flash chat

markb5900

markb5900

Line Up and Wait
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Feb 23, 2005
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Mark B
For those of you that don't know I live in flash chat here. LOL

But, I get booted often. Is there SOMEWAY to tell that you are no longer "in the room" other than just not seeing any posts?

The only way I know is when I try to write something and get the log in screen again.

Thanks
Mark B
 
I've gotten kicked out at least once every night the last few nights. A couple nights, twice.

After that, it's hang-ups with text not showing up for upward of thirty seconds. Even then, you're not sure if you've been booted or the text is delayed.

Solutions?
 
jesse said:
From almost nothing to as much as you want to pay. In the end--that is what has to happen to fix the problem.
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My point is that the flash chat we have is very cheap. For what it cost it works extremely well. The hassle factor is also very low. Chuck hardly has to mess with the chat system. Given the high level of reliability, the cheap acquisition cost, and the almost non-existent maintenance I say we keep what we have. It ain't perfect but it is adequate.
 
smigaldi said:
My point is that the flash chat we have is very cheap. For what it cost it works extremely well. The hassle factor is also very low. Chuck hardly has to mess with the chat system. Given the high level of reliability, the cheap acquisition cost, and the almost non-existent maintenance I say we keep what we have. It ain't perfect but it is adequate.
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It doesn't work that well. Notice how people constantly ask for a fix? I actually quit using flash chat because I was annoyed with how it would drop me without letting me know. high level of reliability? That is a very relative term. It drops you about once per hour, often more, hardly reliable.

I am just giving my opinion. If it were my call--I would replace it and put it on a better server. I have no problem with building another chat system on a dedicated server at my expense. I just don't want to step on anyones toes.
 
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jesse said:
It doesn't work that well. Notice how people constantly ask for a fix? I actually quit using flash chat because I was annoyed with how it would drop me without letting me know. high level of reliability? That is a very relative term. It drops you about once per hour, often more, hardly reliable.

I am just giving my opinion. If it were my call--I would replace it and put it on a better server. I have no problem with building another chat system on a dedicated server at my expense. I just don't want to step on anyones toes.
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How can us common folk vote for the "stepping on toes"? :)
 
I must me the exception..i hardly get kicked off but I do notice when people leave and come right back.. I should have never made this post because I'm sure I'll be getting kicked off now!!
 
drizzt76 said:
I must me the exception..i hardly get kicked off but I do notice when people leave and come right back.. I should have never made this post because I'm sure I'll be getting kicked off now!!
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Ya went and did it now!
 
drizzt76 said:
I must me the exception..i hardly get kicked off but I do notice when people leave and come right back.. I should have never made this post because I'm sure I'll be getting kicked off now!!
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Same thing here. I don't think I've ever been kicked off (not on all that often, anyway) and I've seen people go away and come back so fast that there has to be something going on.

But, the price is right and it works reasonably well. I'd say don't mess with it.
 
Flashchat seems to have problems when the main site slows down. There doesn't seem to be a time-of-day aspect to it like there was before we switched servers or whatever we did. :dunno:
 
I didn't intend for the thread to turn into a complaint thread about flash chat.
Just wondered if there was a way to KNOW when you get booted from it. I am not sure if it IS flash chat here or just my crummy ISP that goes down for a milisecond and then I get disconnected.

Thanks
 
markb5900 said:
I didn't intend for the thread to turn into a complaint thread about flash chat.
Just wondered if there was a way to KNOW when you get booted from it. I am not sure if it IS flash chat here or just my crummy ISP that goes down for a milisecond and then I get disconnected.

Thanks
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Troublemaker! :)
 
jesse said:
From almost nothing to as much as you want to pay. In the end--that is what has to happen to fix the problem.
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Hey, Jesse, if you can show me a chat solution that:
1) Integrates with the vBulletin login system;
2) Doesn't require users to install anything more complicated than flash or java plug ins; and
3) Doesn't require users to connect to a firewall-unfriendly port (such as 6667)

I'll be all ears.

What flash chat does well is meet those objectives. For $5.00, I'm happy with it.

This is, however, the first I'd heard that ppl were getting random drops since the move to mediatemple - so I'll check into whether there are any updates to the software.
 
Chuck, here's a slightly off-topic question...

Is there a reason why right-click copy command is not available? When I type a relatively long post, I'll copy it just in case there's a hang-up or the page dies on me during an attempt to post. On most pages, unless right-click is completely blocked, I'll use right-click to copy my text. Instead, I have to highlight it then use command-c.

It's not a big deal to do it that way. I'm just curious why the copy command isn't on the right-click menu.
 
Greebo said:
This is, however, the first I'd heard that ppl were getting random drops since the move to mediatemple - so I'll check into whether there are any updates to the software.
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It drops people pretty much nightly. It's not flash chat. When you get dropped POA switches to it's "Waiting for Reply.." state.

It's not flashchat because the entire site dies with "Waiting for Reply". This usually lasts a couple of minutes and flashchat pretty much times out and quits without telling you.

I am convinced that flashchat would work just fine on a good server. When the server quits doing its job--nothing it can do. Although even with a better server--flashchat should still be replaced--it has some god awful security holes that they refuse to fix.

In the end Chuck. We can optimize the database all night, update the software, and do an indian rain dance. But we're not going to get past the grid sucking from time to time. When the grid is working--it's fast--when it's not..it just quits.. This almost looks like SQL queries timing out which is exactly what I warned you about before the move to Media Temple.

The only thing I can offer to fix this problem is a server that doesn't suck and my commitment towards doing things right. Daily off-site backups, the ability to rapidly fail over to a new server, etc. If you want to take care of this problem--say the word--and it would be done. Take a look at the Gaston's website. It works.

I understand that you do not make money on this website. Really I do. I understand that you don't have the time to always do things 'right'. But the truth of the matter is--this website means a lot to the community--and it deserves a certain quality of service. If you can't commit to providing that service you should consider letting someone else that can.
 
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KennyFlys said:
Chuck, here's a slightly off-topic question...

Is there a reason why right-click copy command is not available? When I type a relatively long post, I'll copy it just in case there's a hang-up or the page dies on me during an attempt to post. On most pages, unless right-click is completely blocked, I'll use right-click to copy my text. Instead, I have to highlight it then use command-c.

It's not a big deal to do it that way. I'm just curious why the copy command isn't on the right-click menu.
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I'll wager a guess that it's because it runs in a flash program, and flash is taking control of the right click menu.
 
jesse said:
It drops people pretty much nightly. It's not flash chat. When you get dropped POA switches to it's "Waiting for Reply.." state.

It's not flashchat because the entire site dies with "Waiting for Reply". This usually lasts a couple of minutes and flashchat pretty much times out and quits without telling you.

I am convinced that flashchat would work just fine on a good server. When the server quits doing its job--nothing it can do. Although even with a better server--flashchat should still be replaced--it has some god awful security holes that they refuse to fix.

In the end Chuck. We can optimize the database all night, update the software, and do an indian rain dance. But we're not going to get past the grid sucking from time to time. When the grid is working--it's fast--when it's not..it just quits.. This almost looks like SQL queries timing out which is exactly what I warned you about before the move to Media Temple.

The only thing I can offer to fix this problem is a server that doesn't suck and my commitment towards doing things right. Daily off-site backups, the ability to rapidly fail over to a new server, etc. If you want to take care of this problem--say the word--and it would be done. Take a look at the Gaston's website. It works.
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I've no doubt it does - but at what price tag?

I understand that you do not make money on this website. Really I do. I understand that you don't have the time to always do things 'right'. But the truth of the matter is--this website means a lot to the community--and it deserves a certain quality of service. If you can't commit to providing that service you should consider letting someone else that can.
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See I don't think you do understand things quite from the same perspective. You're laboring from the curse of the perspective of the IT guy - make it the best system possible. I respect that perspective a lot, because I work in it every day myself.

The MC, however, has to balance the priority of server quality with the priority of not having the site go bankrupt, require monthly infusions from the MC members, look for sources of paid advertising revenue, or have fund raising drives every month. On top of that, our main priority isn't the technology, it's the community.

As for your last, and rather inflammatory, remark - Jesse I am pretty darn sure that there's nothing preventing you from setting up your own site that operates with absolute technical perfection. You wouldn't be the first to think, "Hey, we want a site *we* can control" and launch something new. However, if you're suggesting the MC should step aside because the server has a little hiccup on occasion - heh - well, I'll leave my real response to that implication to your imagination.
 
Greebo said:
As for your last, and rather inflammatory, remark - Jesse I am pretty darn sure that there's nothing preventing you from setting up your own site that operates with absolute technical perfection. You wouldn't be the first to think, "Hey, we want a site *we* can control" and launch something new. However, if you're suggesting the MC should step aside because the server has a little hiccup on occasion - heh - well, I'll leave my real response to that implication to your imagination.
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Chuck, I don't mean to butt in here, but I didn't get the same things from his comments that you did. I read it as Jesse offering his help, and even volunteering the use of a more stable server environment. I do benefit from more frequent personal interactions with Jesse, which may help me "read between the lines", but what I read seemed to be a very sincere offer of resources aimed at making the experience better for the community.

Perhaps if you took the time to reread his post with that in the back of your mind, you might be able to see that offer as well.

I'm not sure how much water my opinion holds with you, but I can give you my whole hearted recommendation of his skills.
 
FlyNE said:
Chuck, I don't mean to butt in here, but I didn't get the same things from his comments that you did. I read it as Jesse offering his help, and even volunteering the use of a more stable server environment. I do benefit from more frequent personal interactions with Jesse, which may help me "read between the lines", but what I read seemed to be a very sincere offer of resources aimed at making the experience better for the community.

Perhaps if you took the time to reread his post with that in the back of your mind, you might be able to see that offer as well.

I'm not sure how much water my opinion holds with you, but I can give you my whole hearted recommendation of his skills.
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Perhaps he did - unfortunately when I first read his post, the last paragraph was not there, and it ended with the offer, which I was considering discussing with him further offline. After I replied to Kenny, I did a few other things, then came back to this thread, all prepared to say "Jesse, I'm interested, lets talk via PMs". After all, I know his skills at server administration far outmatch my own, even if he does have the classic perspective of the IT Admin, it could be worth having to butt heads with him over what we will and won't do to have him as a supporting resource.

So I re-read his post, and saw this new bit:
I understand that you do not make money on this website. Really I do. I understand that you don't have the time to always do things 'right'. But the truth of the matter is--this website means a lot to the community--and it deserves a certain quality of service. If you can't commit to providing that service you should consider letting someone else that can.
__________________
Jesse
Last edited by jesse : Today at 12:22 AM.
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By which time he'd added that last paragraph which I was sure I hadn't seen before. So the fact that he took the time to come back and add what read to me as a particularly insulting remark -- well I hope you can understand how that would bias my reading.

So Jesse if you meant something else by that, I'm willing to listen.
 
Greebo said:
Perhaps he did - unfortunately when I first read his post, the last paragraph was not there, and it ended with the offer, which I was considering discussing with him further offline. After I replied to Kenny, I did a few other things, then came back to this thread, all prepared to say "Jesse, I'm interested, lets talk via PMs". After all, I know his skills at server administration far outmatch my own, even if he does have the classic perspective of the IT Admin, it could be worth having to butt heads with him over what we will and won't do to have him as a supporting resource.

So I re-read his post, and saw this new bit:

By which time he'd added that last paragraph which I was sure I hadn't seen before. So the fact that he took the time to come back and add what read to me as a particularly insulting remark -- well I hope you can understand how that would bias my reading.

So Jesse if you meant something else by that, I'm willing to listen.
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Chuck--I'm not sure why that last paragraph reads in a bad way to you. I actually added that last paragraph within a few minutes of the post to try to make what I wrote even more friendly.

I meant that last paragraph to imply that--I feel for you--this site takes time and it doesn't pay. I love this site, I've met a lot of really great people and have built the last few years of my life off this site. So to ensure that this community is strong throughout the future I feel that these server problems should be fixed. My offer was to fix the problems at no expense to POA or you.

I understand that this site is your baby and you want to ensure that nothing bad happens to it. Believe me--this community means just as much to me. At the very least we should discuss what I can offer.
 
Ok, if that's how it was intended than I'll take it as such, and I apologize for the misunderstanding.

The written word is so difficult to interpret sometimes. No wonder lawyers are rich.

Anyway you are right on both points - I don't have the time I need to do this as well as it can be done, and yes, even tho I'm just one member of the MC, the site is also "my baby", and I'm certainly parentally over-sensitive. ;)

How bout you PM me with your idea/proposal and we'll go from there?
 
Chuck,

I've gotten booted off FlashChat both before and after the move. It seems to be awfully sensitive to... Uh, something. I've never managed to duplicate it (in terms of having a reliable trigger.) I do think there's gotta be something better out there...

...Or maybe not. :dunno:
 
gkainz said:
nice recovery, both of you. Good job.
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I'll ditto this as well... I'm glad to see things resolved like this as opposed to being turned into screaming matches, especially when the original intentions were noble. FWIW, not having frequent interactions with Jesse and therefore not knowing his actual, friendly personality - I originally misinterpreted his post the same way that Chuck did. It goes to show all of us to be careful how we word things that we post.
 
t0r0nad0 said:
FWIW, not having frequent interactions with Jesse and therefore not knowing his actual, friendly personality - I originally misinterpreted his post the same way that Chuck did. It goes to show all of us to be careful how we word things that we post.
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Jesse's a little punk until you meet him in person. ;)
 
smigaldi said:
What type of punk is he after you meet him then? ;);)
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A skinny punk! :yes:

And face it, He does intentionally tweak some peoples' noses at times!:D You just hafta know that it's not done maliciously or meanly. He does enjoy instigating a healthy, shall we say, discussion!
 
Haven't been booted since changing servers, other than stuff at my end.

Thanks Jesse, GREAT JOB!

Mark B
 
markb5900 said:
Haven't been booted since changing servers, other than stuff at my end.

Thanks Jesse, GREAT JOB!

Mark B
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Well, as long as the Rubik's Cube keeps his attention, both the forum and a certain young lady are left alone. :D
 
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