hi Al when you have time oh wise one .have you thought of any ideas for a chat room alert to those online at the time. you know " some ones in the chat room have a look"

i think it says at the bottom of the homepage who's chatting at present! though perhaps a position higher up on the homepage would make it more visible.

you are correct Rob but how many times do peeps spot it.
if a small alert box could appear when someone is in the chat room on all other online users with the option of then cancelling the box ,might find more peeps chattiing .
many a time i've been online and others have also but cannot attract their attension to the chat box.

perhaps no one wants to talk to you

It isn't that easy and not very friendly to users either...

For a start pop-up boxes are evil!!!

Secondly, web browser should work by responding to user input (i.e. clicks etc), si if someone is just sitting at their computer reading a web page the browser shouldn't be doing anything, if you want the browser to respond to other peoples input elsewhere in the world, it has to be constantly looking out for that message... This hogs processor resources and of course means the browser is constantly downloading info from the web... This will slow your conputer down, use up loads of bandwidth and use loads of the server resources probably violating the terms and conditions of the web host.

Programs like MSN messanger etc, work in a completely different way as they are programs installed on your hard drive that you have to first download and configure. Altogether different from a server-side application running on the web as each individual that wants to use it has to first download the software and install it.

Although it is possible to do, it would probably only be possible to get the pop-up notification to appear when you clciked oin somehing (i.e. move from screen to screen as the browser can only do things in response to a user action) and it would be pretty annoying if it did that everytime you changed screens just because someone was in the chat room.

What happens on lots of other sites is that people arrange to 'chat' at certain times of the day and met up then... I've just built a website for a computer gaming clan and thats what they all do.

Al.

oh dear shame! could you not put it a bit higher up on the home page then Al to save having to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to check; that way every time you return to the home page it could be there blairing at you to take notice if you wish.
yes Colonel i realise that the chances of anyone WANTING to talk to me are slim ,but think of the chances for entrapment!

I'll see what I can do.... As soon as I get some time. I've got the pagination of the diaries to do for MartinF as well at some point. You do like to keep me busy!

Al.

Will that do Neil???.... Look at the chatterbox link at the top of the page... It should have the number of people in the chat room next to it.... I'll work on it a bit more, so that if there is someone in there the number stands out a bit more.

Not now though as it is windy miller!!

Al.

Let me know if it's working.... Its impossible to check it on my own, I have to wait until there is actually someone else online and in the chat room!

Al.

oh sorry Al ,yes it is working, well done; hows about making the number red or similar and maybe flash to make it stand out a bit more

I'm gonna make it red and bold if there is 1 person or more in the chat room... but remain blue if there is no one in there.... Might get time to do it later, but I'm in the middle of a complex php script for a guy in America at the moment and need to give that priority.

Al.

sounds good to me!
whats this your writing someones PHD for him now; your expertise knows' no bounds!!

PHP!!!! I had enough of PhD's with my own, I'm not doing someone elses for them as well!!

Al.

PHP is that the latin "post hocto prock" after the event?
but then my declentions have gone to pot as well,been some years since we spoke latin, now that the romans have left!

[Edited on 17/3/05 by mNeil]

Nope, nor to keep things topical is it "post hoc partum" (after this childbirth... couldn't think of much alse for php as it has been over 20 years since I last spoke to any Romans)

However, the way the PHP script is going it feels as if "Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus" - an old Roman proverb that I'll let you work out yourself!!

Al.

Oh yeah... Neil, forgot to mention that the number in the chat room alert is now red if there is someone in the chat room... Happy now?

Oh, and the translation of the 'Roman Proverb' was : Mountains will be in labour, and an absurd mouse will be born...(All that work and nothing to show for it).... other than a little red number!

Al.

knew you could do it ,oh wise one!