They have no relation whatsover with the contacts already available in my WLM contact list!
 
I don't want to IM all of my members or add them to my MSN contacts, I just want to be able to chat to them in real time via my site as and when I wish.
If MSN is connected to your site, you wouldn't add any of your members to your contacts. You would add your sites MSN address as a contact. All messages from your site would come trough that. That includes messages from your members. Your sites IM network address should work as a proxy between your members and your IM. They should not see your IM address.
It would off course be needed to have an option in usercp to control who can send messages to your IM. (everyone/friends/no one)
 
The reason why it didn't fit well for my community was it is too ephemeral, good content disappears and gets lost.

I've used tufat's flashChat before in conjunction on my main forum but with scheduled chat sessions for interviews, webinars, etc.

I schedule them because it's easy to moderate, people plan to attend and the chat gets logged for later posting and further discussion.

Exactly how I feel. I'd be good with making it available for specific purposes, but we're a question and answer type of site, and having too many good questions answered in chat would be a waste of great content and a disservice to future members that may have the same question. Obviously YMMV widely depending on your specific community though. I'm sure that there will be mods for this, and if Mike or Kier get a wild hair about it and bang out a chat integration, I won't complain... As long as I can control when and where it's available :).
 
If MSN is connected to your site, you wouldn't add any of your members to your contacts. You would add your sites MSN address as a contact.
It would also require all members to have MSN installed on every PC/device they use to access the site.

A simple chatbox is all that's needed.
 
Realtime chat is not a task for forums in my opinion.
There are lots of so called "shout boxes" around and I think they are an annoyance. Second, they bring a lot of server load with them...
 
1-on-1 chat and a plead to bring Friends 'back' in XenForo

It would also require all members to have MSN installed on every PC/device they use to access the site.

Exactly what I was thinking and try to say in my postings: no external clients please! There must be some kind of technical reason (maybe to much server load... I haven't the slightest idea as a non-developer) why no other forum software has a Facebook-like integrated 1-on-1 chat. Just look here: http://www.cometchatdemo.com/vbulletin/ and try it for yourself with the demo account mentioned at the top.

It would just be so convenient and attracting (and keeping) members when I can offer a chat like that. But then... how would it work with 'Followers' in XenForo? This is one of the reasons why I miss Friends in this package:

http://xenforo.com/community/threads/friends-functionality.587/
http://xenforo.com/community/thread...682/page-4#post-9107
http://xenforo.com/community/thread...ays.1405/#post-18381
 
I have real time chat on my site and there is no significant impact on server load from what I can tell.
I don't know why this keeps getting mentioned.

What's nice about the chat on my site is it is fully integrated so once signed in you can use it.
Mod's also have the ability to delete messages.

As far as I can see, having XF official chat functionality would be a win-win.
Those admin's who don't want it can just disable it in the ACP.
 
It would also require all members to have MSN installed on every PC/device they use to access the site.
You can chat with your friends in Gmails chatbox right?
gmail_chat.png

That's exactly the same.

While members could indeed access the chat trough MSN, Yahoo, AIM or various other IM clients, they can also just enter the chatbox.

A simple chatbox is all that's needed.
For your site maybe, but some sites have different needs.
 
I'm not sure what point it is you're trying to make.

What about sites with 100,000 members?
Every member would have to be on the contact/friend list of every other member to be able to chat to everyone.

Surely you can see that just would't be feasible?
 
The point is that with a Jabber chatbox your members do not have to have an IM client installed, like you stated above. A Jabber chat box can work as a simple chatbox, like you want. But it can also cater to sites that want more out of chat functionality.
 
Ah OK, yes we want the same thing ultimately.
I don't know what Jabber does but chat on my site supports smilies, BBCode, image embedding, youtube embedding, has moderators, etc.

Essentially it's the same as the forum but live.

I would just prefer it integrated to the site, otherwise why not just use IRC or CoverItLive or one of the other services available?
 
Top Bottom