iam starting a chat community this script will have about 1500 users and prob hog the server... should i get a large hosting package.. or a cheap Dedicated server?

Out of curiosity, have you ever run a chat site before? What script are you using? Maximum (estimated) users at one time?

you konw what'd be great
IChat

Ichat rules

www.ichat.com

I don't know if they are still in business, but their chat software is awesome

Whats wrong with IRC and a java script point to it?

I suppose you could run an irc server and have a java interface

But those to me are lame, ichat I think is great
http://www.open24.com/chat/data/html/user/addnewuser.shtml

Try it yourself, its wonderful. Yahoo used it, back in the day.

No thanks. I like IRC because them other chat programs take too much of a servers resources.

A dedicated server. If your site expanded past your large web hosting plan, you would end up having to purchase a dedicated server anyways. A dedicated server is the way to go in the long run.

I would look into rackshack.net.

Originally posted by venomx
No thanks. I like IRC because them other chat programs take too much of a servers resources.

to bad there arent more people like you on WHT..

Alot of people here think of DoS soon as someone says "IRC"
alot of people get scared but its not as bad as they think. Its not like EFNET.

I myself run my own irc network :)

Originally posted by node9
you konw what'd be great
IChat www.ichat.com
I don't know if they are still in business, but their chat software is awesome

Let's play... FIND THE PRICE! Winner gets a twinkie that I found in the parkinglot.

http://www.ichat.com/promotions.htm

lol Chicken, that's the best you're going to get.

Send the twinkie over!

You get NO twinkie!!! I saw that, all it says is what you'll 'save', which seems to indicate the whole thing ain't cheap:

100-user license, get 1 FREE message board and save over $750.
250-user license, get 3 FREE message boards and save almost $2,500.
500-user license, get 5 FREE message boards and save almost $4,000


Seems the message board costs over $750 - hmmmm...

lol yea
but its not a message board!
=)

Cheap bastard! :stickout

Originally posted by node9
I suppose you could run an irc server and have a java interface

But those to me are lame, ichat I think is great
http://www.open24.com/chat/data/html/user/addnewuser.shtml

Try it yourself, its wonderful. Yahoo used it, back in the day.

whats lame about an irc server? We run one and it's way better than any cgi run script. It uses next to nothing in the resource department. few of the sites use a java applet irc client for the chat but for the more advanced (and regulars) they can use any irc client they like.

course there are the issues and many hosts don't allow the servers becuase of attacks but in reality it's only a problem if you try to attract the wrong crowds. infact in the last year we've only had 1 person cuase problems.