Does the chat work for you?

[Brian]

Please take the poll so I can get a handle on what percentage of our members can't get the chat to work for them. If you select that the chat does not work for you, then kindly post a reply telling me what browser, operating system and ISP service you use, and what error message (if any) you get.

[Realist]

It works for me, but I rarely use it.

I come and go a lot; usually won't take the time to keep a long conversation alive.

[virginia123]

I cannot get into chat. Explorer says it cannot get there and closes the page tab?????. I am using Explorer, on windows XP, using brighthouse roadrunner internet provider service. I also have webroot security software as my firewall. ???????????? I am not a computer geek!!! Thanks for any help you can provide.

[billyt41]

i can get onto the chat but there is a god awful lag to it..takes forever to do anything...ie explorer

[chapear]

The only way on here for me is my phone. The Chat isn't compatible with phone on this site however I've been on other sites that use phone compatible chat servers.

[BiBedBud]

Yup, it works for me.

[Paul B.]

The only internet access I have is with my smartphone. I can't access the chat feature on this site with it.

[lost1]

Wont work on my android, they need an,app...lol

[void()]

Works on Debian Squeeze/Sid Linux using Firefox 6.01. Squeeze is the Debian stable release. I run parts of Sid (testing) release to keep some programs more current. I get an update Firefox message but that's unrelated to the chat. Will eventually upgrade Firefox to 7, one of those 'just haven't done it yet' type of things.

[Annika L]

Hi Drew,

Chat works just fine for me. I can get in nearly 100% of the time, and once I'm there, I'm rarely booted out, or have difficulties of any other kind. And off and on I've spent quite a lot of time there.

Some others seem to get booted regularly...like up to every couple minutes...at least on some nights.

Others (very few, really, but more than one) have the very strange "blue line problem". One some nights (not always) and on some posts (not consistently) in chat, 90% of their text is deleted and a blue line (I believe always blue) running all the way across the chat window shows up above the text that is displayed. This is really frustrating for them (and off and on amusing or frustrating for the rest of us)...especially when they're new and haven't had chat work correctly before.

I use Internet Explorer 8.0.7600.16385, Windows 2007 (Home Edition...i.e., Ver6.1.7600), and a local cable internet service.

As usual, thanks so much for maintaining this site!
-- Annika

[keefer201]

In my case I'm using W7 and IE9. I believe my problem of not being able to get in started when I downloaded AOL 9.6 desktop. However, if I launch IE and try to get in with that, I still am not able to get in. A member here told me that on my profile it will state that I am in the chat room but in reality it's bombing on me.

[NJCuriousMale]

I use Safari 5.1 on OS X. If chat doesn't kick me out, it slows down and doesn't allow me to type in the pvt msg window, unless i kick off and on the screen.

[DuckiesDarling]

Chat works fine for me on IE8. Before I lost my home due to fire, I also used it on Firefox and it worked fine too as long as I allowed popups.

[pepperjack]

Please take the poll so I can get a handle on what percentage of our members can't get the chat to work for them. If you select that the chat does not work for you, then kindly post a reply telling me what browser, operating system and ISP service you use, and what error message (if any) you get.

works great for me & I've got an outdated os & browser

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

I havent been into chat in so long that I dont really know, Drew. I may pop in one of these times to see who all is there and how well it works for me with this new computer..:}
Cat

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

Yep it works. Saw One person out of 8 that I knew.......:(
Cat

[cddm50]

Works fine for me in many different browsers. I make sure that my java is updated and I allow pop ups for this site.

I think most problems people have with the chat are related to their browser plugins and security/firewall settings either not updated, wrong settings or too tight of security restrictions, not from the type of chat script itself.

If there were a good troubleshooting guide to help users that would be a plus. But it will be hard to cover all the different types of scenarios that one could encounter.

HJ

[falcondfw]

No problems here Drew.
I also helped get Joseph squared away. He did not have Java on his machine.
Many times, the problem can be traced to one of 3 problems (I am a web developer):

1. Incompatible browser. Not all browsers play really nicely with Java.

2. If your browser is fine, try clearing cookies and/or cache

3. Either not having Java or having an outdated version of Java on your machine.

Number 3 is the one I would try first. It is a Java based chat and will not work without the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) on your machine. It can be downloaded from java.sun.com. Also, sometimes, they make "enhancements" to java and forget about backwards compatibility. So, sometimes, an older version of java will suddenly cause the chat room to stop working.

I hope this helps at least some of you who are having problems.

[Leo james]

Yes- I have had lots of good chats in pvt. may meet-up with some in future. Have deleloped kin-ship.

[**Peg**]

...Others (very few, really, but more than one) have the very strange "blue line problem". One some nights (not always) and on some posts (not consistently) in chat, 90% of their text is deleted and a blue line (I believe always blue) running all the way across the chat window shows up above the text that is displayed. This is really frustrating for them (and off and on amusing or frustrating for the rest of us)...especially when they're new and haven't had chat work correctly before....


yup... the blue line is endemic to Macs :tong:@ O

[oceans]

I play the blue line...............

What do you expect, I am Canadian and Hockey is our national past time.

Blue line problem.......

Mac user, site will lag, won't be able to type & then blue line appears.
Not always, really inconsistent when it appears and when it doesn't.

Use: Safari & Firefox - issue occurs on both

[keladry]

the "blue line" is really just whatever color the mac user has set the text to be. I think she thinks it's blue line because oceans uses blue, just a theory. I've tried Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Safari, it seems to happen less when I use Opera and when there are less people in chat, but really I think it might be just that it appears that way since I've made no study of it. I'm up to date on my plug ins etc, and it doesn't matter if I use my mac laptop or when I used my parents imac or my friends mac laptop on other occasions, problem still happens. The lag is not great, but I can get over that.

The problem happens and I notice it won't let me delete and only type forward or it won't let me type at all. And then when I do type it deletes part or all of what I have said.

I have found when it won't let me type the thing to do is click send several times and that seems to reset thing, and then I can type or delete normally. I like the line in so much that it alerts others that something of what I said was lost. But I would love to never have it at all. Everyone I know who has this problem has a mac, I've teased them, we're in a special club.

[jtisbi]

Worked for me.

[DrBimind]

Works great for me as well...I use Google Chrome and Firefox and IE8(sometimes), constantly upgrade to the latest Java and other program upgrades as well....rarely get booted. BTW, GREAT SITE Drew :cool:

[cb254]

win 7 and ie browser

[chuck1124]

yes it works for me

[lizard-lix]

Yep, it works, I've used it in Chrome, Firefox, and IE, several version of each, all in Windoze.. XP and 7. I usually have the latest or near latest Java installed.

[welickit]

We use both XP & Vista with Firefox and can get on chat. Only error message is that the chat requires an earlier version of JAVA. We ignore the error message and get right in and it runs fine.

My biggest issue is logging off and this site says All Cookies Cleared. NOT!!! They are still there big as life. I hope people with something to hide know that. I also noticed that every now and then this site will set super cookies that never expire. LSO files. The JAVA cache also doesn't dump when you log out, along with numerous other file locations. We could care less but I doubt others are aware. The foot prints are always there, I just think the pop up saying All Cookies Cleared gives "discrete" people a false sense of security. :2cents:

[1bimmwis]

I very seldom have trouble getting or staying in chat. In fact, I'd say it's 99% reliable.

[Eddie altamonte]

I have a new PC and I can't get on chat now

[DuckiesDarling]

Eddie, it would help if you said what kind of browser. Make sure pop up are allowed and update java, those two things usually fix most chat issues.

[texasman6172003]

Ok Drew,I can not get on either. I run Mozilla Firefox. Also,have Windows Vista 7. I also have the Pop Up Blocker disabled,so i guess it's not that. Hope this helps..