Instant Messenger Module

Steve - We agree and it is in line with a number of enhancement requests.  Our current development focus, however, is to ensure the stability and usability of our existing features. As always, we continue to welcome feedback but ask for your patience as our team of 8 continue to work diligently. 

Thanks,

Shaun

I just started using ShoutMix.  I've found that once I've logged into it, even if I close my browser and come back the next day, I'm still logged into ShoutMix, thus even tho' there is an additional login, in practice, there is no additional login after the first login.  Cool.

Of course, a built in function would be best, but I found ShoutMix to be easy to install and use. 

What's really cool about ShoutMix is that I can make it produce a separate pop-up chat window, without any Groupsite headers, and then I can stick it on one side of my screen.

ShoutMix does have a "members logged in now" feature, but it doesn't work for me because it uses IP's, and here everyone is on one network.  C'est la vie! Nothing's ever perfect.

Hi guys.  I've spent several hours researching this so let me share.

Most of these "shout boxes" are designed to allow people to simply post a quick one line statement or announcement inside the shoutbox application. They are NOT intended to be real-time instant messaging applications because they don't work this way.  They don't automatically refresh when someone types something.  You must manually refresh the page so that defeats the purpose because the person you are tying to communicate with will never know to do this after you type a message.

Instant messaging applications or "chat boxes" are completely different and that's what I was looking for.  I found many--some freee; some minimum cost but most of them require either more complex programming or they require people to have a login to use them, which for me defeats the purpose.

Fortunately, I have found a few that do not require complicated coding, do not require logins for people to use, and refresh in real-time so you can carry on real instant-messenger type conversations with anyone that might on logged into your groupsite.

Here is one such application that seems to be working for us, although it's very basic in terms of its look and feel and bit cumbersome at first, it does work and it's completely free as far as I can tell:

http://www.freejavachat.com/setup.html

It's absurdly easy to use.  You just select the options you want, click on the "Generate" button to get the HTML code, then copy and paste this into a new module you've created inside Groupsite by selecting the Embed Widget/Video option.  That's it!

SPECIAL NOTE TO SHAUN:  Shaun, here's a suggestion.  Don't reinvent the wheel.  Simply contact this provider, pay him a few $$ to slightly customize and improve this code, then add it as a standard drop-down in your modules and you're done!  That's the agile way to do things like this.

ShoutMix refreshes ten times a minute, which is close enough to instant for me.

Their website creates a little piece of code (there's advanced features if you want it a different size or you want to change the word it uses for post), which you just put into a blank page in your Groupsite.

I've got more info coming on all the research I did on instant messaging services that can be plugged into Groupsite as a module--even ones that are better than the one I mentioned above...watch for more when I have time to post...

Take care guys

OK, here is what I promised.  By far, the best chat room instant messenger I have found is addonChat.  Not only is it beautifully designed, it has a full set of chat features, is FREE for the basic version, and does not require logins and passwords, which was one of my requirements.  It also only allows chat for the users logged into your Groupsite, which was another one of my requirements.  There are many others around that require logins and passwords but then allow people to chat with any other chat service, but again, this isn't what I wanted for my groups.

All you have to do is go to the website, create an account, change the options you want on your chat room and generate the HTML (Java) code.  You can then paste the code into either an Embed Widget/Video or Freeform Text module in Groupsite.

You may want to implement this the way that I did.  I chose a "wide module" when creating this and I put it at the very bottom of the SUMMARY page.  I used a chat room widget of 625 wide by 425 high which fits perfectly.

Next, I added a module on the far right side of the page for "Members Currently Online".  When I added it I selected the option, "Add to all Wide Sidebars".

This means that this module will show up on multiple pages on Groupsite, not just the SUMMARY page.

I then sent an email blast announcing the new feature and told people to watch for the module on the right side of the SUMMARY and certain other pages and when they see someone that is online they want to chat with, go to the bottom of the SUMMARY page and use the chat module to start chatting with them.

It's working perfectly for me but I have very small groups.  I'm not sure how well this would work with some of the huge muli-hundreds and multi-thousands groups on Groupsite.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you realize that when you sign up for a free account, you get a single ID number that makes this all work on the addonChat website.  That means that any website you copy and paste the HTML Java code to, will allow ANYONE on that website to chat with ANYONE on any other site you put the code!  Obviously, most people won't want this.  If you have multiple websites you want to use this chat room on you will have to create multiple FREE accounts (I'm told this will work but haven't tried it yet) or pay for an account that will give you multiple ID numbers.

I hope this is helpful to everyone that has been asking for an integrated chat room/instant messaging module from Groupsite.  Here are screen shots of the Member Online and Chat Room modules I created: