What do you want from Live Chat

This thread is going way off topic, but I will answer your points Gary
I did specifically ask for no names, or to use the thread to have a go at someone, that still stands.
However , the words offender used in context can be deemed as suggesting this, and therefore is completely against what was requested.
Your 2 posts are suggesting that members are being upset by the thread, firstly, I havent received a "report to mod" email notification since this thread was started, and secondly, I havent recieved a PM either, so your suggestion of me being able to grasp that the thread is upsetting members, I cannot see holds water .
I completely agree that you are entitled to your view IF your view is on topic, and as far as "ownership" of members is concerned, because I have know them and their problems , and have tried my best to help them in the past , I cant see the logic of your idea that I own them .
This thread was started to try and see how peeps viewed the facility and ask for suggestions of how it could be bettered. Rereading the first page, a number of good suggestions and ideas came out , and I am sure more will follow, if the thread keeps to the original topic .
Maybe you have a few ideas of your own. If so please feel free to post them on the thread, as I , and no doubt the other members would like to hear them

Please lets try and keep this thread on topic

Garry

Ok, time to put my tuppence worth in.
I can't see anything wrong with this thread, it's simply asking everyone to let us know what direction you want Live chat to take, there's no intention that I can see to cause any harm to anyone.
Let's deal with the points I can set right straight away.
Whatever you all decide with regards to people being logged in but not active, as site owner I'm claiming exemption for the following reasons.
I log on when I'm here, but I may be busy doing other things around the house or in the workshop, so I'm not active in the chat room. I am however passing the comp' hundreds of times during the day, & I glance at it to see what is going on.
The Live Chat "History" facility only goes back 5 pages, this is not enough for me to see what has been said several hours earlier.... I can only do this by scrolling back, providing I've remained logged in.
I use a mobile dongle & logging in is not a 5 second job.... it can sometimes take a few minutes & can be a right pain to have to keep doing.
Arguments do sometimes break out in Chat, & as moderator I need to be able to look back & see who has said what, & then decide how to deal with it.
You will often see me logged in twice. This is because I have a computer in the living room & one in the downstairs workshop. You may soon find me logged in 3 times ... this will be when I'm using the upstairs workshop as well .... Get used to it & ignore me.
With a fast moving place like Live Chat, the place should really have a moderator on duty at all times, we've not had any serious problems up to now, but it could happen one day. We trust our members to behave, & most of the time they do, so we let you use the room even when it's not being moderated. Most other forums will have someone standing over you with a big stick at all times ... & they don't hesitate to use it.
I'll often remain logged in & quite happy to chat, but I have to listen for the "PING" before I know someone else has logged in. But please don't assume that I will answer just because my name is showing in the user list, ..... I may have my head stuck in the bowels of a model, ... or I may even be on the flying field.! .... YES, I even take the comp with me when I go.
Now that's my position, what we have to do next is decide what to do about any "Time Out" for other users.
Some people want the same as me & be able to stay logged in & wait for pings .... they obviously don't want to be timed out for inactivity. Others want to know that if a name is in the user list, that person is active & willing to talk. .... We can't have it both ways, it's as simple as that!
I've asked Mike if it's possible for a person to put something after their name eg. "Inactive" ... to show that they are just lurking. He says it's not that easy & will take up a load of his time to figure out how to set up. So it's something that may come in the future, but we can't have it now.
This is one reason for this thread. We are open to suggestions & all will be considered, but at the end of the day, Garry & myself will just have to choose a system & go with it. We probably won't please everyone, but it's the best we can do.
I'll leave this post dealing with the Time Out issues & cover other problems in my next posts, but you'll have to be patient & let me get around to them.... I've got a lot on today, but will try to fit them in.

Pol.

Well, if you dont mind, i will just go the way i am going with it, if i find the chat offensive, in any way shape or form, i will leave chat, with no word, if anyone is upset with anything i say, i do not expect it talked about behind my back, i expect a PM, from either a mod, or the person involved, as for anyone else getting flack, i will no longer get involved, you are all big boys and girl, sort yourselves out, Ok?

Oh, and another thing, yes, i AM honorable, i always have been, i always will be , i live by a code, i expect decency toward others, no sexual inuendos, no bullying, and an understanding for their views, and whoes, i do not feel this is a big issue, but i do believe its a decent way of living, there are those who may not agree with this, fair enough, i dont care, play nice, and we will all get along, dont play nice, and i, for one, will totally ignore you,

An even better idea,

It's a good point....but that can lead to an argument that helps no-one. Better to copy the offending post and send it via a PM to a moderator explaining the prob. Then you should get appropriate action. Given that I'm with Alan on the action to leave if offended.

Very valid points gents . If on the forum and a post is found offensive, the action required is to hit the " Report to Mod " button without responding to the post. Unfortunately with the speed of Live, this is neither practical or possible . I would respectfully suggest that the way Andy has suggested would be the best course of action .
Of course Utopia would be that there were no offensive comments. Anyone know the way to Utopia ?

Garry

I was going to refrain from commenting, because I personally don't see anything wrong with the chat as it is. But then I got thinking and to be quite frank it was I that was upset with the comments being made and Gary was sticking up for me. Why? Well, let me try to explain without meaning to offend anyone or cause any arguements, because the one thing I HATE more than anything is when you guys fall out

I have always told people about how friendly this place is, and it is ....friendly and helpful bunch of guys, everyone of you. However the emphasis is on "friendly" because I have always classed each and everyone of you as friends, a group of friends with a common interest writing on a forum and getting together in the chat room to discuss and chat about anything and everything, whether plane related or not. That is what I was always told chat room was- a place to discuss anything you like, a group of adults, able to discuss anything they liked! I have met almost everyone of you outside of this forum, whether in real, talked on the phone, via skype or been camping with. I have always, therefore, classed each and everyone of you as friends. So why was I upset? Because you don't tell your friends what they can and can not talk about.....and you certainly don't say to your friends they cant discuss things that are personal- there is no conversation in there that has gone into really really personal territory anyway. Each and everyone of us has had life difficulties and problems, the one place you should feel free to come and discuss a problem should be with friends!!!

I would like to see the chat continue like that, if people have a problem or are having a bad day they should be able to chat about it as they do now! Not be told to keep it private, I for one always ask about people and take an interest in their lives and there is not ONE person in there that hasn't had a hiccup they have needed to discuss and found it a great place to ask advice and to blow off steam. I also treat the chat room like i would a room of friends

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I would NOT walk into a room of friends and tell them what they can and can not say, nor would i walk away mid conversation with someone just cos i didn't agree with the topic.

With regards to the banter, the innuendos and the jokey stuff, well as the only female of the bunch I guess the one who should be offended when it comes to that should be me lol....and I am not, I don't mind the banter and innuendos, cant think of ONE person in there that hasn't cracked a jokey innuendo and there are certainly a lot of SWMBO stuff and so what? - no different as far as I am concerned than a group of mates getting together for a chat and a laugh. There is nothing said too untoward and it is kept to friendly banter and innuendos and am pretty sure there is nothing said in the chat that a lot of you wouldn't say outside of it. Takes a lot to offend me, and being as I am the topic of most of the winding up ( Tony calls me hippo, Alan spent a night trying to convince me biplanes have more than 4 wings! and you all wind me up over my cooking, sense of direction and gluing techniques ) If anything was said, untoward I would be the first to pull someone and say oi, that's too much.

Yes there should be some ground rules, for me- it should be as you would treat people OFF the computer. Respect, consideration, tolerance, patience and empathy because there is not ONE person in there that doesn't have things going on outside of this forum, things that have made them who they are, the reasons why they are who they are. Everyone is different, people sometimes fall out over silly things- that's life. But even though this is a computer, there are real people behind the screen- treat them as you would if you were face to face.

What I would like to see is more tolerance and understanding- and less of the jumping to conclusions over how someone says something, it is textual, you cant see emotions so it is very easy to misunderstand what someone says. A little less jumping to conclusions and stomping off would be better- being as you wouldn't do that in a real room of friends. If people want to stay logged in without talking, that's fine by me, some people find it hard to be chatty and just want to listen, some are busy doing other things at the same time- i for one do that a lot, some times I leave it on like pol does and go off doing things. I use my phone a lot to log in and with that feature i have a chose of stay on , or stay off but cant do anything else! So if i use that it is a quick in and a quick out, however i do not want to be dictated to and told i HAVE to talk or else leave....no one should be forced to say anything or told if they don't come back in the 10mins they said they would, they should leave! Life isn't like that outside the chat room, so shouldn't be like it inside it.. And if people don't like a topic, then politely say so- to the persons face!Not to a mod, we are all grown adults - wouldn't go complain to my best friends mum if she said something i didn't like, i would say it to her face!! Garry has enough to do without trying to resolve every little bicker that goes on- if it is unresolvable then fair enough , go to the mod. But we are ALL adults in there, and I thought...all friends

At the end of the day, I guess you have to decide whether you want a sterile environment, with no banter, no jokes and make it completely model related.......or whether you want a place where a bunch of friends can get together to chat about everything, with a common interest of models that brought them together.

Well said Lass..xx

Sarah's Post Gets the Blue Ribbon. I have been trying to think how to make some comments without upsetting someone. ( old saying,, one man's meat is another man's poison )
So Sarah, you are the est person on this thread.

Thank you for that Post Sarah, and as I know you so well, I think I can safely say that post took guts to write and then put it on an open forum .
It was well written and to the point and came from the heart.

However, if I may just set a few things in context here. At least 2 possibly 3 or maybe more peeps are under the impression that I want to lead chat into a sterile, model only related chat room. Nothing is further from the truth. Live has always been an open area where ANYTHING can be discussed, and will remain that way . Secondly as far as being able to just look in rather than chat has been discussed before, and it has been agreed that there is no prob with this either, however, lets look at this another way. If you join a group of friends in the pub, and really dont feel like talking but just want to listen you would say so to the group, and it would be accepted. I cant see any difference between the pub group and live chat , and in the past a member has come on and said they wernt in a chatty mood and it has been accepted.
Believe me folks , this thread was only started to find out members views, and certainly not put on to upset any member or members. That is not my way of working, and would have hoped that peeps on here knew me better than to think that
No one is telling anyone what they can or cannot talk about on live chat , and I am at a loss to understand how this misunderstanding has arisen.
In fact looking at things logically, I am at a loss to understand how this thread which was started to obtain feedback from members has degenerated into virtually a war.
So , to keep this forum together and allow tempers and upsets to calm down I have decided to lock this thread until I return from a 4 day break in Edinburgh to celebrate 55 yrs of married life.

Garry

Ok Folks
I locked this thread a few days ago, due to me going away for a break, but I am now back so the thread is now reopened by popular request.
Please read the title again . "What do you want from LiveChat?". Not a difficult question to answer, but please, do not post saying ," he said this, and he said that" Tell us what you want , that is all i ask . Can you not see the reason for the question is to improve the place, not to start a war.??

As some members were upset by some comments on here , let me assure you that this thread will be very heavily modded, and should you see anything on any part of the forum that you dont like, hit the" report to Mod button" and leave it at that .

Now lets keep it civilized

Garry

I was in the middle of posting & the comp' screwed up, but you've said it all here Garry.
I want to get to the bottom of the problems & don't want any childish behaviour.
Please remember you can ring me if you want to talk about something, it's sometimes better than using text. ... just ring or text me & I'll ring you straight back, so you won't be paying for the call .... we can't do better than that!
Modelchat mobile 0751 9999 234
Let's get the niggles out in the open & get back to having fun.

Pol.

Ok Folks
I asked for some positives on this one, and all I get is negatives. I have deleted the last three posts as they didnt give me one hint of what was wanted, so My decision is that in future, we dont ask members for ideas about the place, we implement what we see as right and if it doesnt suit, then tough. I have tried to involve the membership, and it hasnt worked, and as for the things said on live chat tonight , well enough said on that, just glad the visitors cant see it
This thread is now once again locked as I dont seem to be able to get any sense out of anyone

Garry