Airgun Chat Ideas

[Gone Fishing]

It seems everyone wants the chat to ideally be busy again, but, alas, it is deader than the squirrels we kill. How about an idea:

Why not schedule a regular chat time, say 6PM East Coast time, 9PM for Pacific, for two days out of the week. I think if people knew there would be a more reliable base of airgunners there, more would make sure to be there. Just an idea.

[BigBird]

Just thinking about that right before I read this.  You need to have an invite posted to all new members first post.  They would be a good audience for starting this.

[Gone Fishing]

Just thinking about that right before I read this.  You need to have an invite posted to all new members first post.  They would be a good audience for starting this.

That is a good idea too. Perhaps others can chime in with their ideas too. I know it would be fun. I think a lot more friendships/meetups would happen over time too.

[Gone Fishing]

I was reading around and found this:

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=116085.0

The anti-camping rule is not only antiquated but absurd in the very idea of what a chat is and how it functions, unless I am reading this wrong. Idk who came up with that rule, but I am 100% on board with trying to revamp the chat, including inviting new members, but that rule is silly...just saying

[BigBird]

I think that is just because people shouldn't be listening in on someone else's conversation.

[Gone Fishing]

I think that is just because people shouldn't be listening in on someone else's conversation.

Well if you post something to a chat it is subject to being listened into just as much as us posting something on a thread, but an anti-camping rule disincentives people from signing in and waiting for a Convo to start that they want to participate in. Simply put, an anti-camping rule is just a rule that gives a mod the ability to kick someone off a chat when a member could be waiting for his friends to show up....arbitrary IMO. Also, if you are having a private chat and are not engaged in the main public chat, this would also expel you! If you want to chat to be used more often, this is a bad rule.

I don't see why someone running a chat in the background at their office or even at home, and they might not even be physically present at the computer, would be a bad thing. If they are spectating in a conversation they are not active in, isn't that the same as spectating on a thread? What is the alternative? Having a dead chat? Because that is what it is right now. Completely dead. Seems like a waste of a gun chat software, unless admin doesn't care for it anymore.

[BigBird]

Maybe for those habitual evesdroppers so they can have the grounds to kick them.  I'm thinking maybe the ones they know are trolling and up to no good.  I wonder how often it happens though.  if you set up a chat time I bet they would be more lenient on this.  I don't know.  Better to focus on the logistics that you can control I guess.  I think if you "assume the sale", set up a good time/date and get it going it will work.
Maybe start setting up an "orientation" for the new members and have others join.  It seems like the new guys/gals always ask a question that nobody answers in a first intro post.  Good time for someone to tell them tomorrow we have a time for chat???  I don't know?  Maybe that takes away from a real chat conversation and real interesting  posts?

[Novagun]

I would have a go at the chat gate. Did it once or twice but i find I am too long winded. Then i run out of things to say.
 
In a way the backroom is a bit of a chat session.

[Gone Fishing]

Talked for two hours with a chap last night from 8-10 about airguns. Seems to work well. There were two other people there "camping" and I didn't care. I will continue to see that as a silly antiquared rule. I've had a few people now tell me that rule specifically was used as a club previously, effectively killing a once active chat. Idk because I wasn't here. But I am interested in trying to get this thing going again but not if merely being present gets you in trouble.

[Back_Roads]

 I am a reformed chatahloic, now I spend more time reading and posting on the GTA threads, gives me more time and space to fully explain the topics that come up in a chat situation.
 Just for funning around chat is fine, but time limitations on my end nixes my need for chat. IMO thread post on the GTA move as fast as a chat screen , and are more topic specific and detailed.

[Insanity]

Iirc the old chat had a limit of people it could have so if people wanted to chat and there were people not chatting it opened a slot.


If you want a more lively chat then use it.

[Gone Fishing]

Iirc the old chat had a limit of people it could have so if people wanted to chat and there were people not chatting it opened a slot.


If you want a more lively chat then use it.

And the current software, does it require that rule?
Also, I did use it last night. I think a little coordination and more will use it, hence the thread.

[Insanity]

We have not had enough enter the chat to find out. I will say that rule will likely stand as it dose not need to be removed.

[bnowlin]

Aren't you backwards on the time?  Just curious.
Bob

[Gone Fishing]

We have not had enough enter the chat to find out. I will say that rule will likely stand as it dose not need to be removed.

Hmm. Well I did my best to bark about it. A few members mentioned it being used against them unfairly, so I thought I'd mention it since I had nothing to do with whatever the issue was. Seems like Travis spent some money on the software, so it would make sense to try and revamp it.

I will be on there more at 9pm Eastern, 6pm Pacific (yes backwards originally I just got back from driving across the USA twice so haha forgive me), and I will tell others to be there too. See what happens.

[Gone Fishing]

Aren't you backwards on the time?  Just curious.
Bob

Thanks for catching that

[Gone Fishing]

Joining now

[bduares]

We could just do like gamers and make a Discord channel. Text and voice chat both

[Gone Fishing]

We could just do like gamers and make a Discord channel. Text and voice chat both

Like a modified Skype type thing? We are too ugly for that haha. Can are wife's do it instead?

[SteveP-52]

We have not had enough enter the chat to find out. I will say that rule will likely stand as it dose not need to be removed.

So much I could say, but I'll do it this way nicely.....for now....

That "rule" as stands DOES NOT take into account someone who, for whatever the reason, may need to be away from their keyboard for a few minutes or more. Wife, kid/kids, bathroom, snacks, something to drink, went outside to have a smoke because they do but don't inside their home among any number of others.

It's also permissible and always has been to have private conversations, aka whispering, in the chatroom if you wanted to talk to a friend and not disrupt the chat flow of the other chatters in the open chat.

You will also have chatters that may not know a thing about a gun being discussed or may have no interest in it, so they say nothing and just watch to learn a thing or 3.

You can't just arbitrarily boot someone out of that chat room just because you don't see them typing anything and honestly have no idea why they may not be.

Chat Room rules need to be amended and I'd think a set of rules added for moderators to follow when they're in there to stop the chance of possible heavy handed moderating and unnecessary booting of chatters who don't need to be. All that's going to accomplish is driving people away from chat and right back to a very expensive (IT techs don't work cheap and Fixer spent a lot of hours tweaking that chat) but dead again chat room if that kind of moderation is allowed.

Anyone who was a regular in the old chat and remembers either Geoffrey_K or Jeff Privateer when they were the chat mods will know exactly what I mean when I say those are the type of moderators needed for chat. Fair, even handed, didn't boot people unless they got completely out of hand or started discussions of subjects not allowed on GTA. They DID NOT boot people just because they did not see them typing in chat.