+- Cuisine at home Forums (https://forums.cuisineathome.com)
+-- Thread: Live Chat (/showthread.php?tid=38790)
Live Chat - farnfam - 09-08-2007
Wouldn't it be great to have a chat room here. Now that we can see which of our friends is online, it'd be fun to chat while we're here. Y'think??
Cis
Re: Live Chat - Old Bay - 09-08-2007
I love pasta.
Re: Live Chat - labradors - 09-08-2007
Maybe C@H will consider setting up an IRC channel. I'll have to see what it would take to set up an informal one on one of the public IRC servers.
Re: Live Chat - labradors - 09-10-2007
Okay. Unless/until [Email]C@H[/Email] sets up something official and/or decides to put the kibosh on our own, private efforts, we'll use our own IRC channel that I just created.
For those who are not familiar with the concept: IRC means "Internet Relay Chat," and is a popular way of setting up live chats among people with shared interests.
To use IRC, one may use a separate, stand-alone program (and IRC "client") or the web-based interface provided by many servers. Once connected to the server, one joins a specific conversation called a "channel." The server upon which I have set up our channel (StarChat) offers a Java-based web interface, so you may use that, if you like. Otherwise, for a free IRC program, I suggest Orion, which is the one I use. If you do decide to use the web interface, instead, please note that your browser will tell you that the server's "certificate" has expired, but the program will still run okay, anyway. I have also already tested that, and it works fine.
Once you have decided which "client" to use, set up the connection as follows:
- Server: irc.starchat.net
- Username: Just use the same name you use here.
- Real Name: Only if you want to use it - otherwise, make it the same as the username.
- Nick: The same as the username.
- Channel to join: #CuisineAtHome (exactly that way, including the "#" if you are not using the Java interface).
- Anything else: just leave as is for now. If we wind up getting any problems from any outside users, I'll address the issue then.
On your first connection, it is a good idea to "register" your "nick" so that nobody else will be able to use it (presuming, of course, it isn't in use by someone else already, such as when two people with the same initials try to use their initials as their nicks on the same server). To register your nick, type the following, and press ENTER:
/msg nickserv register [your E-mail address here] [create your own password here]
After that has been entered, there may be a brief delay, but the system will come back and tell you that it has sent an email to the address you used. Go to your email, open the message, and look for the message that says:
/msg NickServ ACTIVATE #### (where #### is some number)
Type that message into the chat screen exactly as you see it in the email, and press ENTER. The system should respond that your nickname is now registered and activated. You will only need to do the registration and activation part ONCE.
Finally, type the following command in order to identify yourself as the proper owner of the nick you are using:
/msg nickserv identify [the password you chose when you registered]
That last step of the identification procedure is the only part that you will need to do EACH time you log on to the server. Since that is such a common thing to do, most IRC-client programs (e.g. Orion) allow you to specify commands to run as soon as you connect. In Orion, go to the server details you set up for this connection, select the tab "On connect," and type:
msg nickserv identify [the password you chose when you registered]
into the "Execute these commands" box (notice the absence of the slash that had been in the command line from earlier). Also at that same point, you may enter "#CuisineAtHome" (without the quotes, of course) into the "Automatically join channels" box. Once you have done this, those things will be done for you automatically each time you sign on to the server.
If you have not already specified the channel name, type "/join #CuisineAtHome" and press enter. You are now ready to chat!
For now, I am the only "op" (operator - a channel user with special privileges) in the channel. Once we get someone officially from the magazine to join us, and/or decide upon someone else to trust with the controls, I will assign "op" privileges to them. The idea of an "op" is to moderate the channel - for example, kicking out or banning users who become abusive. That way, if someone from outside this forum joins the chat and uses obscenities or bothers the regular members, the op can maintain order. It IS possible to protect the channel with a password key, but if this chat really takes off and does well, it would probably be better to leave it open. That way, such "outsiders" may develop enough of an interest in [Email]C@H[/Email] to want to subscribe to the magazine and/or to join the forum.
As I said. We can cover that ground when we get there. For now, let's see how this works out.
Re: Live Chat - farnfam - 09-11-2007
Say, thanks Labs. I gave it a try this morning and it wasn't that hard (if I could do it
)Hope more folks will be joining us.
Cis
Re: Live Chat - labradors - 09-11-2007
It looks like I just missed seeing you there. Was busy reading email, forum messages, etc.
For now, I'm going to stay connected to the channel, even if I'm not actually here - just so I can see how things go in this early stage. When I am not here, or not at the computer, I will change my nick to show "labradors-afk." "AFK" is just a common, chat abbreviation that means "Away from Keyboard."
Re: Live Chat - Mare749 - 09-11-2007
Okay, thanks for the instructions Lab, but it will probably take me a while to actually accomplish this, but I'll try it.
Maryann
Re: Live Chat - labradors - 09-11-2007
Since we never know (except by message times) when each of us is on the computer, it may be a good idea to set up a certain day and/or time for scheduled chats, but still leave the channel open so people may drop by at any time.
Any ideas?
Re: Live Chat - DFen911 - 09-12-2007
I can't find a version that isn't free
They all, so far, want me to pay them after 30 days. I wont' pay for chat services when MSN, ICQ etc are all freebies
Re: Live Chat - MUSICMAKER - 09-12-2007
Quote:
I wont' pay for chat services when MSN, ICQ etc are all freebies
DITTO!