Chat room .

[Bill]

I wonder if it would be possible for our forum to have a chat room where people could chat privately . I know we have the personal messaging . It's a bit slow though and gets frustrating ?

[Girlygirl]

I wonder if it would be possible for our forum to have a chat room where people could chat privately . I know we have the personal messaging . It's a bit slow though and gets frustrating  ?

It sounds like an interesting idea, Bill.

I’ve seen the concept advertised on other sites but never actually used one. Probably worth looking into.

[baby sam]

The problem comes down to moderation of the chat.

If pre approved members had access it could solve this?

[Bill]

Moderation of the main chat room would be a given . Private chats though. Should remain private . Might even coax out some of the less vocal members of the forum. With the idea of a private chat.

[Girlygirl]

Moderation of the main chat room would be a given  . Private chats though. Should remain private . Might even coax out some of the less vocal members of the forum. With the idea of a private chat.

I would certainly welcome engaging with a wider range of experience and opinion. I can quite understand why some members might be reluctant to broadcast their opinions and whilst some I’m sure prefer to read rather than post, with the amount of members this forum has, the posting contingent can seem thin at times; I’m sure given a more intimate (if that’s the right word) environment only accessible to members, we would get a greater a number of contributors.

As you say, if moderation was an insurmountable issue, it would already exist in the private chat element.

[maidsarah]

Moderation of the main chat room would be a given  . Private chats though. Should remain private . Might even coax out some of the less vocal members of the forum. With the idea of a private chat.

I would certainly welcome engaging with a wider range of experience and opinion. I can quite understand why some members might be reluctant to broadcast their opinions and whilst some I’m sure prefer to read rather than post, with the amount of members this forum has, the posting contingent can seem thin at times; I’m sure given a more intimate (if that’s the right word) environment only accessible to members, we would get a greater a number of contributors.

As you say, if moderation was an insurmountable issue, it would already exist in the private chat element.

I think a chat room is a good idea and would be a great addition to the forum. As you can see I rarely post but would certainly take part in a chat room

[Cindy]

One thing you also need to consider is that adding a chat room will cost. They are not free. Often the fee for a chat room is more than the fee for hosting the forum itself. So who pays?