Arrow Chat and Media to be removed during next update of forum software. Please save any text/images that you wish to keep.

[Hip]

The Arrow Chat and Media section have not been used for many years by members, and so will be removed during the upcoming forum software upgrade to Xenforo 2.2, in order to keep forum functioning simple and streamlined.

Please save any text/images from these areas that you wish to keep.

 

[Gingergrrl]

What does Arrow Chat and Media section refer to? If we have info saved in PM's I assume that will remain? Thanks!

 

[Hip]

What does Arrow Chat and Media section refer to? If we have info saved in PM's I assume that will remain? Thanks!

The Media section is accessed via the top of page main menu:

Arrow chat is accessed via the button on the bottom-right of the page:

 

[Alvin2]

Oh no, can i save my backlog of chats over the years?
Also i am waiting for replies on it, what happens to those?

Is it being replaced by a new chat?

 

[Hip]

Oh no, can i save my backlog of chats over the years?
Also i am waiting for replies on it, what happens to those?

Are you actually using the chat feature? This is not the same as PR Conversations (Conversations will continue to exist).

I asked the mod team if anyone was using chat, and they thought that it had fallen into disuse. I also put out several messages on chat asking if anyone was still using it, and there were no replies at all. So it seemed pretty dead.

 

[Alvin2]

Are you actually using the chat feature? This is not the same as PR Conversations (Conversations will continue to exist).

I asked the mod team if anyone was using chat, and they thought that it had fallen into disuse. I also put out several messages on chat asking if anyone was still using it, and there were no replies at all. So it seemed pretty dead.

Yes, the one on the bottom of the screen with real time replies when people are online.

I chat with individual people, and i have lots of archived chats including from people who don't post on PR anymore.
I just got a message a few days ago from someone i have not talked to in a long time which i replied to, waiting for a reply

 

[Hip]

I chat with individual people, and i have lots of archived chats.
I just got a message a few days ago form someone i have not talked to in a long time which i replied to, waiting for a reply

OK, this is news to me that people are still using chat. Would you have any idea of how many PR members are using Arrow Chat? How many different members do you communicate with (in recent years) using chat?

 

[Alvin2]

OK, this is news to me that people are still using chat. Would you have any idea of how many PR members are using Arrow Chat? How many different members do you communicate with (in recent years) using chat?

I don't know who else uses it but i only chat with a handful of people.

 

[Gingergrrl]

I don't know who else uses it but i only chat with a handful of people.

@Alvin2 Can you send a msg to those people (in the Arrow Chat) before it goes away and tell them that you want to switch your conversation to PM?

 

[Alvin2]

@Alvin2 Can you send a msg to those people (in the Arrow Chat) before it goes away and tell them that you want to switch your conversation to PM?

I could but the universe will collapse

The benefit of it is being able to have real time conversations, whereas PM is e-mail but on the forum.

 

[Judee]

I use the Arrow Chat once in a while. It's a nice feature as @Alvin2 says if you are trying to reach someone right away and or if you want to see if someone is currently online.

Plus, some people can't be reached by PM depending on their settings. There have been times when I've tried and gotten some type of message saying they have limited access to their info or somesuch. (I can't remember the exact wording. Sorry.)

Also regarding changes with the update and I think @Gingergrrl might agree with me on this, is there anyway we can get the Ignore Thread feature back somehow? I really miss that function.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Also regarding changes with the update and I think @Gingergrrl might agree with me on this, is there anyway we can get the Ignore Thread feature back somehow? I really miss that function.

You have a great memory and I definitely agree with you! It would be great to have the "Ignore Threads" feature back!

 

[Alvin2]

I am assuming you still plan to do this, when is it being done?

 

[Hip]

I am assuming you still plan to do this, when is it being done?

Yes, the plan is to remove the Arrow Chat add-on. Sorry for that.

It's the add-ons to the Xenforo software which often cause headaches during software upgrades, and so can cost a lot up money to update (because it can take days or even weeks of work for PR's software developer to update an add-on). So to keep complexities to the minimum, the plan is to remove unused functionality.

If there were hundreds of members using chat, then it would be worth keeping. However, it seems that chat is more or less dead.

We are not sure of the upgrade schedule as yet. My guess is that it may take place in a month or two, but might be in a matter of weeks. I'll update you when I get more info.


Are you able to copy and paste your important pieces of chat?

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

Yes, the plan is to remove the Arrow Chat add-on. Sorry for that.

Please please DON'T .... it's extremely helpful in several ways, including knowing who's on line at any given time, and getting quick, direct answers to questions that might otherwise take days or even weeks ....

For a site that tries hard to be as helpful ad usable to it's members as this one, it would be sad to eliminate one of the easiest, shortest, most dir4ect ways to reach other members ....

Hoping ya'll will reconsider, but in my experience, once The Suits make up their minds, there's little that can be done to change them ....

 

[Hip]

it's extremely helpful in several ways

If members were using it, it would be worth keeping.

The main focus at present is trying to prevent PR from having to shut down. Nobody is volunteering for any of the duties necessary to run PR, which includes moderation, technical support, financials, accounting and bookeeping, etc, and PR cannot run without these staff.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

Nobody is volunteering for any of the duties necessary to run PR, which includes moderation, technical support, financials, accounting and bookeeping, etc, and PR cannot run without these staff.

All of these, except moderation, requires considerable technical knowledge and education, and I'd like to think that there's substantial in-house training for moderators. If PR would have to shut down absent these volunteers, it indicates that those areas of expertise are in thin supply among our members, and it seems a pity to punish the rest of us for those shortfalls.

Based on the responses on this thread, membership here IS using the 'chat' function, and would miss it if it's taken away.

It also begs the unnerving questions .... 1) What else might be taken away, a possibility that won't be encouraging to either new or old members, and .... 2) Is PR about to close down, which would lead many of us to regretfully seek refuge elsewhere ...

 

[Judee]

is there anyway we can get the Ignore Thread feature back somehow? I really miss that function.

@Hip, That would be so so nice if it would be at all possible.

 

[Hip]

@Hip, That would be so so nice if it would be at all possible.

I will have a look into it, to see if it is technically possible.

 

[Judee]

I will have a look into it, to see if it is technically possible

Thank you!!