the fishbowl that is chatbox

i'm really glad everyone is enjoying the chatbox. it's nice to see the place so lively.
i just want to remind folks though...that the chatbox is not private. everyone can see what is being said in there, whether they are signed into it or not.
some of the content lately has been a little 'iffy'...and might make other members feel a little bit uncomfortable. please keep the chatbox welcoming to both old and new members...and utilize private messaging for comments that wouldn't be considered 'family rated'.
you know what they are.

no probs Tessa and thanks again for the chat room, we all love it

i also would like to thank ya tessa as well,i really enjoy it, especially the lunch time chats with Cheryl ,mind you,do found it a bit hard to getting back out to the garden again

I do have to be carefull with want is said when though

LOL you two.
i've got me eye on you!

oh ok

okay...so i had to clear the chatbox again this morning.
it's starting to become a job for me.

i will remind you good folks that the chatbox should remain 'family rated' since it is visible to all, including new members. now...if we want new gardening members, we will chase them off with what is going on in there.
if we actually attract new members with what is going on in the chatbox...this will most likely not remain a gardening board. it will become a party board, or a sexual inuendo board (not likely. porn is more likely. if you folks attract the porn spammers here...that will be more work than i will EVER be up for)

so i will, resentfully, (resentfully...because i don't want to be a babysitter) remind you all that foul language is not welcome in the chatbox. sexual inuendo is not appropriate there...please do that in private messaging. a few drinks and merriment are okay, as we are adults. let's please be responsible adults.

the next time i feel i am put in the situation where i must clear the chatroom...i will apply a restriction at the same time.
my choices are:

1) word filter
2) member filter (member ban)
3) chatbox elimination

please don't put me in that position.

thanks folks.

it's really disappointing that you put me in this position.
i was having a lot of fun in the chatbox myself...but it's becoming a problem for me.
i thought i could word filter it, but as it turns out, i can't.
i can only ban members, or remove it.
so i'm about to remove it.

even after my previous post...i got in there tonight and about the only word i DIDN'T see in there...starts with an 'f'.
it's really disappointing.

i suppose it's time to ask the community what they would like to see happen with the chatbox. maybe i'm the only one who doesn't like to see so much swearing in print on the opening page of a gardening website?
if that's right...let me know.
personally...if it was me looking for a new site to join...i'd be gone from the swearing one in a heartbeat.

so i was fiddling with settings and did something wrong and messed it all up.
am trying to re-configure the chatbox...but it's getting late for me tonight, and there was other stuff i should have been doing...so am going to leave it for now and hopefully get the chatbox up again in the morning.

I know you can fix it Tessa

honestly, cheryl, i'm not sure if i want to.
i have a terms of service agreement with the board hosts...and those terms are being broken in the chatbox. i've made several requests for clean and proper language in there...and those requests are, basically, simply ignored. i get a lot of 'sorry sorry' and 'oops' but not a lot of cooperation. for me...the joy of having this board is fast turning into the job of having this board. i don't like that. i have other things to do...and have decided to spend my day doing the things i really need to get done instead of spending my day figuring out how to reconfigure the chatbox. so that's what i'm going to do.

the fact that no one else has offered their opinions on the matter informs me that they don't want to get involved in it. i think that's fair. in their shoes, i probably wouldn't want to either. my only thought was to involve everyone in the decision making process because i do believe we are a community.

Well I will not say sorry again Tessa and after having R's son in the chat room I intend to keep it nice and tidy, I would like to see the chatbox go, however maybe a poll will all the members to see whether or not they want the chatbox ?? just an idea And if a member does not abide by the rules a suspension period

but cheryl...AFTER richard's son was in the chatbox...i still found it full of objectionable language...as well as one questionable picture.
and i really don't want to be put in the position of having to be the one to decide when someone should be suspended. that puts me outside the community...instead of inside it where i have been for the past two years.
why is it...that the folks in the chatbox just can't figure out what is and is not appropriate family language? honestly. i would like an honest answer to that question please...i feel i deserve it.

I will give it my honest thoughts this arvo and reply when I get home from work Tessa .

thanks cheryl.
look...to be very clear...i'm not looking for apologies.
i'm looking for cooperation to work through this issue.
many of us have had a lot of fun in the chatbox. i for one would like it to stay. but i also don't want to violate my terms of service...so it's a very difficult decision for me and it impacts on a lot of people too.
i have been trying desperately to avoid a conflict over this issue. but i'm not sure my approach is working.

Also Tessa on the bottom of the main page where you could see who was on line is not there anymore

I may not be a long-time poster but here are my two bits.

We have to think of Tessa, she does a tremendous job working in the background, running this site and that is in done in conjunction with her other commitments..IE her employment and her family. The latter is the most important and any spare time Tessa may have, ideally should be spent with them...not cleaning up this forum.

If the 'chat room' remains, perhaps we should give it a trial period and any more hassles, dump it, totally.
The forum was running exceptionally well beforehand and I feel sure it can continue to do so.

I am hopping off my soapbox now..
Thanks Tessa for all you good work.

i think Faye is right,the forum works well but the Chat box has probably become more of a hassle to Teesa than what its worth,i wouldn't be disappointed if it was done away with as your time tessa is too precious to be wasted policing it and for the sake of maintaining a friendly atmosphere among all posters.

i accept that some of the "iffy" postings were of my doing and i apologize.

Well I agree and disagree as others also enjoy the chat room, I know I have become outa control in the iffy and over the top area and it is not acceptable to others. Therefore I will refrain from posting in the chatbox other than to join in general chatter about gardening matters and typical topics that are discussed in the coffee thread. We are all different peoples with different personalities and what is unacceptable to one maybe not been the same to others, therefore I need to respect other peoples standards and feelings. And as mentioned in the two previous posts Tessa has better things to do than t tidy up after others airing their dirty laundry . Enough said I hope you find my explanation to your liking Tessa and that the chatbox can remain for others to use if they wish to. I will keep other chatters in a more appropriate area.

I'm not worried one way or the other if it stays or goes.. actually about 60/40 against it. I don't mind hopping on occasionally but it is time consuming as you have to be there. I also feel there are less people posting on the actual forum and I thought this was supposed to be a social gardening forum. That is the main time I have gone on chat is because there hasn't been much activity on the forum.

thats so true Gail,

Well I also agree with all of the above and hence putting my banter into the chatbox and was not sure how far and when other peoples threads where being hijacked if that makes sense, so I thought chatbox was goods, but I realy dont mind one way or another here , I love my times at GD and if the CB goes who cares really

still waiting along with the lurkers , geeezzz seems everything else has stopped on the forums . Might go and make a new Threads

thanks everyone.
i am personally really torn about the chatbox.
i will mull over your input...and maybe come back to this tomorrow.

i am right now filming a horror genre film for class. i'm in my last week...and next thursday i have to screen it. there is at least another 20 hours of editing to go...and this afternoon we did a bit of extra filming, but the male actor forgot his outfit!...and so a lot of time and effort was wasted. (rant)

anyway...it's horror...so it has been freaking me out a bit and maybe i'm just a little too tense at the moment, and that is my part in this issue.

i love yous all...and hopefully we'll find the right thing to do about this chatbox together.

see you in the morning.

ah huh...I just found this...should have looked here earlier.

I was not up to much computer stuff last night - wasted...so did not go looking for it.

Tessa...firstly, it seems to me that the views thus far all support you. Secondly, while we have had fun in chat room, we can manage quite well without it also. Sounds like the time and effort to maintain it is too big at the moment. Having just read this entire thread in one go...I would give it a flick for a while. Either way...thank you for all your efforts.