Instant Chat Initiation

[Zeeblo]

Hello,

IMHO, you guys should code some sort of instant chat initiation so that members could initiate instant chat sessions with any members. Once the member initiates a chat on another member of the forum, an instant messaging chat popup window comes up and they can begin chatting.

This is very useful in many forums as sometimes some people IGNORE pm's and posts from other users so the only way i see possible to contact them is through this type of instant messaging thing.

I believe it's a great idea and it would be very useful for lots of people.. especially forums where people sell and buy things where communication between the buyer and seller are vital

If this idea has already been posted, i'm sorry

If it hasn't, please tell me what you think about my idea

[Onimua]

This would probably be better as a mod rather than an actual out-of-the-box feature. vbulletin.org would be best for this.

Instant chats requires more resources from the forum, and would definetly become a problem for large sites. Not to mention how much control one could have over the features, using it for spam, etc.

If you want instant-chat, that's what ICQ, AIM, MSN, etc. are for. Just stick your username for your respective messenger service.

[Zeeblo]

yeah but what if they are also ignoring you on the ICQ, AIM, MSN, etc.

Thanks for your suggestion! I'll try posting on vB.org

[Biker]

yeah but what if they are also ignoring you on the ICQ, AIM, MSN, etc. :

Then I guess you don't talk to 'em. I NEVER list my messenger IDs on the board.

[Wayne Luke]

yeah but what if they are also ignoring you on the ICQ, AIM, MSN, etc.

If this is the case, chances are they will ignore you using other methods as well.

[ImportPassion.com]

Check this out

http://www.webauthor.com/products/chatxm.htm

You should be able to integrate that no problem. Just have to convert the ColdFusion to PHP

[Grover]

Hello,

IMHO, you guys should code some sort of instant chat initiation so that members could initiate instant chat sessions with any members. Once the member initiates a chat on another member of the forum, an instant messaging chat popup window comes up and they can begin chatting.

...please tell me what you think about my idea

Well... I think it's a very usefull idea. In my younger years I enthusiastically suggested this idea (a chat function) several times, but more recently I wasn't so sure anymore. Because I agreed with the feedback that there are already sophisticated IM-clients like Microsoft MSN/Live Messenger out there and vBulletin supports these.

But the past few days I am using a site that provides it's users with an instant chat-function. It's not a chat-room where people gather together, but a one-on-one private chat-function, which is accesible through the postbit/profile. Just like you are suggesting. It becomes possible to privatetly chat with another forummember through the forum instead of having to use an external IM client. A member can initiate/invite another member for a chat and this second member has to accept/approve this invitation to be able to speak to eachother. It all works very well.

So I have changed my mind : I think an integrated private chat-function can actually attract more people to my site. I think there are benefits to an integrated chat compared to using external IM clients. You could for example provide this chat-functionality to only paying members and I think that this will generate interest for our paid subscriptions.

[ThorstenA]

Well... I think it's a very usefull idea. In my younger years I enthusiastically suggested this idea (a chat function) several times, but more recently I wasn't so sure anymore. Because I agreed with the feedback that there are already sophisticated IM-clients like Microsoft MSN/Live Messenger out there and vBulletin supports these.

But the past few days I am using a site that provides it's users with an instant chat-function. It's not a chat-room where people gather together, but a one-on-one private chat-function, which is accesible through the postbit/profile. Just like you are suggesting. It becomes possible to privatetly chat with another forummember through the forum instead of having to use an external IM client. A member can initiate/invite another member for a chat and this second member has to accept/approve this invitation to be able to speak to eachother. It all works very well.

So I have changed my mind : I think an integrated private chat-function can actually attract more people to my site. I think there are benefits to an integrated chat compared to using external IM clients. You could for example provide this chat-functionality to only paying members and I think that this will generate interest for our paid subscriptions.

So we could have private message turned into automatic search for answers within every three seconds. Then we would have an automatic face-to-face chat integrated into vbulletin without changing so much in user experience.

[Grover]

So we could have private message turned into automatic search for answers within every three seconds. Then we would have an automatic face-to-face chat integrated into vbulletin without changing so much in user experience.

I guess this is called sarcasm?

[ThorstenA]

I guess this is called sarcasm?

No, really not.

I do like to have changes in vbulletin but this changes should be as small as possible so that current users do not have to learn too much.

With a small AJAX plugin that would check for replies for the private message, we would have a small chat integrated in vbulletin private message system. I have suggested an AJAX check-for-new-replies plugin for showthread around a year before.

[Grover]

No, really not.

Ah, then my apologies for misunderstanding you.

I do like to have changes in vbulletin but this changes should be as small as possible so that current users do not have to learn too much.

On the site (non-Vbulletin) that I am on it's just a matter of pressing a button called [chat] on a user's profile and that's it. An invitation is send and when the other side accepts, you are presented with a simple yet functional/effective chatwindow and you can communicate live via this private chat. It's nothing new ofcourse, but I just changed my mind about the usefullness of functionality like this for my own site.

With a small AJAX plugin that would check for replies for the private message, we would have a small chat integrated in vbulletin private message system. I have suggested an AJAX check-for-new-replies plugin for showthread around a year before.

I would prefer a separate solution to the current private messages system I think.

[Ascor]

You can us this:
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showt...hlight=vbpager
Work very good, member love it, an is separate from private message

[ThorstenA]

You can us this:
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showt...hlight=vbpager
Work very good, member love it, an is separate from private message

I would like to have this product (vbpager) integrated in private message system.

[Alteran Ancient]

Nah. I agree with Onimua. These kind of things are good as a mod, but just aren't gonna happen as a default feature. PMs are enough. If you're that desperate, then go and downlaod Windows Live Messenger. If someone doesn't wanna talk to you, then that's just rotten luck.

If you're still desperate, got vbPager.

[Grover]

Digged this up from 3 years ago. In fact, instant chat functionality has been requested many times before and I just want to share a new experience with you all:

I am a member of the very succesfull and biggest Social Network in the Netherlands: www.hyves.nl

Guess what? Hyves recently offers it's million members.... an instant chat function! You can have a 1-on-1 chat with a fellow member that's on your friends list and it looks like this:

kwekken_hyves.jpg

I don't have a clue how they do it (I am not a programmer), but they did it! If only vB could offer this : I believe a lot of vB powered websites wil really benefit from such an userfriendly instant 1-on-1 chat function. Brilliant this.

With the new SN makeover of vBulletin I think there really can be done more with the whole 'Friends'-aspect of it. Chatting 1-on-1 with those friends on your vB board is one of them.