What happened to the chat?

The chat box seems to have disappeared.  Was it disabled?

Silverlocks wrote:The chat box seems to have disappeared.  Was it disabled?

Chatbox was not turned on this weekend.
We are seeing if it's useful or not.

It has been an ongoing debate. I've monitored it for the last few weeks, and it hasn't really been used. The odd (very odd in my case) person has logged in and then either logged out or been timed out without leaving any messages. I've tried a 'make a date' technique where I've given some times I'll look in if anybody would like a chat, but I've never been taken up on it. Of course, this could mean that nobody wants to talk to me! I couldn't really blame them tbh. I'm also not sure whether the archive section is really known about or used.
When it works, it's great and we have had some good conversations  @Silverlocks and  @AceBullion  (how are you both by the way). It also means that our in boxes don't get cluttered up, and the chatbox can involve more than two people at a time. I do think that members tend to use PMs if they want to contact someone on the forum, and that tends to be a focused question and answer rather than a general chat.
Overall, I haven't missed calling into the void or missing folk by five minutes (and they never come back). Making a date hasn't worked either - and I'm starting to take it personally    . Having said that, normal people will use weekends in Summer for other activities and for those who have to work the weekend will be their family time, so I'm not too surprised at the lack of engagement. There's also the telly factor: I don't have one so what's showing isn't something that is a constraint for me, but I am aware that there are avid followers of the tripe various offerings.
I don't know what the answer is, but maybe keep it as a winter thing and rely on personal contact for socialisation. I have quite a few 'phone numbers, but I'm conscious that I might be a nuisance and don't want to interrupt meals/TV/hobbies etc. I'm just too considerate!    

I use it in the winter. In the summer months I'm never in our summer is far to short

It's not great for persistence or notifying you if there's something to reply to.  With (say) a whatsapp group the phone will bleep at you if somebody posts.

Silverlocks wrote:It's not great for persistence or notifying you if there's something to reply to.  With (say) a whatsapp group the phone will bleep at you if somebody posts.

It will be in your settings about notifications.. The problem is, most people decrease the amount of notifications they receive and only log on when they want. 

Then there is no urgency etc. 

I will put it on this up coming Friday about Noon UK time and leave it until the following Monday. 

People should utilise the General Conversation to organise when they will or wont be on... 

If you see chat look at the archives... you can see who has posted what when you were away... 

I know the limits of the forum but also the benefits of the forum.  I know some things would be better if I could incorporate a group but then again some members ( quite a few ) are not great with computers etc. So I tried making this as user friendly as possible. 

Admin wrote:

Silverlocks wrote:It's not great for persistence or notifying you if there's something to reply to.  With (say) a whatsapp group the phone will bleep at you if somebody posts.

It will be in your settings about notifications.. The problem is, most people decrease the amount of notifications they receive and only log on when they want. 

Then there is no urgency etc. 

I will put it on this up coming Friday about Noon UK time and leave it until the following Monday. 

People should utilise the General Conversation to organise when they will or wont be on... 

If you see chat look at the archives... you can see who has posted what when you were away... 

I know the limits of the forum but also the benefits of the forum.  I know some things would be better if I could incorporate a group but then again some members ( quite a few ) are not great with computers etc. So I tried making this as user friendly as possible. 

You don't mean me by any chance, do you  @Admin ?

No not you at all TCM

Honestly.... you were not even on my top 10 list.

Admin wrote:No not you at all TCM

Honestly.... you were not even on my top 10 list.

Rats! I'll have to try harder.