-jk
11-08-2013, 01:19 PM
We're introducing the beta of a new service here: DBR Chat! We're not going to open it to everyone, and for the beta we're starting with a group of 250-300 of the most active, contributing members - created by a mashup of points, posts, and longevity. If the early testing works well, we expect that the group will expand until we find a balance between users, usability, and performance. We won't open it to non-DBR board members, however.
Currently, we plan to open chat at least 30 minutes before games (FB, MBB, and WBB), close it after games, and keep it closed otherwise. These may change depending on usage. When the DBR Chat is closed, you won’t see anything. If it’s open and you've been added to the beta group, you'll see a "DBR Chat Page" link on the secondary menu bar (next to the new "Resources" link we're building). Today, we've opened DBR Chat early for testing, so you might see it now. If you don't see the "DBR Chat Page" link in the sub-menu, you're not in the beta group (and please don't ask us – if this works well, we’ll open it up to more users, hopefully by the next game or two). Depending on how you use DBR (and if you’re in the beta group), you might also see a chat box on the page that lists all the forums (get there with the Forum link in the gray area just under the blue menu bar). That one is a smaller version; we encourage using the full DBR Chat Page from the link for the best experience.
Being "chat", it may not be moderated as closely during a game, however DBR guidelines will still apply - and those not adhering will lose chat privileges.
Within DBR Chat, usage and controls are very basic. New posts add at the bottom, and it updates every several seconds. The controls and text input box are just below that. Note: if you're lurking too long, it'll log you out of chat (but not the board), and it'll show "Status: Not logged in (Log-In)" below the text input line. Simply click Log-In and you're live again. Also, there's a small, round button on the far left of the text input line which toggles between logged in (green) and out (gray). Click it to reset your connection if you're having trouble.
At this point, it works best on Windows and Mac computers; not so well on mobile devices. If you’re using the Mobile style, it won’t work at all. If you change from the "Mobile" style to "Blue" (via the dropdown at the bottom of the page), you might have some luck.
One caveat: we've had an occasional, inconsistent error when attempting to post chat comments, both on computers and mobile devices. It returns a "security token" error, so far mostly in Internet Explorer and on some mobile devices. If this happens or you find any other problems with the DBR Chat, please post here with which chat box you were using (small on the Forum page or the full DBR Chat page), your browser version and operating system (and device, if mobile). Try a different browser, particularly if you are using IE.
Please let us know what you think!
-jk (with an assist to devil84, but probably vice versa)
Currently, we plan to open chat at least 30 minutes before games (FB, MBB, and WBB), close it after games, and keep it closed otherwise. These may change depending on usage. When the DBR Chat is closed, you won’t see anything. If it’s open and you've been added to the beta group, you'll see a "DBR Chat Page" link on the secondary menu bar (next to the new "Resources" link we're building). Today, we've opened DBR Chat early for testing, so you might see it now. If you don't see the "DBR Chat Page" link in the sub-menu, you're not in the beta group (and please don't ask us – if this works well, we’ll open it up to more users, hopefully by the next game or two). Depending on how you use DBR (and if you’re in the beta group), you might also see a chat box on the page that lists all the forums (get there with the Forum link in the gray area just under the blue menu bar). That one is a smaller version; we encourage using the full DBR Chat Page from the link for the best experience.
Being "chat", it may not be moderated as closely during a game, however DBR guidelines will still apply - and those not adhering will lose chat privileges.
Within DBR Chat, usage and controls are very basic. New posts add at the bottom, and it updates every several seconds. The controls and text input box are just below that. Note: if you're lurking too long, it'll log you out of chat (but not the board), and it'll show "Status: Not logged in (Log-In)" below the text input line. Simply click Log-In and you're live again. Also, there's a small, round button on the far left of the text input line which toggles between logged in (green) and out (gray). Click it to reset your connection if you're having trouble.
At this point, it works best on Windows and Mac computers; not so well on mobile devices. If you’re using the Mobile style, it won’t work at all. If you change from the "Mobile" style to "Blue" (via the dropdown at the bottom of the page), you might have some luck.
One caveat: we've had an occasional, inconsistent error when attempting to post chat comments, both on computers and mobile devices. It returns a "security token" error, so far mostly in Internet Explorer and on some mobile devices. If this happens or you find any other problems with the DBR Chat, please post here with which chat box you were using (small on the Forum page or the full DBR Chat page), your browser version and operating system (and device, if mobile). Try a different browser, particularly if you are using IE.
Please let us know what you think!
-jk (with an assist to devil84, but probably vice versa)