Is that footer thingie new?
 

I didn't notice it yesterday, but I was using my laptop and generally crouching over it while doing five other things during a game of Attack of the Fangirls... But I think I love it! I remember when Gaia implemented theirs, and it managed to dominate the screen and look really tacky. This one is so subtle I thought it was part of my browser... or is it? Anyway, I'm assuming it's a Mene thing, and it's lovely.

I just noticed it as well. I don't recall seeing it even just a couple of hours ago so it has to be a really recent addition. It looks promising though! Granted, I say that as I constantly ignore my facebook chat when I use facebook so we'll see how much I really use it.

I won't be using it, because I don't like chat features or hovering footers in general. I think they're annoying and tacky, but I see where people would find this useful. I'm not saying it's useless, I'm just saying I won't be using it. :P

Since we don't get gold for it, I probably won't use it except to see quickly who of my friends are online. Maybe if I see someone I can quickly chat to them "hey, let's RP!" or whatever, but I don't anticipate extended use. It *is* beautifully integrated, though.

I don't like chat rooms on forum sites. Every forum I've been on that has tried to incorporate it massively has killed off a good percentage of forum posting. I don't see why we need it when we have MSN, AIM, Skype, and everything else.

This not 'every other forum'. People have a very strong incentive to post on the forum, since otherwise they won't get gold.

Also, since we have a lot of roleplayers on the site, it helps them a lot with planning and what not.

Lastly, not everyone has MSN, AIM, Y!, Skype, ICQ, GTalk, etc... and even if they do, they might not want to give it out. With this you can retain your anonymity with complete strangers.

Insomniac:

Yeah, I understand the reasoning for it. I'm sure it will be used by a lot of people for organizational purposes. Did you code this from scratch or is it a mod of something else?

I'm all in favor of it, simply for seeing who's online.

Hm, Inso, does the PG-13 rule apply to the new chat as well? I'm thinking for roleplays...

@Scholar
Oh my. If they don't log all the chats, that is going to open up an... interesting outlet, xD;

HOMG I LOVE THIS FEATURE. <3

I will totally be using the chatrooms. And the chat. Totally makes it easier to pester people who I don't have a Nations hangout in common with. HUZZAH.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!

Chat should be treated the same as PM's as far as the rules go.

Thanks for the clarification, Inso. We'll stick to emails, then. :) And, as zaza mentions above, are the chats logged in any way?

I kind of like it. :)

Dunno if I will use it much but I do like the feature. I can see how it would help roleplayers and people like that.

Its really neat, I like the chatting feature ^.^

To be perfectly fair, I don't like it much at all. I find it distracting, and even with the bar gone the little icon still catches my eye. I don't see why a forum site would really need a chat feature, sure the replies are faster than PMs if you wanted to keep it private, but are the forums not really just a big chat room? Especially with the Live Chat feature.

I don't use the chat feature on facebook so I probably wont use it here. If people wanted to chat to me that badly they could always ask for my MSN.

On the matter of remaining anonymous: Quite a few people who are on these sort of sites have the same MSN name as their username, or they don't use their real name anyway. Though you wouldn't be giving it out to complete strangers, only those you wish to talk to, so I don't really see a problem with it :/

There is an option way over to the side to close the bar, so if you don't like it, just get rid of it and let the people who do like it use it.

I don't quite get the logic myself. Nothing about whether or not people will like it, because obviously some people will, but we just had this hubbub about cutting game earnings to try to get people to post in the forums, and now we're adding something that will take traffic away from the forums.

@Cami
Inso's argument on the previous page was that it wouldn't detract from posting since the chat feature doesn't reward gold.

I do know, that was why I said that even the little icon at the side distracts me. I never said anything about stopping others from using it either. I simply stated my opinion on the bar, and in a feedback thread is that not what you are supposed to do?

I actually like the feature. It's unobtrusive and helpful, especially when I want to reach someone directly (for selling) etc. I don't have to wait till they see their thread, I can contact them directly. I still think talking will be done on the forum, and this is like a speedy messaging service.

Plus I hope there are things we can incorporate into it, like favourite shops, favourite threads, etc.

It's mocking me! D8< I didn't even use it for five minutes and it went kaboom! I have a black thumb when it comes to technology. >.o

Snowie broke it! *points*

I figured it out! 8'D It was just this combination of symbols and things to click..that I had to do. To make it work. >,>;; It was really uplifting when I solved the problem. :3 *this story is not a fabrication, no siree bob! Please, look to your left and admire the egret.*

I'm getting the idea that the people who run this site believe that all of our actions are based on the need for gold. If they cut the games, obviously we'll post more in the forums because we have to make up the gold. If they create a new chat function, it won't detract from the forums because we've got to get that gold. I don't really like this gold centric attitude of the site updates. Sure, I like gold and I appreciate the increase in gold per post, but my actions on this site are not gold driven, nor do I think the site should be encouraging them to be. We should do things on this site because they're fun, or we like hanging out with our friends, or it's a good distraction from every day life, not because we just absolutely have to get more gold.

I do think that this will detract from the forums, because it's an easier and quicker method of talking then using the forums, and if you're just here to talk to your friends, which I usually am, then why not use the quicker/easier method?

My comment was not specifically aimed at you, or anyone in particular, nor was it meant to imply that anyone should not state their opinion.

Seeing as I have been MIA for just over a week and my oma's old laptop finally decided to have working wifi (so I do not like using my dads laptop for anything but school purposes), coming back to this was a shock.
In fact, I thought "did the facebook screen just freeze of Mene? is this 7+ year laptop really that fail?"...And then I relealized the bar looks a little different than facebooks...then I realized none of those people on "whose online" were on my facebook account...then I realized they were mene friends. Then I got my sister to confirm I was, in fact, not crazy and actually seeing this.

Now I am not sure how I think of this. It is very, very different. I am still in complete shock over it. So...my feedback will have to wait until my head is completely functional and/or someone explains this to me clearly...how will it be monitered? Am I really awake and not dreaming all of this? How will it effect the forum...When was this thought up? What made the staff make this decision? I am soo confused! xD

Why does stuff like this always happen when I am not able to get on the computer? :lol: