Shoutbox Feedback

[James Gryphon]

Some of y'all might have noticed we've been talking about the shoutbox (on the shoutbox itself, appropriately enough).

The community seems to have taken a real shine to this feature. To say that it's "wildly popular" wouldn't be an exaggeration. I saved its extended history to my hard drive the other day, and it weighed in at something like 6 megs. That's pretty huge for anything that's mostly text.

We're always looking for ways to improve the community's experience on the forum. Part of doing that is getting a better understanding of how our work affects you.

What do y'all like most about the shoutbox?

[Jukka the Sling]

I really like the fact that it's quick and handy to post, and it gets more exposure because everyone, no matter where they are on the forum, will see it.

[Groddil]

Similarly to what Jukka said, you don't have to keep waiting for replies, because everyone can see it at all times.

[Lady Amber]

Basically what Jukka and Groddil said. It's easy and quick to post, and everyone sees it because it's right there on the main page.

[Hickory]

I mostly wonder why I can't see it.

[Jetthebinturong]

I really like the fact that it's quick and handy to post, and it gets more exposure because everyone, no matter where they are on the forum, will see it.

Similarly to what Jukka said, you don't have to keep waiting for replies, because everyone can see it at all times.

Basically what Jukka and Groddil said. It's easy and quick to post, and everyone sees it because it's right there on the main page.

Unless you don't look at it, which I generally don't.

I dislike group chat features in general because they confuse me.

[Izeroth]

I dislike group chat features in general because they confuse me.

I'm inclined to agree with this statement. While the shoutbox can be useful for getting a message across, most legitimate posts tend to quickly disappear under a torrent of meaningless spam. In my opinion, the shoutbox should be kept, but with an option to hide it for those who would prefer not to have it up there.

[James Gryphon]

There actually is a way to hide the shoutbox; if you hit the "minus" on the top-right, it goes away. You also lose the display with your avatar, and the "show unread posts since last visit" and "show new replies to your posts" links.

[Jukka the Sling]

Wow, I didn't know that.  It's actually kind of helpful because the shoutbox and everything else admittedly does take up a lot of room.

[Captain Tammo]

LOVE the new shoutbox. I think it will really help the community grow tighter together (when people are on). I'm curious to see how it will play out for larger crowds, though

[Søren]

I like the shout box a lot, becuase it's easy to talk to others without having to leave the page. You're also able to keep up to date without having to search through the all the threads.

[The Skarzs]

Part of the problem I have with the shout box is how much activity is used on it, instead of on the boards, especially where the series this forum is dedicated to should be discussed. Sure, we can get burnt out on it, but I feel the lightning-response immediate socializing is taking away from the series we love and making us more like the world around us, something Brian did not intend with his books.
With these forums, it was as if I could escape into a world of imagination, every board was an adventure where we could explore the different sides of people without the slang and lack of attention in real life, as well as a place where we could be crazy. (The last part certainly has no trouble here, though. . .) The shout box is like a school cafeteria, dozens of people spewing conversations loudly as they frantically get as much of their socializing done in their off time as quickly as possible, instead of quality interactions over longer periods.

In short, the shout box to me is like introducing the phone to the Middle Ages.

[Cornflower MM]

^^ When you put it like that anything sounds bad.

I like because it's faster than say PMs, especially on this forum when it's hard to see if you have any new ones. Plus it's kinda cool having a more real-time conversation. I've had a few awesome conversations (Yes, actual conversations) because of it. Especially when the forum's slow.

[The Skarzs]

Suddenly I'm getting notifications every time someone posts. Does this have to do with my hiding the shout box on my computer?

[James Gryphon]

No, although keeping the shoutbox on would have explained it.

It's a new feature I'm experimenting with. If it's any good, it might stay. If it's too annoying (which is looking likely), it'll be gone very soon.