Can I install my own chat room/discussion board?

[sweetpea]

Can I install my own chat room/discussion board? Or do I have to use the ones you provide?
I see the chat room option in the control panel but don't have a clue as to what
type of chat room it is?

[Brendan]

Hi,

You are allowed to install your own discussion boards (like this one for example) but you are not allowed to install your own live chat servers.

-Brendan

[sweetpea]

Fair enough.
Of course the obvious follow up question is: why?

Is it because they're resource hogs? I'm just curious. I know about computers
but don't know enough about this stuff to even attempt to install either of them.

[Brendan]

Chat scripts are server intensive, and can drain system resources quite quickly. Badddd.... Most often this is because the software requires so much from the server to handle the load OR the code is written inefficiently.


- Steve

[valerie]

Is it possible to customize the background of the chat room? It's great that you offer the capability, but the actual page that visitors will use is rather ugly . . .

[M. James]

I would say you could do that, as long as it isn't installed on the HostRocket server. I recommend QuickChat.org, which I believe you can use since it is remote.

[Jordie]

Hey, We want to use a IRC channel (wouldn't have anything todo with you) but some people don't want to download a IRC program so we have this java applet, jIRC, can I use that?

[lyonsw]

Hi there...

For discussion boards.. they come in all sizes and shapes.. I personally use UltraBoard 2000
http://www.ub2k.com but it cost $$ and they just raised the price a good bit... but there are alot of other great scripts out there..
take a look at
http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Bulletin_Board_Message_Systems/

That is an excellent site for checking out CGI scripts!

As for your chat.. I know that http://www.webmaster.com has a IRC server network you can use and they will also provide you with a java applet to place on your website.

Also you might wanna check in to ICQ.com.. I know it sounds weird.. but they actually have an IRC server that uses the same IRC software (and bots) as Webmaster.com (webmaster actually wrote the irc server) and ICQ.com has a better server connection.

Hope that helps.

Wes

[Edited by lyonsw on 01-07-2001 at 04:36 AM]

[Brendan]

Correction: UB2K is still the same price it's always been... $40


- Steve
- steve@hostrocket.com

[lyonsw]

A thousand pardons :-)

[Lila]

I'm using two kinds of boards and both are free and load fast, easy to setup, and many nice features. Try out http://thewebmasterforums.com and http://ikondiscussion.com/ikonboard.

[Edited by Lila on 01-07-2001 at 06:54 PM]

[Michael]

Just curious as to policy on java-based chat programs. Are these memory hogs too?

[lyonsw]

As I understand it... you can not run the chat off of your site... like the actual server... but you can use java to use another chat server.

Like I posted before.. there are several places that provide this free...
http://www.webmaster.com
and irc.icq.com

[geeknik]

http://www.phpbb.com - 'nuff said. :)

Brian

[Intervisionz]

there is a free version of this chat board used here (vbulletin) at http://www.vbulletin.com

IT has a limited ammount of features though. meaning that some of the major features arnt in it, but if you email me at snfu@mail.com I might give you a link to the full version (version 1.1.2 though)

:)

[JordanTLClive]

Originally posted by Intervisionz
there is a free version of this chat board used here (vbulletin) at http://www.vbulletin.com

IT has a limited ammount of features though. meaning that some of the major features arnt in it, but if you email me at snfu@mail.com I might give you a link to the full version (version 1.1.2 though)

:)



The free version I dont really reccomend to be used as a real application, its more a test for you to make sure that it will work on your server. Limited features is an understatement for the trial version.

The full version is great, but I highly advise that you go to www.vbulletin.com and PURCHASE the board. The developor spent a lot of time to create vBulletin, and deserves to be compensated for it. In addition. 1.1.2 has some pretty substantial bugs and security flaws that would make it easy for someone to deface your message board, steal passwords, and do some other nasty things to your site, and possibly affect other sites on the same server as you, and you wouldnt want to be the cause of that. And very soon they will be releasing v2 with a LOT more features... and I'm sure you will want to be one of the first to get those features such as buddy lists, private messaging, custom templates per board and site...

[lyonsw]

Besides wouldn't that be illegal?

[Intervisionz]

yeah but who really cares?

[gnorthey]

If everyone paid for their copy of the software I bet the price would go down, but instead, One person may be buying two or three people's copy of the program.

THis is free-market (to a certain extent) and they have the right to charge what they want. If you don't wanna pay them, then there are altivernatives to support other companies.

If you wrote a software program that was useful and charged a price of say, $15 for a single user liscense, you would lose money if people thought they could get away with stealling a copy because someone else has paid for a copy 'anyway.'

[JordanTLClive]

Originally posted by Intervisionz
yeah but who really cares?

The respectable people who have been taught morals... amazingly they still exist in this country. These developers WORK. How about I go to your site and steal all the content, as well as your layout... YES it is possible to rip off a flash site. Because these developers have worked 2-3 times the amount of time to create things as you actually take to make a website. And ah.... I really hope that the UBB version you have on your site is a freeware version because you arent supposed to run that type of site on HR if I'm correct...

[tosuba]

hi,

can i edit my chat pages? html codes, and adding css codes for using my font sizes, styles, colors, etc.. ?

and how can i use it in secure place? is it possible?

thnx for your interest

Kerem

[Intervisionz]

Well its quite obvious to me that Jordan, you dont know Flash then do you. Flash just isnt about moving and tweening graphix as some people think. It involves programming as well. The majoroty of the site is programmed, Not animated as you may think. The graphics dont take 2 seconds to make and either does then incorperating the graphics in to Flash to get them to do what you want.
Also, Flash files can be protected from being imported.

Next this is, I would be happy that some one tried to steal and use my content or lay out. That in it self tells me that some one who takes the time to steal it and use it must really like my work and wants to use it.
This makes me happy to think that some one want to actually use my work.

Last but not least.. WAREZ RULE!

Laterz

Dean

[JohnM]

Need I e-mail Jelsoft and report you?

[steven]

Dean-
You might think that Warez rules and how awesome it is to have a pirated vb, but I really take offense to what you are doing. This product happens to be the livelihood of the developers and I find your behavior very childish. How would you like it if someone was pirating a product that you spend hundreds of hours on? Is that fair, is that moral, really take a look at yourself and see if what you are doing is really in your best interest, and in the interests of others.

[tosuba]

can i edit my chat page peep?

[Intervisionz]

John, why dont you mind your own business?
Also.. i will be removing that script for the reason that the security of it is not that great. I have installed it and checked it out and as some one posted earlier in this thread that its has lots of bugs. Also, a friend used it and said the same thing. Consider it gone!

Steve, No I dont think its awsome to own a pirated copy of anything. The fact is that I cant afford a retail version of VB. The only way to learn it was to download it. Programs like that I dont give out. Yes i have VB6 downloaded from the net but for a pure educational purpose so i could learn it. You cant tell me that you dont have an MP3 or copied music CD or tape somewhere in your household now can you. Well its the same thing im afraid.
Laterz


[Edited by Intervisionz on 02-09-2001 at 08:38 AM]

[DCE]

Let he who is without sin.............

[JohnM]

When you offer to send a copy of a program that is the income for a company for free?

[gnorthey]

Software companies invest a lot of money and time into their products. THe companies (or most of them) want to put out the highest quality product they can make. IT gives them more market value when people say product XYZ is the best, thus the board of directors get loaded with $$$$$ in stock options, etc.

Stealing a product isn't right, some group or individual has plugged many hours away and $$$ down the tube to make the product. When someone steals their product, they have to raise prices to make up the difference, or discontinue the service as many have had to do.


On the comment of MP3, MP3 in itself is not a violation of copyright law, neither is copying a CD. Under certain terms of course, you have to have purchased a copy of the music and the CD must by a 'backup' of your purchased copy.

THere's also some deal about 'personal' copies, but I'm not really sure.

FTI, I don't have any MP3's, burnt CD's or tapes with copied music on them.

[DCE]

One point to mull over

If you had a pirated BB on your site and two other people saw it, liked it and bought it
Would you have helped the developers improve the product by providing extra income? Or.....
Kept them short of funds by not buying it in the first place?

There is strong evidence to suggest that those people who use warez and pirated copies of software would never of bought them in the first place, therefore the software house is not out of pocket!

Most companies use M$ office suites because that's what their employees are use to,( a lot of them have pirated copies at home) they don't buy them because they are good value.

In fact it could be suggested that Mr. Gates owes his good fortune to software pirates! (possibly a good reason for stamping it out)

BTW I do not subscribe to the above point of view myself, I am just trying to provide talking points