Chatroom on the Arduino Website?

Hello!
Who else thinks that the Arduino website should have a chatroom? The chatroom could have several sub-rooms for different subjects. It is just a place for people to talk live. Chatroom is not a forum. Please answer:
a) Yes
b) Yes, but...
c) No
d) No, but...
If you don't answer as a), please justify.
Thanks!

Something like this?
http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1199920386

e) No, why?

c) No. Coordinating real time discussions is impractical across world time zones.

@CrossRoads: How is it impractical? Why is time an important factor?

@AWOL: Just for people to talk.

Just for people to talk.

I have three mobiles, two Skype accounts and two landlines.
If I want to talk, I'll talk.

6PM when I get home from work is midnight and later in Europe. 6AM in Singapore.
Not practical for live communucation.

AWOL:

Just for people to talk.

I have three mobiles, two Skype accounts and two landlines.
If I want to talk, I'll talk.

So, you think that just because there are other means of "talking", a chatroom on the Arduino site should not even be considered?
Just clarifying.
CrossRoads' justification of saying "no" is acceptable. However, some people share the same, or similar time zones. Not everyone in the world has to go on the chatroom at once.

You asked for an answer & justification.
Both were provided.
Nuff' said.

On the web site isn't necessary. Come join us in #arduino on irc.freenode.net.

There are plenty of IRC clients for every platform.

#arduino on irc.freenode.net

What's the SNR like there?

you think that just because there are other means of "talking"

That's been my main issue with chatrooms; discourse from orifices not normally associated with verbal communication.

AWOL:

#arduino on irc.freenode.net

What's the SNR like there?

[/quote]
Relatively high. There are a couple of regular trolls, but far less than most channels.

AWOL:

you think that just because there are other means of "talking"

That's been my main issue with chatrooms; discourse from orifices not normally associated with verbal communication.

I meant instant messages, not verbal communications.

I know what chatrooms are, and what mode of communication they use, but my experience of them has not been good, which is why I asked the SNR question.

I certainly don't expect to be asked to moderate one, which is why I am opposed to one as an adjunct to the forum.

AWOL:
I know what chatrooms are... ...but my experience of them has not been good...

Okay.

c) No. For all the reasons above, and the last thing we need is something else to slow the site down. It's struggling enough as it is.

No from me as well; for the above reasons, and as well because inevitably people will start going into chat, or bugging others for chat, to ask and answer quick questions/problems (because for some reason, patience is considered too much for some people), and then we'll get forum postings that mention something about "I tried this or that as recommended in a chat last night, etc" - context will be lost. Or we'll have more of the dreaded endings to threads of "Ok, I got it fixed thanks to chatting with XYZ - thanks guyz!" - with no message saying what the solution was, leading other people with the same problem ticked off to no end (that happens now, like it does in all forums, but I would bet with chat it would be even worse).

-1

Ie. no chat room. More channels just dilutes - less people see and potentialy answer a given question.

I hate them, when I get onto facebook I get off real quick in case someone notices me and starts chatting. Then it's 30 minutes of "What U doing?" until I can think of an excuse to sign off.

That said I used one once to help a friend debug a problem and the fast turnaround was very useful.


Rob

Msquare:
Ie. no chat room. More channels just dilutes - less people see and potentialy answer a given question.

The issue here is there are generally over 300 people in the unofficial #arduino channel on freenode. This is because many people are going there for help first. My experience has been, most of the people in the channel have never visited the forums. Rarely do I see a "cross-question" between the two.

So artificially limiting the methods people get help isn't very effective.