Instant message with friends online

chat has always been a must for my community... i've tried cometchat and arrowchat and they are too server extensive for the shared server i'm using... The best solution i saw so far is the one that IP offers... for a small yearly fee, you get a fast, reliable an integrated chat system that is powered by them...no need to worry about software platform, installation or perfomance issues. xenForo should offer such a service...
 
Ah now
chat has always been a must for my community... i've tried cometchat and arrowchat and they are too server extensive for the shared server i'm using... The best solution i saw so far is the one that IP offers... for a small yearly fee, you get a fast, reliable an integrated chat system that is powered by them...no need to worry about software platform, installation or perfomance issues. xenForo should offer such a service...

if you want a full chatrooms system gchats is best and very good price too. Very stable, good intuitive design, all features you need. Suite of rooms as many as you want price per user per month in batches of 25 price band.
Check gchats/ visichat.

I use the little 24IM instant messenger as a desktop client in ADDITION to forum + chatrooms for several reasons. Mainly that because it ISN'T integrated - if one system disconnects we can contact via the other. Another is that staff can contact each other quickly to sort out practical problems fast.
 
Ah now


if you want a full chatrooms system gchats is best and very good price too. Very stable, good intuitive design, all features you need. Suite of rooms as many as you want price per user per month in batches of 25 price band.
Check gchats/ visichat.

I use the little 24IM instant messenger as a desktop client in ADDITION to forum + chatrooms for several reasons. Mainly that because it ISN'T integrated - if one system disconnects we can contact via the other. Another is that staff can contact each other quickly to sort out practical problems fast.

thanks but no thanks... it's just too expensive! $69.99 per month for 25 users !?? i can get MUCH better offers with many more users for half the price... sorry ...
 
thanks but no thanks... it's just too expensive! $69.99 per month for 25 users !?? i can get MUCH better offers with many more users for half the price... sorry ...

Yes I know and I tried most of them. Buggy. Unreliable. No support or support is too slow. No customisation .... Features lacking .... etc etc
Depends what you want really.
 
Now I'm totally confused!

I've been looking for a "facebook" style chat toolbar which simply alerts you to your friends online and allows you to send a private message. It doesn't have to be a real time chat, it could be a "private conversation" on Xenforo.

Here are what I've found:

Skysa http://skysa.com/

Wibya http://www.wibiya.com/

CometChat http://www.cometchat.com/

ArrowChat http://www.arrowchat.com/

FooterChat http://www.footerchat.com/

Meebo http://www.footerchat.com/

They all look the same to me. What's the difference and which one is best? I want a low server load and full integration (avatars, friends lists, etc.). Anyone have any experience with any of these? Why is one better than another. They all look the same!!!
 
Do people realize (I just did myself actually) the opening post only received 2 likes? I strongly believe in the power of a Facebook-alike 1-on-1 chat for forum software. Not only for your regular users, but I could certainly use it for staff as well. For regular users it will prove to be a huge attraction to your site and isn't this (generating attraction/traffic) the main goal for any site?

I am waiting for the first forum product that recognizes this need/potential.
 
Do people realize (I just did myself actually) the opening post only received 2 likes? I strongly believe in the power of a Facebook-alike 1-on-1 chat for forum software. Not only for your regular users, but I could certainly use it for staff as well. For regular users it will prove to be a huge attraction to your site and isn't this (generating attraction/traffic) the main goal for any site?

I am waiting for the first forum product that recognizes this need/potential.
You do realize that, at least from people I've talked to, there's actually quite a lot of people who don't like FB chat? :p
 
You do realize that, at least from people I've talked to, there's actually quite a lot of people who don't like FB chat? :p

Then you must be talking to different people than I do
wink.png
. And yes, when it comes to Facebook I can actually understand the point, but as an additional interactive means to a forum platform I believe it can do wonders.
 
Been using a fairly customized MGC chat and have a mission critical need to replicate that function on XF.

DarkImmortal at least a while back seemed open to considering taking a crack at that.
 
Then you must be talking to different people than I do ;). And yes, when it comes to Facebook I can actually understand the point, but as an additional interactive means to a forum platform I believe it can do wonders.
I suppose it depends on your definition of what forum software is for. If its for building a community, why should we be allowing one-to-one chat. If one-to-one chat is so effective, why aren't we building instant messaging and chat-based websites?
 
We have chat on our site and couldn't do without it come race day.
It's great for building an atmosphere and relationships.

If people want one on one chat then there's always Skype.
I can't see what benefit it would be to most sites to allow such private interaction.
 
Live streaming chat, such as a chatbox, is good for that indeed.

Paul, have you seen/used a forum with auto-updating replies? Like vBulletin's Live Topic (I know you don't come from the vBulletin arena) - I found it to be just as useful as a chatbox, whilst retaining the functionality and purpose of threads.
 
Now I'm totally confused!

I've been looking for a "facebook" style chat toolbar which simply alerts you to your friends online and allows you to send a private message. It doesn't have to be a real time chat, it could be a "private conversation" on Xenforo.

Here are what I've found:

Skysa http://skysa.com/

Wibya http://www.wibiya.com/

CometChat http://www.cometchat.com/

ArrowChat http://www.arrowchat.com/

FooterChat http://www.footerchat.com/

Meebo http://www.footerchat.com/

They all look the same to me. What's the difference and which one is best? I want a low server load and full integration (avatars, friends lists, etc.). Anyone have any experience with any of these? Why is one better than another. They all look the same!!!

LOL you can't do a comparation with a hosted "general" toolbar service like Wibiya and a facebook chat clone like Arrowchat (=standalone script).

I think we don't need the option of "istant message". If you need it, simply buy Arrow chat or Cometchat (i think the first is better, more neat and less server intensive).
 
I still prefer IRC over everything live in a browser.
While the idea is nice, I want good conversations to become discussions in the board.
And I want the random chit chatter that usually happens in shoutboxes etc to just happen on IRC live chat.
 
I still prefer IRC over everything live in a browser.
While the idea is nice, I want good conversations to become discussions in the board.
And I want the random chit chatter that usually happens in shoutboxes etc to just happen on IRC live chat.

Ok, but irc is too "old-style" and very time consuming. The ultimate generation of chat allow to visit a website and chat in the same time (like facebook).

The true problem is that the "normal" flash/java/jquery chat software, especially when integated with a cms/forum, is very server intensive. Now i wait the Arrow Chat Lite, i hope to see a true "lite" chat software. :D
 
Ok, but irc is too "old-style" and very time consuming. The ultimate generation of chat allow to visit a website and chat in the same time (like facebook).

The true problem is that the "normal" flash/java/jquery chat software, especially when integated with a cms/forum, is very server intensive. Now i wait the Arrow Chat Lite, i hope to see a true "lite" chat software. :D


The only true lite chat software for realtime convos, needs specific type of server, I know Nginx can handle long-polling well without much server resources, if you use the push module., but real real-time chat software uses servers like Orbited, Hookbox, ComentD etc. They are very light on resources and are designed for highly active realtime environments. facebook uses tornado web server.
 
I suppose it depends on your definition of what forum software is for. If its for building a community, why should we be allowing one-to-one chat.
Yes, forum software is aimed at building communities. And what do people inside communities do? Interact. And interaction can take place in groups (on the public forums), but obviously interaction does also take place -in big amounts- privately.

If one-to-one chat is so effective, why aren't we building instant messaging and chat-based websites?
Why make it so black-and-white? If you look 'carefully' at XenForo you will see that they already implemented stuff that comes for example straight from Facebook. Profile comments? Has nothing to do with forums, but it sure increases member-interaction and is therefor beneficial for your community as a whole. It is all about the combination of things (and the way it's integrated) that make a community platform successful. Is the fantastic Private Conversation feature in the way of building community? No. Are profile comments? No. They in fact add to it. The same goes for instant 1-on-1 chat with a forum member that is online at the same time as you. It will actually bind people even more, instead of pushing them away from high quality in depth/extensive forum discussions. Every tool has it's purpose. And it's the purpose of truly great community software in my opinion to bring all these tools together...
 
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