I wonder if there is any chance that there could be a Live Chat on this web site such as we have on the http://gcchat.clayjar.com/ page. Easy for me to say this, as i am not the one volunteering all of the time for this great page. However if i could help , I would Glady..

I will try and explain my opinion on chat. I talked to Team Trout about this same subject before we put this site online and I think he agrees with me.

Chat can be fun and very rewarding. But it has its downfalls also. Let me try and explain this without confusing everyone along the way with and example.

Example:
It is Tuesday night and six users are all in the chat room sharing stories and passing along helpful information. When they are all done chatting they log off and go on there merry way with some new information that may have been useful to them and heard some nice caches stories or what ever.

Meanwhile all the other users that were not in the chat room for what ever reason on Tuesday night never got any of the stories or helpful information that was talked about because they were not in the live chat.

Personally I think we all get more out of it if we leave it to leaving it as a message board and that way everyone else never misses out on anything said because the messages will be there for everyone to see. You never miss a story or some helpful hints that are passed along.
End of Example.

This does not mean that we can not add it. It can be added. I would like to here some more opinions on this. But I can not promise anything since I have not really looked into it and don’t know how much server resources it will use or require.

I understand your example, but I don't agree. :-)

Chat has a completely different "feel" to it than forum messaging. I enjoy both. In fact, it's much more convenient to do the forums. However, the enjoyment of chatting is a lot of fun. People will still post in the message forums as well as chatting in the chat room. I don't think there will be a loss of information as I believe you were inferring.

Ultimately, it's your call -- you are the one putting the time and money into this system for OUR pleasure -- for that, you get a gold star! I'm very impressed with the vBulletin system...someone spent a lot of time doing it right and making it look good. You've done an awesome job customizing it for our specific needs. Thanks! I ran a bulletin board system for 5 years back in the early 90's, back before the internet became so popular, so I know what it takes to maintain such a beast.

Anyway, if you are looking for opinions, I'd say adding chat would be a great addition.

-RanMan22

I have to agree. Chat in here would be great. I like CLAYJAR's chat but I don't know half the people in there. I know a few, but if they aren't in there, I leave immediately. Plus it's nice to chat with those that have been to the same caches that you have (or plan on going).

I read the example given about why you don't think it's a good idea, but IMO it doesn't matter because those that miss it will NEVER know it was given and it won't really matter. But you can almost guarantee the same people (because we are a tight knit group) will come back in and share that information they received the night before... because that's the way we are.

EXAMPLE: At the BBQ, someone told me what I should do to help out with Colleen (she's 3) when she doesn't want to walk once we are out in the middle of the trail and she's tired and wants to be carried. I took that advice and shared it with another cacher that I know has small kids. Just because that other cacher wasn't involved in the conversation doesn't mean they can't received that good information/advice.

Or maybe it's because I have such a big mouth that I can't keep anything to myself?? :D

I tend to agree with the previous replies about chat. I go into Clayjar's chat once in a great while but I don't know hardly anyone,except a few of us who join in on occasion. I do appreciate the effort that Rick has put into this website to make it happen and don't know what it would take to include a chatroom,but I think it would make it that much better if we could also talk to each other one on one. It's kind of nice too being able to talk to someone whom you have already met at an event or out caching too. Just my 2 cents :)

Great idea Noreasta! I would enjoy it and use it as well. In fact, I would have used it last night if it had been available. I think that there is a use for a chat and the postings and believe that they would both be used well. For example, I posted a question about a fall event and would have still used that approach even if the chat option existed. On the flip said, it would be great to say hello to people I see on at the same time that I am.

I second the gold star for your efforts and time! The site is fantastic! :D

As regular visitor to ClayJar's chat channel, I really don't think a local one would work well. As it is, there are often 30 people logged in there, and yet only 2 or 3 chatting much of the time. Take a look at how many are logged into our new forums at any given time - and the account for those that won't chat, and those that are just logged in but not paying attention and that would not leave much of us to be chatting at a given time. Anyone that thinks otherwise should be able to fire up a new temporary IRC channel and see just how it goes.

We could always set a day and time for Mainers to go online at Clay Jars site, different than the "national" time of geocachers. Then we could get the best of both worlds. Say, Sunday night at 8PM?

I will try and explain my opinion on chat. I talked to Team Trout about this same subject before we put this site online and I think he agrees with me.

Nice job of summarizing our talk. As mentioned, I agree with attroll. In my opinion chats almost create a duel set of users, those who chat and those who, for whatever reason, don't use chat. Those who chat do develop a separate collective knowledge through the info shared there. And then in their forum posts they refer to stuff learned or shared in chat sessions and folks who weren't involved are left scratching their heads.

And I don't think it is a matter of people not wanting to or being willing to share information that is exchanged in chat. I think it is more along the lines that it simply seldom occurs to the folks that the info they learn and exchange in chat isn't known to all. If you learn it in a public forum, you assume it is public knowledge. And really, who is going to take the time and effort to record stuff in chat and re-post in the forums?

I also agree with brdad that it probably won't be used much here.

But, having said all of that, if folks want to chat then let them chat. In that spirit, I like geomainiacs idea of using the clayjar site at a predetermined time. It makes for less items for attroll to have to maintain to keep this wonderful site mumming right along.

EXAMPLE: At the BBQ, someone told me what I should do to help out with Colleen (she's 3) when she doesn't want to walk once we are out in the middle of the trail and she's tired and wants to be carried. I took that advice and shared it with another cacher that I know has small kids. Just because that other cacher wasn't involved in the conversation doesn't mean they can't received that good information/advice.

Geochicks,

I think this is a great example of why the forums serve the user community better than chat. I'd love to hear the advice. I have a 3 year old daughter who sometimes does the same thing. If that knowledge had been exchanged in a forum post, I'd have access to. :D

It's great that you're spreading the advice. :) But the way that you spread that advice to that other cacher was dependant on your knowing that the other cacher would be interested in it because you knew they had small kids. But I don't think there is any way for you to definitively know who would or would not be interested in it. If it were in a forum post, it would be there for everyone to see. :D

So, I've got to know, what is this advice anyhow? I get really tired and hot sometimes carrying my daughter. :p

And will it work on a 16 year old???????????

Point taken, Team Trout...

But I still like chat because I forget to check posts that I make to see if there is a reply... cuz.. I'm like that (forgetful).

The advice I got didn't end up working, but I hope it does for you! I was told to make a game of it coming back. Colleen has the "hunt for the cache" momentum to keep her going TO the cache, but once we find it. She wants to be carried back. Well, I was told to make a game of it by asking to to get to a certain tree/rock/spot on the trail. Then try to get to the next spot. Like I said... it didn't work... Although I should try to see if that would work if I told her there might be a cache there....

or is that mean?? ;)

And will it work on a 16 year old???????????


um, no. :D

Thanks for sharing the advice! I'll give it a try next she asks me to carry her.

I see chat is working. Nice work Rick ;)

Yeah ,good job Rick,now we just need people to start using it. Thanks for all the hard work.

Good job and thanks for all the work to get chat feature operating. Hope the addage "Build it and they will come" works. I amm still recruiting new people to join the website. Keep up the good work.
Cliff (YOP)

Hey! I would like to join you, but I am up in Caribou... anyone else from the county? Its 11am.. there is no caches in Caribou at all and buy the time tonight it here there will be three new ones. Maybe some of you can venture up here somtime, my friend and I are going to se them today. Not too hard to find, but nice places! Have a good one!

I will likely be heading north at the end of the summer and look forward to having some caches in the area to add some fun to my business trip!

Yes the chat room seems to be working. But there is some fine tuning to be done with it. But you can still use it. But if a bunch of you use it please remembr to also post on the message board here.

Any thoughts as to a best time for an "official" Geocachingmaine chat?

I would think that 8:00 PM local on a Weekday/days might work well for most geocachers, if we wanted to set up an "Official" Maine Geocaching Chat similar to Clayjars. One suggestion.

Wouldn't it be great to not only set up a certain time period for chatting but also to have a talented host who could lead us in a trivia night of geo caching and non-geocaching questions to win 'virtual' prizes.....?? huh huh?

I've seen it done on my other favorite site... It was hilarious fun entertainment in a chat room. It breaks the ice between like-minded members and helps to get to know others better through an amusing game. There would have to be a tie-breaker judge, a point system...rules and non-rules...etc etc....maybe, throw in a few current events as questions....

Anyway, just a thought (I have too much imagination...here!)

Who wants to volunteer? Would need quick thinking, devious, and well organized mind to carry it off, I'd think....hehe

Who wants to volunteer? Would need quick thinking, devious, and well organized mind to carry it off, I'd think....hehe

Sounds good. I nominate you!

Wouldn't it be great to not only set up a certain time period for chatting but also to have a talented host who could lead us in a trivia night of geo caching and non-geocaching questions to win 'virtual' prizes.....?? huh huh?

Who wants to volunteer? Would need quick thinking, devious, and well organized mind to carry it off, I'd think....hehe

Forest_Nymph

Are you volenteering? LOL

Sounds good. I nominate you!


:eek: :eek: :eek: no no no!

cuz i wanna play....hehe

someone will come along and fill the bill......

I second that motion,let's all vote for Forest Nymph.........lol

Glad so see chat available, sorry that i havent returned to the page lately after starting the thread, however i have been very busy and will be starting my vacation and will be gone all week. However when i return i will check back in, and look forward to chatting with Maine Geocachers here.

Thanks again for the idea, noreasta!! Was beginning to wonder if you had disappeared - it's so not like you to not chat when the opportunity is there - LOL.

Of course, a big thank you to attroll for pulling the chat together so quickly - I've enjoyed my conversations greatly. Now that noreasta has promised to honor us with his presence, the chat room will be complete :p

Have a great vacation and we'll chat with you when you return!!

Sometimes I scare myself. But I found out a way to see who is in our chat channel without loggin in. I think a couple people asked if there was a way. Well now there is. I included it in the drop down chat menu.

Thanks, Rick--you 'da man!