# Chat



## MarkA

If you're going to have a chat room I beg you not to use the HTML chat. HTML chat doesn't work very well on the best of connections and is a nightmare for those of us on 56k. This makes it more or less completely unusable by anyone without broadband. OTOH, the IRC is fast and easy, and you can make a Java IRC client available. (though I do think you should run your own IRC server instead of hosting a channel on another server. Running an IRC server on your current server wouldn't be very hard. Then just make a Java client available for the few who are lacking a real IRC client.)


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## MarkA

Oops, I just realized. I shouldn't have said I tried the HTML chat and found it unusable. Now I KNOW the chat will be HTML based FWIW people, the IRC chat room Chris posted earlier is still up (for now).


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## The Old Wizard

Well guys I use a Web TV Plus box & I wasn't able to use the HTML chat. I clicked on the link that was posted in my group at Dishplayer X Etc. I would get the page with the were you type in your nick name. When I clicked the submit button I would get a pop up that stated there was a difficulty in acessesing that page.  Oh well. I hope the Chat was a great sucess.


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## MarkA

Old Wizard, have you thoght about buying a computer? There's SO much much much more to the Internet than the tiny amount WebTV lets you see, and computers are getting really cheap (like, around $400 for a simple complete package). And your monthly access fee would be lower than with WebTV


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## Steve Mehs

Unfortunatly at around 7:55PM the HTML chat went down. We were and currently open on the IRC chat wich is linked in the forum header. The IRC chat will work with WebTV


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## Chris Blount

Sorry about that Lew. As Steve said, the HTML chat died. Try the link again.


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## The Old Wizard

> _Originally posted by Mark _
> *Old Wizard, have you thoght about buying a computer? There's SO much much much more to the Internet than the tiny amount WebTV lets you see, and computers are getting really cheap (like, around $400 for a simple complete package). And your monthly access fee would be lower than with WebTV *


Mark, I own two computers. Due to my being disabled it is extremely dificult for me to sit in front of them any more. I wish I could. Web TV allows me to sit comfotably in my eazy chair, & surf on my 27 inch TV.


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## MarkA

WOW, that's gotta be hard old wizard! One thing I'm not sure if you're aware exists is the ATi All-In-Wonder Radeon 7500 card. For $199 (plus a new computer if your current one couldn't support it), you get a TV input/output video card (also has great 3D, great for games or surfing the web on your TV), and a RF wireless remote. Add a wireless keyboard and you're set Or just stick to WebTV, which is obviously more affordable than a setup like that, but if you did want to be able to use your computer it is possible.


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## Mark Holtz

I checked with some of my friends who are into IRC chat and practically run their own network. They mentioned http://www.phpwizard.net/projects/phpChat/ as a possible HTML chat client which can interface with a regular IRC channel. However, they warned of the license, but it should be OK for non-commercial use. (Thanks IJ and Powerlord)


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## MarkA

Any news? When's the next chat? Will it be IRC so I can use it?


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## Steve Mehs

Next chat will be during the June Charlie Chat on June 10th. Yes, I think it will be IRC based.


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## MarkA

Thank God it will be IRC, as I tried the HTML and it didn't work for me! I must be able to speak up during it Oh, but I'll be out of town the 10th


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## Chris Blount

Actually Mark the last chat was IRC. The HTML chat room crapped out just before the tech forum so we went to IRC.


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## MarkA

No, remember when you tested the HTML chat? That didn't work for me, the IRC was great and I participated in part of it.


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## Mark Holtz

> _Originally posted by Z'Loth _
> *I checked with some of my friends who are into IRC chat and practically run their own network. They mentioned http://www.phpwizard.net/projects/phpChat/ as a possible HTML chat client which can interface with a regular IRC channel. However, they warned of the license, but it should be OK for non-commercial use. (Thanks IJ and Powerlord) *


Any luck with this one?


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## Scott Greczkowski

Z'loth, it would be a great chat but the memory resources it uses are HUGE. Unfortunately our server doesnot have the resources to handle all that load especially if the number of people in chat goes above a handfull.

Thanks for the suggestion though.


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## MarkA

What exactly is the server? I'm just curious. If I'm correct, it's Apache 1.3.23 with FrontPage extensions added, running on some version of Linux. But I'd really like to know more, especially what hardware it is Just curious.


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## Chris Blount

Without going into too much detail, here are the specs:

Pentium III with dual 1.1 GHZ processors and 3.6 gigs of RAM
Redhat Linux
Apache
Frontpage extensions added for the homepage

That's all I want to give you for security reasons.


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## MarkA

Understood about the security, the more you know about a server the easier it is to hack That's not a bad little box Not at all Of course, since you're running Apache on Linux you don't really need to worry much about security! Not compared to DBSForums anyways Just one more question that is in no way related to security - what mainboard are you using? Just wondering, as that actually greatly affects a system's performance.


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## Mark Holtz

http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/misc/webtv.html
http://www.fiu.edu/~zyang01/wwwirc/


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