Hey all,
Announcement
Since I added the first YWS chatroom way back in 2007, it's gone through a lot of evolution. From a humble ajax chatroom that refreshed only every 10 seconds to today's space-age Jabber chatroom, a lot of people have very fond memories of it including the question game people used to play way back when, wink murder, word wars, dragons v. monkeys, quiz games, F.R.E.D. (and Fred's Pad), and break the chat events. Many have built friendships through it, and nearly all active YWSers have used chat to connect with other young writers around the globe. There are very few places where a high-school writer from Oklahoma can connect with another young writer in Mumbai, and the YWS chat was essential to that.
But, there have also been times in the past where I felt that I had to close the chat. This is one of those times, and on January 10, the chatroom and chat bar will be closing. There are several reasons for this, but most of all, I am closing it out of concern for member safety. Just as both can be used to connect for noble purposes, they can also be used to connect for ignoble purposes.
I realize many of you will be upset by my decision, and may even feel great anger about it. This has been an agonizing decision for me personally, and I can only request that you accept my apologies. I would not be doing this if I did not feel it was necessary.
Looking Forward
Looking forward, the chatroom, though not the chat bar, will make a return every now and then for special events. These events may include special chat events like wink murder as well as days like YWS' birthday and gift weekends. Initially, it will also include Review Days, although I'm not certain yet if that will be permanent or not.
Chatwall
I'm also creating a chatwall which I'll announce in the next few days. It'll be similar to a shoutbox where users can leave text messages. It'll be a very poor alternative to real-time chatting, but I'm hoping it will preserve the idea of connecting across barriers that the current chat does so very well.
Official Alternatives
Of course, the chatroom and chat bar are not the only ways to chat in real-time on YWS -- they're just the most popular. There are three other extant alternatives:
- Word Wars
- WriterFeedPad
- TapaTalk Chatroom (download tapatalk from the app store on your Android or iPhone, and subscribe to the Young Writers Society)
There is also The Lounge, which at one time used to be filled with all sorts of eclectic topics. If there is a positive to come from this, one positive I feel would be a more vibrant Lounge. That's important even when chat is open as only a small minority of members use chat.
Unofficial Alternatives
I've already told both the GMs and JMs, and they've begun thinking of some possible off-site alternatives. Should anyone pursue such a thing, I just ask that discussion of it be in a public area like The Lounge, that it be clearly labeled as unofficial, and that the creators understand that what happens there is neither YWS' concern nor problem.
Questions?
Should you have any questions, please leave them below. This has been a very hard decision to make, and I hope you will accept my apologies.
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