CB7tuner Chat? Your thoughts?

[deevergote]

What are your thoughts on having a CB7tuner chat? There are some potential benefits to it, I suppose... but there are a good number of drawbacks as well.


We had a chatroom MANY years ago, and I watched my fellow CB7tuners devolve into a bunch of poo-flinging adolescent chimpanzees. We lost some good members to BS that came from unnecessary heated discussions. People that got banned for a day or two would enter the chat and make trouble. The chat was absolutely impossible to control, and given the fast-moving nature of it, allowed for things to happen before anyone could take any action to do something to stop it. It was sad to see people with a wealth of knowledge about CB7s walk away from this community because some internet gangsta wanted to start a fight about gun control (it happened...)
Based on past chat experiences, I'm hesitant.
Based on Facebook, I'm also hesitant. The CB7tuner Facebook group has proven to be a trainwreck... though we're TRYING to keep it under control. Childish bickering, a lack of respect for others, and a constant flow of misinformation make it difficult to wrangle... and Facebook is a great deal slower moving than an active chat would be!

However, despite my reservations, I do see some potential benefit. We're a tight community here, and most of us are on a similar level in terms of maturity. The immature kiddies have all flocked to "easier" formats. For that, I feel we might have potential to have intelligent, friendly conversations. In doing so, we'll likely become even closer, which would be cool. I've made some genuine friends thanks to CB7tuner, and all of those friendships were due to the ability to get to know people outside of the car-related discussions found here.
The CB7tuner staff that manages the Facebook group has an ongoing chat, and we've all become much more friendly with each other thanks to that.
So maybe it will be a good thing.


OR, my only other fear... is that communication will slow even further on here, when someone can just pop into a chatroom and say "hey, help!" to anyone else that's logged in. Off-topic discussions may grind to a halt.





So, what are your thoughts? I want to do what would truly be best for the community.
If I do it, it will be a chatroom located elsewhere (I haven't researched, but surely there are sites that will allow such a thing.) If it ends up being a good thing, I may consider incorporating it into the next software update... if and when that ever happens.

[bassrock234]

I think it's a good idea. Not many forums have a chat but the ones that do seem to work well. Being able to talk to someone in real time is always nice. Getting an immediate answer to a question in the chat is also nice, but since there won't always be people in the chat, I think forum posts would still be made.

[deevergote]

That's very true. Though I've experienced issues on other forums with chat features in the past. On forums, people tend to think before they hit "send". In a chat, it's more like being in a room full of strangers, all talking at once... only with the anonymity that comes with the internet.
As for getting answers, part of the use of this forum is to provide a searchable database of information. If people start getting their answers via chat, it benefits no-one beyond that one person once that chat has ended. I've witnessed that on Facebook... where the kiddies say "wut engin can i put in my acored?" Either they get spoonfed, or they get told to search. Either way, buthurt eventually erupts when the question has been asked for the 12th time!

BUT, maybe a chat here would be different. Realtime discussion between 3-4 people, forming a closer personal relationship, discussing future plans with cars, coming up with new ideas that might never have formed in the slow progression of a forum post...

[oni_cb7]

I've always thought that a chatroom would be a great idea for this forum.

However, an issue that I don't think was covered popped into my head.

I feel like a chatroom would only be helpful for those currently involved. What happens when someone a month or two (even a year later) has the same question that someone had in the chatroom. The original question was answered, but the second person asking the same question might not be able to find that answer to the question. I feel this can lead to others not wanting to answer the same question multiple times. Could there be a search feature for a chatroom (not much experience with them, so I don't know if this is possible).

[Raf99]

I'm for it, but only in the premium section or in a section where a member needs 100+ posts to join the chat. In my mind I picture intelligent helpful conversations but there is always the bad apple who (as you put it) turns things into poo-flinging adolescent chimpanzees. Gun debates is a perfect example!

People would also need to reference links to DIY, etc. instead of just blurting out the answer. As seen on FB, this will not happen. People will spoon feed them with right and wrong information.

Another good point brought up is repetitive questions. There is no way to deal with this.

Soooo, I suggest you do a premium members only chat. It would be nice to have a intelligent chat with others about cb7 issues and discussions. But I certainly don't want all the BS that comes with a open chat to all ages.

[deevergote]

I've always thought that a chatroom would be a great idea for this forum.

However, an issue that I don't think was covered popped into my head.

I feel like a chatroom would only be helpful for those currently involved. What happens when someone a month or two (even a year later) has the same question that someone had in the chatroom. The original question was answered, but the second person asking the same question might not be able to find that answer to the question. I feel this can lead to others not wanting to answer the same question multiple times. Could there be a search feature for a chatroom (not much experience with them, so I don't know if this is possible).

It would depend on what software was used, but I feel there MAY be an option for searching some chatroom software. However, I doubt that would even occur to someone who was more inclined to ask for technical assistance in a chatroom than they are on a forum. Again, it's something I've witnessed on Facebook (which, believe it or not, IS searchable... nobody does.) Most people that would ask in a chat are "I need to know NOW!" types.

I've searched through old active AIM conversations with just one other person... and that alone can be frustrating. I would imagine searching through a chat log involving MANY people would be well beyond anyone's patience.

That may not be an issue for a chat within this community, though. Most of us already know to use the forum, and understand how to use it. Chances are, the only technical questions asked in a chat among this crowd would be simple things that can actually be answered quickly and easily. Things that, while we all know we can find those answers, a quick answer from people that you're talking to at the moment might just be easier. Like "what bulb is for the low beam, 9005 or 9006?" You could look that up, sure... but someone in a chat that knows you're not usually lazy would have no problem typing four digits to help out!

I doubt anyone is going to try to give instructions on doing an H22A swap via chat... (I've seen people try to do that on Facebook... it's not pretty, and important things are always omitted!)

[deevergote]

I'm for it, but only in the premium section or in a section where a member needs 100+ posts to join the chat. In my mind I picture intelligent helpful conversations but there is always the bad apple who (as you put it) turns things into poo-flinging adolescent chimpanzees. Gun debates is a perfect example!

People would also need to reference links to DIY, etc. instead of just blurting out the answer. As seen on FB, this will not happen. People will spoon feed them with right and wrong information.

Another good point brought up is repetitive questions. There is no way to deal with this.

Soooo, I suggest you do a premium members only chat. It would be nice to have a intelligent chat with others about cb7 issues and discussions. But I certainly don't want all the BS that comes with a open chat to all ages.

That's not a bad idea.
I figure, I'll at least start with an external chat... not actually attached to this site, or hosted on this server... we can go from there if it works.

I may make it so that the link and password are only accessible to premium members just to test it out. Once it works, I could potentially work up an automated PM to be sent out to every member with 100 posts or more (or whatever we deem appropriate) with the link and password. I THINK I can do that... I'd need to poke around in the settings to be sure.

[F22Chris]

Then it'll be people trying to post whore to get into the live chat though.. But yeah, usually, people with over 100 posts know what engines are easily swapped, and have hopefully gotten answers to most of the frequently asked questions. I'm for this, sounds like a cool idea!

Another forum I'm with for Subarus actually emails me when I get a reply which is cool.. Maybe something else to think about I suppose.

[deevergote]

We had that option once, but apparently it's a major bandwidth drain to send emails for replies! I had to disable it. I still get complaints about that from time to time, unfortunately.

I may be able to set the requirements to be both a post count AND a time limit... like, you'd need to be a member for 6 months AND have 100 posts to get the PM. Of course, someone could always share the info... but I think I would make it so you would need to use your username on here in the chat. Anyone not using a known username gets kicked, as does anyone using a name that belongs to a member with less than 100 posts or 6 months membership.

[Raf99]

It would take someone a good deal of time to get the chat integrated into this version of VB, but even a link to a subdomain of the site would work too. The link only posted in the premium section and username/pass integration into the chat too. I'm willing to help out with such things as well if needed. I have servers we can test things on if required.

[Ralphie]

I think if you go through with a chat system, besides other issues, the logging in to ask for help should be reserved for ONLY emergencies.

Not sure if it would be something that you could partake in on your phone if you're stranded, but I have seen it done that way on other forums.

The chat system is really just for OT stuff and to bring people closer, where they would rather direct you to read and learn for assistance but if it is an emergency(like you can't get your suspension reassembled and have work tomorrow) then it is cool, otherwise no go because then like you said, people will just always want to chat about everything and not bother reading anything ever again.

my .2

[deevergote]

Yeah, that's my thinking.

I want to see if I can figure out a way to enforce stuff like that, since it can't be monitored at all times. I figure if enough people understand the way things work, it'll essentially moderate itself. This forum has kinda gone that way. There's very little actual babysitting left for the staff to do these days. All we usually need to do is keep the threads organized.

[lbus9168]

I'm not for a chat system, I think its unnecessary.

In emergencies a lot of people seem to go to Facebook and get answers ( and a link to the forum haha) fairly quickly.

I can see the idea but I think most of that is covered in the forum and the best part is that you can actually go back and read what's been said easily.

At the same time, I am both the only person saying no and the least experienced member here so take that into consideration, for sure.

[Raf99]

I also like the idea of having a conversation with someone on here about one's ride, history, etc. Like sometimes I wish the "what did you recently buy' thread was a chat. You could ask a question, show immediate joy, satisfaction, amazement and have everyone in the moment. (that almost sounded lame).

*shrugs*..

[Tishock]

I think if you go through with a chat system, besides other issues, the logging in to ask for help should be reserved for ONLY emergencies.

Not sure if it would be something that you could partake in on your phone if you're stranded, but I have seen it done that way on other forums.

The chat system is really just for OT stuff and to bring people closer, where they would rather direct you to read and learn for assistance but if it is an emergency(like you can't get your suspension reassembled and have work tomorrow) then it is cool, otherwise no go because then like you said, people will just always want to chat about everything and not bother reading anything ever again.

my .2

Ralphie is a little serious about this topic. He gave us an extra 18 cents with his post.

As for me, I would give it shot. Funny, I haven't been in a chat room since the 90's.