A change in status for the chatbox

(24-04-2011 17:48 )Deb x Wrote:  Well, that's something, Chris, thanks. Are you able to confirm whether people can use the chatbox if they're not registered on the forum? As that's also a concern...

In the past it would only have taken 30 seconds to register on the forum anyway - and then immediately enter the chatbox - so I don't see how anything's changed. The time it would take to register and enter the chatbox now is surely exactly the same as it was before.

(24-04-2011 17:40 )Deb x Wrote:  Not a fan of the new 'free for all' setup at all

Why is it a 'free for all' when the chatbox has it's own moderators?

Just to (hopefully) clarify a few things, some people who were banned from the chatbox were given a second chance. Chris was one of them and hasn't caused any problems that I've seen. Another person (I think we all know who) did, and was banned again.

To anyone who is nervous about using the Chat, don't be. It's a good environment to be a part of and the Chatbox mods will not hesitate to deal with any members in breach of the rules.

(24-04-2011 19:17 )BarrieBF Wrote:  In the past it would only have taken 30 seconds to register on the forum anyway - and then immediately enter the chatbox - so I don't see how anything's changed. The time it would take to register and enter the chatbox now is surely exactly the same as it was before.

You're correct in that the time it takes to register may not differ.
Those 'quick registerers' are actually a very good example, as previously they're exactly the ones I'd steer clear of in the chatbox.

Previously, I've been able to quickly look up someone's posting history in the forum if I'm not familiar with the name and they're behaving a bit oddly, to see what sort of poster they are, how long they've been on the forum etc. You can usually make a fairly accurate judgement on whether they just want to use the chatbox for a chat, or if they might be trouble. Now, they could be coming in from anywhere, they don't have to be allied to the forum at all, so there's no basic checks I can make easily. Significantly more potential 'strangers' to deal with, too.

And that's not even taking into account the posters who create multiple identities; they're going to love this opportunity.

I have no idea if you've ever been in the chatbox, minding your own business when you find yourself being pestered by people who have all sorts of disgusting and inappropriate propositions for you. I have. The mods have been excellent in dealing with that, but, to put it bluntly, I'm not going to be able to relax in there if anyone can come in from anywhere, and I've no way of guessing if they're going to be likely to start whispering filth at me.

I'd be forced to assume that I need to be suspicious of people who are coming in from outside, when, most likely, they're perfectly friendly and harmless. That's not the kind of chatbox I'm interested in.

(24-04-2011 19:50 )elgar1uk Wrote:  

(24-04-2011 17:40 )Deb x Wrote:  Not a fan of the new 'free for all' setup at all

Why is it a 'free for all' when the chatbox has it's own moderators?

Sorry Elgar, to clarify, I meant 'free for all' in the sense that people can come into the chatbox from outside of the forum. They don't have to register on the forum first.

problem is now that you could have a relative newbie or someone from here with a grudge, joining chatbox under the username of a different poster just to cause problems by starting arguments or just insulting other chatbox users so Im not sure that was fully thought through as the mods in there cant (i dont think at least) IP check back to the main boards.

oh and as for the 'Death to the chatbox clique' comment....its a real shame people who chat regularly in chatbox together get on so well isnt it . This seems to come up every so often but theres nothing to stop anyone else joining the banter if they want to, and im sure anyone would stick up for people they consider friends if necessary

(24-04-2011 21:50 )I-Love-U-Fernanda Wrote:  Deb x, I dont think you have anything to worry about and if anything funny happens in there, i'm sure that the Chatbox mods will sort it out.

You’re right about the mods - they’re excellent, and if I’ve ever had problems in the chatbox in the past they’ve been quick and effective with their response. I’m able to deal with the low-level pestering myself.

It’s just with this new set-up, it’s going to be much easier for the freaks and multiple-identity people to get in there (which is similar to what simplymarko was saying), and they‘re not so easy to identify when the chatbox isn‘t exclusive to the forum.

(24-04-2011 23:27 )Deb x Wrote:  the chatbox isn‘t exclusive to the forum.

But as barrie said the chatbox was never really exclusive to the forum, as anyone could gain access with a simple registration the same as they can now.

(24-04-2011 23:48 )farmer bills cowman Wrote:  But as barrie said the chatbox was never really exclusive to the forum, as anyone could gain access with a simple registration the same as they can now.

And as I replied to Barrie, those quick registers are high up on the list of the ones female chatboxers need to be wary of. But now I've got to try and cross-reference two separate, massive memberlists, without a quick 'posting history' check to fall back on? And that's not even counting the people who might choose to use different names in the chatbox.

Let me give you an example. I have just looked at the memberlist for the chatbox. I've never heard of the first seven people on that list before today. If I'm in that chatbox and one of them starts being a bit weird with me, instead of being able to simply check them out on the forum, I have to try and see if they're even on the forum in the first place, before I can even think about looking at their history etc.

While the "new" Chat does already have a long member list, the overwhelming majority of those people have not logged in to the chatroom itself (at least to my knowledge). There's only a handful of people that are regular users and all are friendly and follow the rules. As I said earlier, anyone who doesn't will be be dealt with accordingly.

While I can see where Deb is coming from, I think having the forum and Chat as two separate sites is a good thing. The Chat has run much better since the split, and it means any users who are banned from the forum can still access the Chat (which has come in very handy today )