Procrastinators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from chronic procrastination.

chatbox logs

I would caution anyone in chat to post generalities about one's life.  Even in a "chat meeting".
Because everything said in chatbox is recorded in a log that anyone registered at P.A. can read. (not just the people in chatroom at the time).

I think if we had a 12-Step meeting in chatroom, we could speak about 12-Step principles but I would advise against confessing personal failings, due to the chat logs.

Just my opinion.
-- movingalong

knowing who's viewing chatbox

the difference between the live chatbox and the chatbox log is that everyone who is "in" the chatbox knows that they're there, and they know who's listening.  The chatbox log can be viewed by any number of pepole w/o the talkers knowing.

the issue for me is that some people, like me, might be hesitant sharing their story w/o knowing ahead of time who's listening.

I'm sure other people might be comfortable, so it could still work.

PA chatbox is fine for online meetings

The chatbox is now saving only the last 24 hours of messages. I don't want to turn it off completely because the log is a nice feature, and I don't think it makes the chatbox unsuitable for online meetings. Anybody who is registered here can use the chatbox, so anyone who is registered here can view the chatbox with a 24 hour lag. What's the difference whether it's in real time or a 24 hour lag?

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

chatbox log

I wonder if I can turn off the log. It might be a good idea to do, but I don't recall that it was a setting.  If it were PHP, I could just modify the code. But the chatbox is written in Flash, which I don't know, so it would be very hard for me to modify (and not something I can spend time on).

Since so many people are using the chatbox now, maybe I'll take a look at this over the weekend.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

chatbox log

I looked at the chatbox settings. The log is supposed to be periodically purged, and I can select how often - for example, every 1 day. The reason it's not happening it that it requires a feature that this server didn't use to have but now does, so I will figure out how to install it.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

it worked - chatbox log has been purged

The chatbox log has been purged - it's only showing the last 24 hours now.

Still doing some more testing to make sure all is well.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

Notification email and website settings...

Woah,
I'm gathering you enabled some setting somewhere!
I just got an email notification of new posts - I've never gotten that before, although that is what I thought one of the options in my account settings would do.

Only problem being, it's linking to posts like: http://www.procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1330/19061#19061
Borked link - although http://www.procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1330/19061 is fine.

Still pretty handy for me, honestly, given I just delete a few characters - I have trouble figuring out what's been updated, so, this is pretty cool!

oh no - now getting notification bounces!

Now I'm getting bounces from people who set up notifications with invalid email address, and the people (MY PET PEEVE) who use those OBNOXIOUS spam services that try to make people do WORK for the privilege of sending you email. NOT!!!!

Now I have to go find all those members and turn off their notifications so I don't keep getting the bounces.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

testing notification email

Adding a comment so I can see what the notification looks like.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

link seems to work fine (?)

I tried the link

http://www.procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1330/19061#19061

and it worked fine. What problem did you have?

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

Weird, I was getting a

Weird, I was getting a Server 500 error for that, and not for http://www.procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1330/19061.

Well, fine now!
:)

hmmm... that's interesting. Keep the reports coming!!

I just enabled the Drupal cron feature, so all kinds of tasks that are supposed to be executed periodically (but never were before) are being executed.

You'll also have to excuse me for repeatedly testing it, so you may be getting multiple emails for a few hours.

I need to sign up for new post notifications like you did to see this error. I can fix a formatting error (if I can find it in the code).

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

online meeting, anonymity==exciting

first, this is all very exciting!

Second, i feel much more comfortable w/ chat, because only registered members can see. Pro has to manually approve each member, and as i understand, does so routinely unless he can tell it's a spammer.

The chatbox on the left side is only seen by someone who happens to be live online.  the text in there goes away in like 5 minutes (when you refresh).

I'm almost positive that the chat log is not searched/indexed by search engines.

the posts definitely are.  that's how i found this site!!!

I would be perfectly fine with other chat software also.  I would prefer a more private place, but am willing to make the best of the semi-private chatbox.

clarification on chatbox logs

If you are logged on, and you see the chatbox on the left column, and you click on "join the chatbox", there is a place on the new link that says "view the chatbox logs".  If you click that, you'll see what I mean.
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logs

I guess I would weigh the value of the meeting versus the concern of the logs: all posts are also logged, although not in one place. What feels appropriate to one person may not be to another. That is the nature of meetings. In face to face meetings, anonymity is no more guaranteed, and that is a risk meeting attendees make. Here there is more anonymity, but the logs preserve what is said. To one's own comfort level be true. I suggest that as part of the meeting format that the issue of logs be mentioned so that each person who shares understands the implications.

re: announcing log at start of chat meeting

'e' said:
"...  the logs preserve what is said. To one's own comfort level be true.

I suggest that as part of the meeting format that the issue of logs be mentioned so that each person who shares understands the implications."

I would agree with e's suggestion.
-- movingalong.

re: chatbox logs

How do people feel about the fact that chat is logged?

oh, I see

sorry, I didn't read the original post. 

but only PA site members can read, correct?  would it show up in an online search?  would forum posts show up in a search?

only members can see the chatbox or log

If you're not a member logged into the site, you can't see anything in the chatbox - not in real time, or in the logs. You don't even see that there is a chatbox.

All members are screened now, so that gives some safety. Since I started doing that, we haven't had any spammers. I've found it's pretty easy to tell who's legit and who's here to cause trouble.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

online meetings

I don't  know jack about what is necessary to put any of this together and it seems unfair that all of the work falls on Pro. Is there a way to share the burden of the programming? There seem to be some extremely savvy members these days who might be willing to do programming as a form of service to the fellowship. I have attended online meetings of AA which might be a place to glance at how others have created online meeting formats.

Setting up a chat room for meetings etc...

I'm going to be busy for the next few days, but, what other people could look into is,

a) Finding a free, anonymous, unlogged chatroom online - there's lots of options, we could just start an IRC channel, and provide links to an IRC program or web interface for one
(If I look round my emails, I think there's one there)

Also, possibly this weekend, I could
b) look into chat modules for drupal and save pro some of the work?
From what I can see, chatbox is deprecated, and the replacements seem to be phpfreechat or Chat Room but someone would have to look at them and see whether they're suitable for our needs
(links found from http://groups.drupal.org/node/2765 )

I'd suggest if anyone is able to help with option a, they do so. As a procrastinator, I find I have a problem with 'premature optimization' ie wanting to do the 'best' solution first, but before demand and real requirements are actually established etc.
When the more effective tactic is actually to do the *very* simplest thing that works and then figure out what would be a better solution... :)

If we try using some other chat rooms for our meetings first, we'll have a better idea of what our requirements will be.

For instance, while I can see having unlogged chat might be good, I actually find logged chats really useful for reading back over - if we could somehow have *both*, that would be great!
Perhaps a logged 'main channel' and the option to set up an unlogged 'private channels'. Except there goes my premature optimization, we only need *one* of each at the moment!
;)

outside chatroom is unnecessary

This is unnecessary. The chatbox log shows only the last 24 hours now. I could turn it off completely, but I think the log is a nice feature. Someone just joining can see how it's used (if there has been activity in the last 24 hours). I think it could encourage participation in online meetings.

Anyone who is registered in the forum can participate in the chat. I screen the people who are registered, so we're only talking about fellow procrastinators. If they happen to be online in real time they can join, if not they can have the same access for 24 hours. What is the big deal? I think this is making a mountain out of a molehill. It seems like a non-issue to me, and it would be better for this new fellowship if things didn't get fractured and splintered by using chatrooms on other sites.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

Here's a 12-Step chatroom we could use:

Here's a 12-Step chatroom we could use:

http://stepchat.com/

According to their rules, we could use "room 5", if we set up a regular meeting that doesn't conflict with times already reserved by other groups.

I've been to Debtors Anonymous meetings in Room 5 there and it works great.

Of course, if you want to go there, you'd have to register with their system.

Once registered, I think you can attend any of the 12-Step meetings in any of the rooms.  (Respecting the rules of each group as explained here: http://stepchat.com/closed.htm )

The current schedule for Room 5 is here:
http://stepchat.com/other.htm

We would have to contact the admins to reserve a regular spot in room 5.
Contact them here:  http://stepchat.com/start.htm

Generally, the moderators rotate from week to week.  People take turns copying and pasting the steps and traditions into the chatlines at beginning of meeting (and post the "promises" at the end).

We could also arrange to store our steps and traditions and other "Regular Readings" here for easy copy/paste:  http://stepchat.com/text.htm

How the meetings flow:
http://stepchat.com/tips.htm

--- movingalong
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outside chatroom a bad idea

I'm posting this multiple times - in general a no-no - because I want to make sure people see it:

This is unnecessary. The chatbox log shows only the last 24 hours now. I could turn it off completely, but I think the log is a nice feature. Someone just joining can see how it's used (if there has been activity in the last 24 hours). I think it could encourage participation in online meetings.

Anyone who is registered in the forum can participate in the chat. I screen the people who are registered, so we're only talking about fellow procrastinators. If they happen to be online in real time they can join, if not they can have the same access for 24 hours. What is the big deal? I think this is making a mountain out of a molehill. It seems like a non-issue to me, and it would be better for this new fellowship if things didn't get fractured and splintered by using chatrooms on other sites.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

FYI: stepchat requires java

Don't know if this matters, but stepchat requires that you have "Java" enabled on your browser.  Most computers already do.  They do have a "java test" on their website that you can use ... to see if your browser is compatible with their chatrooms.
http://stepchat.com/javasupport/
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does stepchat.com log?

looks good.  I would be willing to try it.  I could not tell from cursory browsing whether it logged conversations or not.

I would prefer

...to have a private meeting, for participants - yes, it is kind of weird that the chat is viewable there on the sidebar.  what about using some other chat software?  would anyone be willing to consider that?

chatroom privacy issues

Having the log or not having the log, having the chat visible in the sidebar or not... These things have no effect on privacy. The same people who have access to the meeting have access to the (now) 24-log (purged after that) or seeing the sidebar snippet. The sidebar just lets you see when there is a chat you can participate in. Anyone who can see the sidebar can participate in the chat.

There is nothing magical about the people who happen to be online at the exact moment of a chat (or online meeting). They are no different from the people who log on an hour later and have the log to refer to about what they missed.

Remember that I screen all members. Everyone is here for the same reason.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

logged?

can you explain what that means?