Young Writers Society

I think that having a mod that opens the chat at specific times. Maybe you should assign certain mods certain hours to open chat? (several so that not one mod has to be worried)

But I also I wouldn't be happy with it I got to know a lot of users through chat and I think it's the best way people get to know each other because it is so instant. There is always MSN but I like chat better because I feel it is better than sharing my personal MSN with someone I don't know at all but want to get to know. I just feel it is safer.

One problem I see arising from this: If you open only on the weekends, the site will stall and the chat will be crowded. Since people are busy during the week and if they are distracted during the weekend by chat, I don't think it'll help much with site activity.

One thing I stick too though: Removing chat off the homepage. Putting it on "My YWS" is a smart idea so people will not join for the chatroom, or it will not be the first thing members see.

But I also I wouldn't be happy with it I got to know a lot of users through chat and I think it's the best way people get to know each other because it is so instant.

I hear you, and that's the beauty of having the mods open it. YWS has plenty of mods, so the chat will probably be opened fairly frequently. Once every other day at the least, several times a day at most. So it's open often enough for people to join in and check out the chat, meet new people, etc. But it's closed often enough that even the junkies can have a life outside it. :)

Last time this happened, there was a major freak out, and it turned out to be for nothing. If you needed a chat fix, it wasn't like you were going to need to wait a week for it -- almost everyday, the chat was open at least once, most of the time for about an hour, because that's all anyone (normally) wants to spend in a chat room, guarding and monitoring people. And an hour is plenty of time to chat and meet new people. When you add to that that the chances of another mod coming in later that day and re-opening it are high, everyone should get their fix. :)

I'm actually for the idea of the mods being allowed to open it. I'm a little bit of a chat junkie- though I can live without it. I think it would be good to get away from it. That was a good system, methinks, when we had it last. My only fear would be that sometimes when you want to talk to a specific person, when they're in Chat it's ideal to just start up a Private with them. But still, I'm for it, as much as it might pain me (I use the excuse that I'm not really on during the week, but still. I'm bad enough.)

I think the mods opening the chat room would be good. I've been on a few times when there hasn't been a mod on and something happens, and there's no one there to settle it. I really like the chat room though.

Wolfie ->> When that happens, you can always PM a mod, or use the "Contact Us" form under "About."

When I first saw this I thought '"what?!" But now that I think of it, it's actually not that bad. I agree with Bolt, I have to leave Chat or mute it to get something written or anything else done, but Chat has so many good points that are hard to get over.

I met so many people through Chat, it's not like I go around and PM people to talk about. It's easier to get to know someone through direct conversation, so that's definitely a good point. I will definitely be sad if you close it permanently. About restricting hours, days would be better because of the time difference and stuff. The Mods opening is a good option too.

I support the "Mods-open" option, simply because not all of us can get on at the weekend together, due to conflicting lives and schedules and things. If a Mod periodically opens it on a whim, then there's a bit of randomness to it and I think that the chat experience turns out better in the long run.

That being said, I assume that the old "Don't bother the Mods to open the chat" policy would go into effect, and that there would be some formal announcement, as there also used to be. Sorry if I sound pretentious on that, I just don't want there to be tons of people attacking the Mods and begging for the chat to be open, as there once was.

If the other option ends up going into effect, I'll still be all for it. I do agree with the idea that we need to put limits on the chat. But I like the "Mods open" option the best.

Yeah I think the chat room should be closed. It would definitely help the number of reviews. YWS is more about writing than chatting is it not?

nate you can do what you will with chat... delet it... people will still goof off if they want to...atleast if they goof off here...you can control it almost...lol..

my honest views ! *thumbs up, big smile* yep...(that was a joke too)

I have no issues with the chatroom going back to the mods opening it thing. And hey, if it doesn't work out, you can always change it back.

I do worry about the times when there are no mods though, because we've had some issues with that, and having mods open and close it would eliminate that completely.

It's a good plan, in my opinion.

Right away, I'll have to say that if chat goes away for good, I'll probably cry and write bad emo twilight fanfics in pink ink with a sparkly blue pen. I know I'm in chat a lot, but to be honest...I never really seem to know whats going on in there. There have been times when I'll sign into chat and then forget it, leave the computer, and pass out, so I apologize for being a chat creeper. ^^

I'll also be really sad if chat's only opened on weekends because I would almost never be around to check in on chat. Yeah, Nate pointed out the negatives as have a lot of other people but I mean, chat has definitely given us (well at least me and I hope I'm not completely alone here) some positives.
For me at least, a feeling and a sense of community. Without chat, I doubt I would have ever felt like I could have become an Instructor, or even a good reviewer. It was the encouragement that I received from chat that helped me pursue Purpledome.
Having people to turn to. I've gone through some tough times lately and had some definitely crazy experiences. Being able to turn to chat and have people to talk to who I don't know personally and who won't be able to take these sorts of things and use them against me makes me feel so safe.
Support. Without the support of chat, I don't think I would be nearly the member that I am. Having that direct contact with people adds to the sense of community that YWS has always seemed to have.
Oh the help with homework. I can't remember the number of times when I've been in the middle of an essay and I need to figure out how to word something. Or now, sense I started working for the school paper, how many times I've felt like I needed to fix something or get an opinion on an article. And the first thing I usually do is click on chat and ask a friend for an opinion.

I think setting up a weekly schedual with mod openings would be the best course, that way people will always know when chat will be open, getting rid of the randomness. Just by posting something here in the Info Desk or the Lounge would let people know when they can be get into chat (which means no one will be bugging the mods) and it lets the mods have a reliable schedual to stick to as to when they'll be asked to keep lordship over chat. :D

Okay, that was definitely more then my usual two cents.

~lilymoore

The problem with the idea of the schedule is that there are going to be times when a mod isn't present to open the chat, and I personally don't feel like we should clear our own schedules to make room for the chat. I honestly think the chat would be open more than you guys think with the mods opening it, there are quite a few of us Chat Mods these days, it would probably be open for at least a few hours every day.

However, I do think that there should be a rule (I think it might have been a rule before) about prodding mods or chat mods to open the chat for you. Because that is both irritating and rude.

I like the idea of the mods opening it. It'll encourage other members to review, write, or get involved in something outside of the house (I know, it shocked me, but spending all day without the computer really isn't that bad). Having a no-mod chat generally leads to arguements and other stupid things.

I'm all for having like a "mod schedule" with who opens Chat or whatever but we do need to make sure we have several mods there at once. From experience, being the only mod in Chat can be really hard. The ones that's schedule is too erratic to mod Chat at certain times can help the other mods when they can or just open up Chat if they're on and another Mod hasn't already opened it.

If you want to open it just during the weekends, I understand that too.

-always

What I meant by schedual, I suppose I should explain. If there were to be a schedual, it would be based around the schedual of the Mods rather then the Mods basing their lives around the schedual. If there are two or three people who are always available on, say, Thursday's from 4-7 then why not have chat open. At least if it works for three or for people then we know there will almost always be at least a mod or two who can be there.

The main issue I have with the schedule is that none of the mods should ever feel obligated to open the chat. I have no issues being the only mod in there, I've done it before and it's not so hard really. Basically, I have no issues with the idea of opening and closing the chat, I do have issues with the idea of feeling like I am obligated to do so either way. I think Nate actually posted something on the subject of Volunteers not Employees. What we do as chat mods and mods and all of that is not a job, it's volunteer. If several mods want to come together and decide that every Tuesday night they'll open the chat for however long, I don't see that as a bad thing. I just don't think it should be expected of mods. We all have things going on and plans can change quickly. I think that it's important to avoid making the mods feel obligated to open the chat. They should open it if and when they feel like it.