Instant messaging

[McGoofy]

Is there any chance that instant messaging is a future possibility at Intercot?:mickey:

I was trying to have a conversation with another Intercotee just now and we were PM'ing back and forth, and that can be time consuming.

Just wondering?

Thanks!!

[Ian]

Most likely not, due to the fact that IM's can't really be "moderated" and this is, after all, a family friendly site.

We do, however, offer the opportunity to include your AOL, MS, or other Instant Messenger ID's in your profile, so you can always opt to communicate that way.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I actually prefer no IMs on this site... Ian is right when he says this is a family site... Opening IMs allows for too much to happen that cannot be monitored.... If there is someone you want to talk offline with, and they want to talk offline too, exchange AOL, Yahoo, or MSN, or what ever other IM service you have....

[McGoofy]

Most likely not, due to the fact that IM's can't really be "moderated" and this is, after all, a family friendly site.

We do, however, offer the opportunity to include your AOL, MS, or other Instant Messenger ID's in your profile, so you can always opt to communicate that way.

So I am just a little confused I guess. With IM's, does everybody else see what you are saying too? I didn't think so but because you say it can't be moderated and then somebody else said something about keeping the site family friendly, it makes it sound like IM's are seen by everybody.

Another question...does that mean that PM's are moderated? You said IM couldn't be done because it needed to be moderated. PM'ing is allowed so does that mean it is moderated? Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to to get by with anything un-family friendly. That's not the case at all!:D I just know that there are some people on Intercot that I personally know, and when we talk, I am way less discreet than when I am on a message board where thousands of people can see what I am saying. If PM's can be seen by lots of people too, I may look for another route of communication. I just assumed that since they were called "private messages," that they were truly private between you and the other person.

I chose not to include to give any sort of IM name because I didn't want just anybody to have access to IM me. I was just wondering if there was a way to converse with somebody that you know and have a select list of people that you talk to. At one time that's what I thought the buddy list was for, but then I figured out that it wasn't. I still really haven't figured out what you can actually do with the buddy list.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question!:mickey:

[Jared]

Tara, I suggest using the Private Message feature to share your AIM screen name with your friends. If you don't want to publish your screen name on your profile, it's easy to simply send it to people you'd like to talk with via Instant Message.

Other users cannot see your PM conversations. I'm not sure if the moderators oversee PMs.

[Here we go again...]

So I am just a little confused I guess. With IM's, does everybody else see what you are saying too? I didn't think so but because you say it can't be moderated and then somebody else said something about keeping the site family friendly, it makes it sound like IM's are seen by everybody.

Your IM's would not be seen by anybody. I have been on other sites that allow people to IM you just by clicking on your screen name. It seems like that brings the freak out in a lot of people. We can be playing a game and someone will send an IM with some "invitation" or something offensive.
I do not want to be bothered by that here.

I do believe the moderators (only) have access to your private messages.I am sure they do not sit around all day reading them. I think the only time they would access them is if they are having a problem with somone sending offensive private messages.

[John]

Lets just clear this up.

No one except for me would have access to the data files that contain PM conversations. They are not in the control panel - rather stored in a MySQL database that would require me to manually pick thru hundreds of thousands of lines of data to find something.

The only time I'm going in there is if we have an extreme complaint of harassment or other offense that rises to the level of being brought forward to the authorities.

Otherwise, I'm just don't have enough time in the day to waste going thru that nor do I care.

Likewise, any bulletin board system has the same capabilities. If you are paranoid, delete your PM's after you read them. That deletes them from the database.

[McGoofy]

Your IM's would not be seen by anybody. I have been on other sites that allow people to IM you just by clicking on your screen name. It seems like that brings the freak out in a lot of people. We can be playing a game and someone will send an IM with some "invitation" or something offensive.


Thanks for explaining that a little further. Now I understand why IM'ing without moderators could turn un-family friendly. I wasn't even thinking in that direction. I was thinking more along a line of people that you select being able to IM you. I definitely wouldn't want "freaky" people bothering me!;)


Lets just clear this up.

No one except for me would have access to the data files that contain PM conversations. They are not in the control panel - rather stored in a MySQL database that would require me to manually pick thru hundreds of thousands of lines of data to find something.

The only time I'm going in there is if we have an extreme complaint of harassment or other offense that rises to the level of being brought forward to the authorities.

Otherwise, I'm just don't have enough time in the day to waste going thru that nor do I care.

Likewise, any bulletin board system has the same capabilities. If you are paranoid, delete your PM's after you read them. That deletes them from the database.

Thanks John! I appreciate you addressing this. You put my mind at ease! I'm all for family friendly, and I like my privacy too! Thanks for all the hard work that you do to make this site what it is!:mickey:

[tinklover]

I have aol and yahoo and i know you can set both so thatpeople not on your list can not pm you . YOu may want to try that and just add your friends form her eto your Im service that way not just any joe blow can im ya:twocents: