Ok, Here goes nothing, Since noticing a post previously about starting a channel/network for WebHostingTalk I am going to do a survey first to see who is up for it.

If we get enough of a response then I will put the request up to RackShack to open irc.webhostingtalk.com

I feel it may go down well in the short term, but that in the long term it would die a death (as most other ventures have)

So, please only vote YES if you feel you would be willing to use the service for the long term.

Any other comments, should also be posted here, they will all be discussed by all moderators and by RackShack if the idea proves to be worth while.

-XT

I don't use IRC in any way. If I did however... I would be interested in it long term.

Logically, since we have 3 NO answers, we should also have 3 replies here, hmmm ;)

Thanks for your comments reptilian-fe

And Thanks for everyone who has voted thus far, its appreciated :cool:

Or just use www.webhostingirc.com. It's already set up and got some people chatting (in #whirc)...

I idled there for 3 weeks and nobody said a single word :(

IRC is a bit of a timesuck. If I had more spare time I'd probably drop in, but even this place kills more time then I should be using. :)

Greg Moore

it would probably kill the idea of this forum
id rather post here than chat on irc

besides, i doubt wht would want a network of irc servers
maybe just a irc server :)

I don't think it would be a good idea. It will start to take away from the forums. Instead of people posting they will type it in the chat, that cause alot of people to miss it. Sorry but I am against it.

well i do love ircing, but beside you can't watch thousand different clients all the time ;))
and as i'm on IRCnet, i would just have a detached client idling there so i'd just have a look in there from time to time.

I like to think of it as an add-on for WHT forums. I've only been a member for less than a month and already I've had offers to take things "off-line" to talk to someone. IRC would be a great place to talk real-time to help someone or just have realtime conversation. I don't think it would detract from the WHT forums.

It would be cool... people can pick on each other in realtime.. :)

Originally posted by BiGWill
well i do love ircing, but beside you can't watch thousand different clients all the time ;))
and as i'm on IRCnet, i would just have a detached client idling there so i'd just have a look in there from time to time.

in mirc type /server -m irc.ircservername.com

I was an IRC addict for many years. Operated a few channels of my own and hung out in quite a few others. Loved it when I had time for it. Now we do run our own private IRC network, for work, which is a great way to remain in constant communication and we have a lot of 'info bots' running in there that alert us in the channel of any server problems, forum posts, new orders etc...it's great! However, I find that I do not attend other IRC networks/channel anymore due to the time they consume and the disruptions they cause.

Not responding to a message sent to you can cause some hostility and feelings of being ignored... when in reality it's just that the receiver is really busy. A lot of good communication is also lost. Unlike in the forums where it's there for later retrieval and response when the time is right...with IRC everything is in realtime and if you missed it... you missed it.

For those with time it may be great but it could also cause more grievances than necessary... even something as silly as lag can cause arguments due to people not realizing a late comment was meant for an earlier statement. I also like the ability to close the WHT browser window and re-open it when I am ready to read. With IRC it would be yet another window having to be left open on my desk top that is already cluttered with too many windows. Last but not least, since I do work in IRC all day anyway with a lot of 'private conversation' I would just be beside myself if the right text went into the wrong IRC window :o

Well, I have not been in to irc for a while, but I am for it.

As for the response that it would kill a forum like this, I dissagree. I run a forum that is very busy. we recently added a php chat (yeah, I know it is not the same thing!). Traffic did not drop off, but some off topic banter was a bit more prolific. That was the intent. Folks felt more comfortable, and participation is good. Folks that want additional input still post to the forums. It was a welcome addition, and has encouraged the lurkers to participate.

Anyhow, I am all for it. :)

I would not go probably at all, as I do not care for live, one-on-one chat.

I enjoy the forum format and agree with James, Greg and Secludo.

We tried making a channel for the girls on my parenting board - lasted about a week before everyone disappeared. I had been using phpMyChat and it was really slow, so we set up a channel on DALnet and a lot of people downloaded mIRC and came at first, but I go in there every now and then and no one is ever on.

Really, I think that even if people came at first, it probably wouldn't last very long.

people don't care enough to keep it going
lol
besides
many people get on here from work and all kinds of other things :)

YES

Originally posted by xtstrike
I idled there for 3 weeks and nobody said a single word :(

That funny xtstrike because I am sometimes there to meet my pals and there were definitely more than a single word during my stay there... Let me see ... perharps over 3 weeks, there were thousands of words exchanged. Actually, we know you came by but never spoke anything even when somebody tried to talk to you ... Perharps you idled too much. And 3 weeks? I did not recall seeing you all the time for 3 weeks.

Anyway ....

Originally posted by FHDave


That funny xtstrike because I am sometimes there to meet my pals and there were definitely more than a single word during my stay there... Let me see ... perharps over 3 weeks, there were thousands of words exchanged. Actually, we know you came by but never spoke anything even when somebody tried to talk to you ... Perharps you idled too much. And 3 weeks? I did not recall seeing you all the time for 3 weeks.

Anyway ....

Dido, I thought he was a bot.

Originally posted by Haze


Dido, I thought he was a bot.


he idled in my support channel for atleast a week.

No (If not please explain)Don't IRC.

no, I would not use it if for no other reason sleep!

Originally posted by secludo
We tried making a channel for the girls on my parenting board - lasted about a week before everyone disappeared. I had been using phpMyChat and it was really slow, so we set up a channel on DALnet and a lot of people downloaded mIRC and came at first, but I go in there every now and then and no one is ever on.

Really, I think that even if people came at first, it probably wouldn't last very long.
Hosthideout was originally phpMyChat, was overloaded, killing the server, I switched it to a java based chat and if I killed the site, someone might notice a few weeks from now. Maybe. Sounds like we've been down the same road, though I never switched it to IRC, I think you need a plethora of users to make chat work. Yahoo type plethora, AOL type plethora, but that's just one chicken's opinion.

no archieve

I definately would. I'm on IRC a lot anyway, chatting with some of the WHT people wouldn't hurt. I know there is webhostingirc, but having an official WHT network would probably make a difference.
I think a lot of the WHT members don't know about whirc..

Hi!
I'd say no. Forums are a great place to be in. Chat is something where we just talk and forget about it. Forums on the other hand is a place where we can read old posts and get the emotions back. It is fun....

Also, not be truly realtime you get more sensible responses than just ":)" or "Hey there" ....

Have a great day :)

regards
amar

What about if there was some kind of a bot archiving what was said, and putting it into some kind of searchable database.. then it would not be forgotten? I think the chat is an excellent idea for meeting up and getting to know fellow hosters, but we could make it a rule to send people to the forums for support, etc.

that's why forums work so well and chat's die a nasty death. In a world where people are working 80+ hours a week, real time is a pain in the can. If you can have all your conversations sitting there for when you have a spare few minutes, then life is good.

Seems we delegate our time so much these days that even conversing has a time and a place. :)

Greg Moore

Just buy Jirc, i think WHT owner can affored it and you will get people going to it. Dropping by.

I agree, we dont need a network, just a room.... put jirc on the sites so people who "dont IRC" can still join us as if they were using AOL chat etc..

The room we have made unofficially has around 7 users in it most the time and is on efnet #webhosts.

Basically.. if you run a hosting chat site or whatever.. why not install an IRC java applet and come join everyone else ?

Webhostingirc already have a java irc client available so thats already taken care of.

IRC would take away action from this forum. So that's makes bad business sense, IMO. :)

I didn't vote, but I say no IRC. I wouldn't use it, and doubt many would.

Im on Quakenet alot and Im a server co-admin on another network .... I don't htink I would bother conencting to a third network.

The current format
works well
doesn't require constant attention to keep abreast of what is going on.
allows persons from all over the world to discuss issues together
can be searched.
lets people get work done and not loose the flow of a discussionI don't want to ask about something and get a response saying "well it was discussed in IRC already." An IRC addition to this forum would be a waste of time IMHO.

I'm for it. In light of recent downtime with my provider, it would have been nice to go into a channel on irc and be able to ask others if they are experienceing any problems.

It would also be a great way to help people out... the only problem would be getting people to go there and stay there.

Perhaps it would make more sense to start up a channel on dalnet or efnet (preferably DALnet), where people already ARE, if they are on irc.

If this was the case, I would definatly idle there :)

Edit....

ALSO hopefully staff and CEOs from hosting companies will be able to chat there as well and interact with customers.

I can see problems with this already though... trying to enforce the same rules structure.. keeping people from advertising.. yadda yadda. but it would be way more simpler if a channel was created on an existing network.

YES YES AND YES!! :D

Only if it has a serious discussion room and a LOUNGE room!

What's the point of WHT chat without the lounge? :smokin:

Hmmm... on second thought, not necessarily a WHT IRC; but what about a special IRC channel where all hosts and customers post their problems when their servers go down?

I also think we need a "Server Down" forum here.

IRC , real time chat would be great
we can help each other in real time or ask questions.
sounds like an awesome idea

thumbs up here.

I wouldn't, because I'm on three IRC networks already and I really need to cut down. Besides, I'm lazy. :cool:

IRC all the way, it will boost the activity here in my opinion, has done elsewhere and for me, its a good idea, and if people did idle, then you built this place up sure you can do it with the IRC too, if people dont want it then they dont have to join and it can be there for those that want it.

A irc chat imho, could never be this, unless you get hundreds of people in it. I just hink it wont be a great place for help, and what you have now, works.

ahh irc, i remember those days... but a irc server for webhostingtalk.com would be nice..or maybe a webhostingtalk.com instant messenger...:stickout

webhosting instant messenger would be nuts! I wouldn't get any work done heheh

Chose NO; I suggest having only one channel instead.. or at least making the URL shorter :)

I will do it! I will be there all the time, if u do it, it would be great! so do do do do it! whats the channel?

Originally posted by Gamer12
I will do it! I will be there all the time, if u do it, it would be great! so do do do do it! whats the channel?

You need a one year vacation to Tahiti, plus another year of prohibitation from computers like Kevin Mitnick got when he was sentenced for hacking. :D

No, IRC defeats the purpose of a forum. A forum works much better to get ideas from many different people.

IRC chat always turns out to be a uesless waist of time. Just a hangout for people to continually talk about nothing.

Harder to moderate too.

I dunno I like forums much better.

You cant replace the forum as it is the best way to communicate the way we wish to. But if someone has a quick simple question, they can jump in there, get the answer, and that will be the end of it. It would keep a lot of simple 1 reply threads from being created. You know, when you are googling for something and you just cant figure it out. Plus it would let some people have a place to hang out a bit and procrastinate more.

Originally posted by Acronym BOY
You cant replace the forum as it is the best way to communicate the way we wish to. But if someone has a quick simple question, they can jump in there, get the answer, and that will be the end of it. It would keep a lot of simple 1 reply threads from being created. You know, when you are googling for something and you just cant figure it out. Plus it would let some people have a place to hang out a bit and procrastinate more.

But then people won't be able to increase their post count for the hell of it. :D

Originally posted by Acronym BOY
You cant replace the forum as it is the best way to communicate the way we wish to. But if someone has a quick simple question, they can jump in there, get the answer, and that will be the end of it. It would keep a lot of simple 1 reply threads from being created. You know, when you are googling for something and you just cant figure it out. Plus it would let some people have a place to hang out a bit and procrastinate more.

OK, but who will stay there all day to answer those questions?

People are talking as if this is a "replacement" for the forum.. not at all.. just a place for those of us that use irc a lot to hang out with people from this forum... it wouldnt replace any of the discussions made here.. simply serve as an addition to this community of like minded people.

So is WHT coming out with an IRC server? when is the decision?

wow, hasnt died yet...

As I have said before, we dont need a server just an IRC room, people can use it if they want.. or not bother.. Have it on a big existing IRC network and it will be more popular than our own new network.

sounds like a good idea

the thoughts of irc make me have nightmares of DoS attacks against unpopular hosts, can you just imagine a bunch of script kiddies on there bulling hosts trying to get shell accounts?

Also, lots of potential for bad impersonation on IRC, i bet most companies wouldn't be irc'ing from like "user!user@admin.theircompanyname.com" and instead from their home cable, dsl, etc.

Good though, would lead to bad follow through in many ways i think unfortunatly.