What happened with the Chat rewrite?

[BigStamp]

On 15/07/2016 at 4:54 AM, Lindy said:

That wasn't unintentional.

We are exploring providing integration service with a well established solution vs reinventing the wheel. Our roadmap for IPS4 grows exponentially by the day and the popularity and demands placed upon the suite do as well. I don't envision being able to dedicate time and development resources to rewrite chat from the ground up to accommodate all of the requested features in the foreseeable future. 

With that said, I'm communicating with a few different companies on integration opportunities as before any decisions are made and finalized, we absolutely want to be sure there are seamless alternatives. 

Well that's screwed up my plans. The only reason I was about to migrate back was because of the chat app

[Kjell Iver Johansen]

I hope that the chat is kept as simple as possible - the only thing we need extra is the ability to have private or public rooms. Also the ability to connect to someone on the board that is not in chat at the moment should be considered. (ehhh like facebook)

I have noticed that many of my chatters - at least the most active ones - and the ones that is lurking over long time - are "old" IRC users. They are used to the oldstyle commands - and text interface. Keep it simple!

[Joel R]

32 minutes ago, Kjell Iver Johansen said:

I hope that the chat is kept as simple as possible - the only thing we need extra is the ability to have private or public rooms. Also the ability to connect to someone on the board that is not in chat at the moment should be considered. (ehhh like facebook)

I have noticed that many of my chatters - at least the most active ones - and the ones that is lurking over long time - are "old" IRC users. They are used to the oldstyle commands - and text interface. Keep it simple!

Have you checked out Babble by @CodingJungle?

[Kjell Iver Johansen]

7 minutes ago, Joel R said:

Have you checked out Babble by @CodingJungle?

Thanks - yes - it looks very nice and excactly what we would expect for a chat-solution for us. Right now we will stick to IPS chat - and see what they will come up with in the main suite.

I'm on shared server right now.

[ADKGamers]

Looking forward to what's in store with the chat app

[Lenny Warren]

Any updates @Lindy ? It's been more than a few weeks..

[quba]

On 8/28/2016 at 1:44 PM, Lenny Warren said:

Any updates @Lindy ? It's been more than a few weeks..

Same question here. 

[Lindy]

I'll have more info this week or next. As it stands, we are currently discussing a partnership with Cometchat. 

[NoGi]

Interesting. The tapatalk integration if possible with the arrangement will certainly be of interest to my members.

[Kjell Iver Johansen]

5 hours ago, Lindy said:

I'll have more info this week or next. As it stands, we are currently discussing a partnership with Cometchat. 

@Lindy - just a note here - I have a license for cometchat and used it on one of my forums for a month or so - without success. My users never got used to it (did not use it)and the userinterface did not "blend in" to the rest of the software as we would expect. So nobody used it - and I had to abandon that experiment. Looking at the chatlogs - nobody was in those chatrooms. Cometchat has a lot of nice features - but that could be a problem - because most of my users like to have only a "chat". 

I hope at least that if you are going the "Comatechatway" - that we could have the option to keep IPchat as it is today for the time we have paid for it.

[BigStamp]

2 hours ago, Kjell Iver Johansen said:

@Lindy - just a note here - I have a license for cometchat and used it on one of my forums for a month or so - without success. My users never got used to it (did not use it)and the userinterface did not "blend in" to the rest of the software as we would expect. So nobody used it - and I had to abandon that experiment. Looking at the chatlogs - nobody was in those chatrooms. Cometchat has a lot of nice features - but that could be a problem - because most of my users like to have only a "chat". 

I hope at least that if you are going the "Comatechatway" - that we could have the option to keep IPchat as it is today for the time we have paid for it.

I agree, my users hated comet chat and arrow chat, to the point that when we switched over to xenforo they all stopped using the chat, and kicking up a stink that were having to change back to IPB, and the chat is the only reason for that.

I don't see whats wrong with it at the moment, it works, why does it need rewriting.

[xtech]

Comet chat has some advantages to it: you can still chat when navigating the site. Sometimes i am a harsh critic of IPS approach (specially when it comes to the unresponsiveness to user feedback and pricing policy these recent years), but this particular case is a right move: focus on core apps, and make agreements with other guys that make excellent non-core apps. Makes sense.

And if you check this demo, is awesome: https://chat.phpchatsoftware.com/facebook.php

For me, the facebook-type chat is the way to go. Thumbs up, imho.

[Lindy]

A couple of notes. 

1) Cometchat would work with us, and us them, on the app to ensure it "flows."
2) We would honor the existing chat term for your renewal period - no concerns there.

We've had a lot of feedback wanting a chat rewrite and we're in a position of "put up or shut up." We're not chat infrastructure developers and to do what many are asking for would really stretch our resources. We'd rather focus our efforts where they're truly needed and partner with someone who has the experience and resources to deliver a more modern, feature-rich solution. 

[NoGi]

I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of this relationship. Just hope it doesn't cost the earth.

If I could replace Chatbox and IP.Chat with a single affordable solution that also works with Tapatalk, I will be very happy.

@Lindy let me know if you need any testers

[InsideEdge]

8 minutes ago, NoGi said:

I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of this relationship. Just hope it doesn't cost the earth.

If I could replace Chatbox and IP.Chat with a single affordable solution that also works with Tapatalk, I will be very happy.

@Lindy let me know if you need any testers

It doesn't need to replace Chatbox.  imo.  Chatbox is useful for other things than just chat such as topic announcements and any other type of site info or latest news shoutouts.

[NoGi]

1 minute ago, InsideEdge said:

It doesn't need to replace Chatbox.  imo.  Chatbox is useful for other things than just chat such as topic announcements and any other type of site info or latest news shoutouts.

Couldn't you have a chat room for that purpose and just display that specific chatroom for announcements etc...in the sidebar?

To me having both would become redundant *if* cometchat was flexible enough to tailor sidebar widgets.

[InsideEdge]

New topics currently are announced in the chatbox.  Then because my site is a hockey forum the chatbox is useful for shoutouts on the latest rumors, trades, cool tweets, transactions etc throughout the hockey world.  Currently members might make a few comments and then post a topic.  But sometimes the chat box is used by members for longer than wanted conversations with members, ie non hockey.  Chat isn't useful for that because it is a closed room you need to enter and comments don't last.  However it is often used for live game chat with a small group.  I'd still like to keep the chatbox  info shoutouts, but favor cometchat for one on one member conversations or a group  visible on all pages throughout the site.

[NoGi]

8 minutes ago, InsideEdge said:

  I'd still like to keep the chatbox 

No reason why you can't, it's not an IPS app

[The Dark Wizard]

1 hour ago, Lindy said:

A couple of notes. 

1) Cometchat would work with us, and us them, on the app to ensure it "flows."
2) We would honor the existing chat term for your renewal period - no concerns there.

We've had a lot of feedback wanting a chat rewrite and we're in a position of "put up or shut up." We're not chat infrastructure developers and to do what many are asking for would really stretch our resources. We'd rather focus our efforts where they're truly needed and partner with someone who has the experience and resources to deliver a more modern, feature-rich solution. 

 

I mean would it be any different then the way users already install cometchat on IPS and what they get?

Pretty excited for this partnership as long as its just more then an sticker of approval from IPS.

[Kjell Iver Johansen]

@Lindy - I've just realised (hoping) that with cometchat users has the ability to connect to my site using the cometchat app? Is that correct? That is great news then...

 

[Wayne B]

@Lindy I already use comet chat with their basic integration into IP Board i.e. users etc. Would existing CometChat customers/license holders be able to use this or would it need to be purchased again through yourselves?

[Michael R]

@Lindy Very excited!

[Netherlord]

On 15/07/2016 at 4:33 AM, N4H said:

Sharing the "state" of Chat may of induced some confidence, sharing the "fate" of chat.... need I say more?  

Same feeling lol. Now all i can think about is chat being axed

On 26/08/2016 at 0:25 AM, NoGi said:

@Lindy any more progress on this?

Did someone say voice chat capability? nah wishful thinking lol

[Lenny Warren]

I'm excited @Lindy, that is exactly what I had hoped for. Hopefully it's not too expensive though?????

[InsideEdge]

From cometchat's website...