13 replies to this topic

[far.in.out]

Don't you think guys having an IRC channel would be great?

[Brito]

Hi,

There is already an IRC channel available on reboot, look at TLF: http://tech.reboot.pro/

Personally, my preference goes to forum topics. They are indexed, categorized and allow many people to participate without needing to be connected at the same time. Last but not least, the conversations are easily at grasp of visitors or google searches in the future. This increases the daily number of visitors on site and assures an incremental database built on human knowledge that contributes to the development of mankind and civilization.

[far.in.out]

Ok, so how do I get on it?
I agree with you on all your points, but sometimes you need to get the simple answer and quick, so...

[Brito]

It is fairly easy to get on it, just follow the instructions on the page.

[AceInfinity]

True, that's what I originally thought before I created a shoutbox or anything because it uses up resources and discourages quick help away from posting on the forum where it can contribute to content and add to the indexing on Google for our SEO. The IRC was created for site discussion topics between me and KoBE for example if there was anything that needed to be sorted, it was faster than posting in the staff area, and later on I plan on using it as a source of help from a tech group for the conditional that they post their issue in the forum first. So it can be referenced. Kind of like an online tech support area, which was a unique idea I hadn't seen on some forums before.

The main downside is that activity needs to be planted there before it can be used for much anything first. I could have had a strict, straightforward IRC channel and given people the server info, but that would require members to go through the hassle of downloading an IRC client. Now that it's embedded, hardly anyone would know the difference until they realize the "IRC" title at the top, and that the commands are the same as IRCD.

@far.in.out - See how you like the IRC first, then maybe I can go out and see what else we can do with it, and with Nunobrito's involvement as well in any updates that can be made for it. If it gets big enough. I'll have to see what I can do to fund our own IRC server, and if the host allows it here. I know some don't, but I was used to running chatspace a long time ago. Now everything seems to have moved over to IRCD, even though chatspace was easier because you could embed it within a Java resource. However, that also posed a bit more security threats because some people have spoofed Java clients out there. I know how to do it already (somewhat) but I get kicked out from certain bots that can identify your UID and registrant information as Non-Java-Based.

[far.in.out]

There's noone in there...

[Wonko the Sane]

There's noone in there...

Sure there isn't, mainly for the reasons Nuno just told you.

You seemingly made three assumptions:

I agree with you on all your points, but sometimes you need to get the simple answer and quick, so...

that on a IRC channel there would be:

• lots of people
• lots of knowledgeable people
• lots of knoledgeable people willing to quickly answer your questions

and you just found out that not only #3 and #2 are false, but also #1


Wonko

[AceInfinity]

If you spend lots of time on IRC channels, you'll find that unless activity is encouraged there for some reason, they just aren't active if they are promoted upon own users will. Almost ALL IRC servers are inactive, whether they have no one in them, or they have SOP/AOP/VOP's and normal users that idle for long periods of time.

I hope, once we get some more members, that we can use that place as online tech support. And i'll provide awards for the most helpful and active IRC supporters.

[far.in.out]

Well, I've been to several channels occasionally, like say, x264 dev channel, and while there were 95% of those idlers there still were few "knowledgeable people" that gave me 10 times more info than I expected, although maybe not that quick.
For me it seems easier to monitor 1 IRC channel than a bunch of topics. You could quickly check it a few times a day the same way you check the forum to see if anyone had asked some sane question.
You could also dump the conversation sessions to some special forum thread on a daily basis to have your indexing and SEO, although it would most likely need some editing.
Speaking about motivation, I think you should actively advertise the channel so that more people could know that it exists. And it would be enough for starters to have 2-3 knowledgeable individuals there to get things going. If people keep coming there for answers there's discussion, if there's discussion there's interest and therefore more people will come and the whole thing will grow.
Forum and IRC are different and one can't replace another.
Also, why not use Freenode? I think not being able to use your usual IRC client is more pain than having to download one.

[AceInfinity]

For me it seems easier to monitor 1 IRC channel than a bunch of topics

This seems a bit of an unfair statement to me though. For one thing, you're never going to be attempting to keep track of every single topic on a forum (unless there's some odd reason that requires you to do so), nor would that even be remotely possible with large enough forums. Regardless of whether the data is all in one place or not, it's still the same amount of information, and in my opinion, more easily read when it's organized into topics instead of being mashed all together. You're only going to be looking at the topics that you posted, and the ones that interest you, and if all of those topics were mashed into one conversation on an IRC channel I would expect it to be a lot more difficult to keep track of the information provided, even if it is all in one place.

You could quickly check it a few times a day the same way you check the forum to see if anyone had asked some sane question

And now imagine multiple questions all being asked and responded to, all in this one tiny IRC channel output.

You could also dump the conversation sessions to some special forum thread on a daily basis to have your indexing and SEO, although it would most likely need some editing

That would be lots of work, especially since this forum has it's own natural way of organizing topics all on it's own.

If people keep coming there for answers there's discussion, if there's discussion there's interest and therefore more people will come and the whole thing will grow

There's however, no SEO and saved content that would benefit the forum half though, which is one of the reasons as to why it hasn't been a priority yet for me anyways. I want the forum to grow, and focus on that, as opposed to an IRC channel where knowledge isn't kept in an organized database.

Also, why not use Freenode? I think not being able to use your usual IRC client is more pain than having to download one

The IRC channel i've provided, is accessable from either client or webpage in an IFRAME. Server details are provided below the chat on that same page.

[Wonko the Sane]

Latin phrase of the day:

Verba volant, scripta manent

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verba_volant,_scripta_manent

A forum (though less "organized" than a wiki-like set of articles) is useful not only in the immediate, but also in the future.

Themes talked about (and hopefully cleared/solved) are a resource that non-lazy people can search (and hopefully find out that their same issue/doubt/whatever has already been solved).

It's just like those users that PM you instead of posting "in the open", you help one and that help effort is only valid for one, whilst if you do it on the forum, the same help effort can be useful to tens, hundreds or thusands of peeps.


Wonko

[AceInfinity]

Latin phrase of the day:

http://en.wikipedia...._scripta_manent

A forum (though less "organized" than a wiki-like set of articles) is useful not only in the immediate, but also in the future.

Themes talked about (and hopefully cleared/solved) are a resource that non-lazy people can search (and hopefully find out that their same issue/doubt/whatever has already been solved).

It's just like those users that PM you instead of posting "in the open", you help one and that help effort is only valid for one, whilst if you do it on the forum, the same help effort can be useful to tens, hundreds or thusands of peeps.


Wonko

There's my thoughts summed up in short

[florin91]

Why not starting a wiki instead? While now having the information scattered all around some *.reboot.pro subdomains, and still on some *.boot-land.org, it should be available in one single place. 

 

Through in technical domains, the need of an logged irc channel is always there. 

[far.in.out]

Well, now that I think of it, a well-organized wiki would actually be very helpful.

All the information logically structured and interlinked...