Open chat for the site?

[The Amish Tyrant]

If you follow WAYS, there are at least two members who participate in weekly virtual meetings by Zoom. Others have also posted open invites to virtual pipe club meetings and virtual meetings are seemingly a regular occurrence elsewhere. Perhaps, these members could provide some suggestions to give these ideas "legs" so they can get "off the starting blocks".

While I support the ideas and creativity, I believe that having to limit people (at least initially) is wishful thinking under either a Zoom or chat medium. Sanctioning either with PM may not be the best idea either.

However, I can see something like an occasional "State of the Forum" or interview with a certain member, followed by a Q&A session as garnering more participants (both members and non-members alike). And much like you can gift members items without participating in Secret Santa, nothing is prohibiting starting up a meeting or chat outside the Forum confines.

 

[anotherbob]

I think both of these would be pretty cool, especially the Zoom. However, it'd all depend on how many participants there were at any given time. Just a handful would be nice and cozy, but imagine the cacophonous din of 50 pipe smokers all giving their two cents on Dorchester vs. Dunbar simultaneously!

except for one thing... There is no way your voice is as incredibly weird as the one I project onto your posts. Unless you gargle razor blades and huff helium regularly.

 

[sardonicus87]

I'm not against this for others, but it's something I would also have no interest in. I don't mind showing my face, that's not a problem, it's not an issue of privacy concerns or something.

I just hate video calls, even one-on-one. To me, they feel off, not unlike the "uncanny valley" effect many get with animation that's too close but not close enough to real, or like the fear of clowns, dolls or mannequins. I don't feel like I am talking to a real person, but a facsimile imposter of a person, and it's uncomfortable.

In addition to that, I have a weird accent. It's distinct, but not distinct to a particular origin, so then people ask where I am from, which is a whole stupid story I don't feel like telling.

Lastly, it never fails that my own voice ends up feeding back through and I really, REALLY can't stand to hear my own voice. I know it's not uncommon for people to not like to hear their own voice (like recorded and played back), but for me, I REALLY hate it.

 

[Servant King]

except for one thing... There is no way your voice is as incredibly weird as the one I project onto your posts. Unless you gargle razor blades and huff helium regularly.

Define "regularly."

 

[yanoJL]

It might work for the most of y'all. But, it would get boring just staring at my face smoking without saying anything.

Oh c'mon bullet. Even if we don't schedule the meeting with your one bowl a week?

Actually, I think this would be really cool. It would be an honor to say a voice "thank you" to the many fine folks who have been so helpful.

 

[VDL_Piper]

I think it is doable. I can set up a zoom meeting and create a thread to see who is interested and work out the specifics with those who are interested. What days would you think would be better?

I'd welcome something like this.

 

[Gimlet]

I had to sit a job interview on Zoom once. That was enough for me.

And I had to tidy the house first. Looking at the pics on the What are you smoking thread, I don't think my living room would pass muster for live chat in here...

 

[Elric]

We did Zoom happy hours at work during pandemic times and it was amusing. I'd be down with a virtual smoker.

 

[RookieGuy80]

I've heard a couple great ideas on this thread so far. While I'm not going to be down with a regular Zoom meeting, a regular thing where people show up or not could be fun. I could see myself participating, especially if I know someone I'd like to talk with is going to be on. Or if I find myself with an unexpected [time frame] and can participate.

I loved that idea @The Amish Tyrant had about getting a little more in depth with some of the members who have been around for a while. We are an incredibly varied and eclectic group here, the only thing we have in common is we are decent humans who smoke a pipe. Showing and celebrating that diversity can only be a wonderful thing.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

With all that would be involved in setting up an official Zoom for the site and the issues with ongoing security and oversight and communication/access, I'd be surprised if the site would think it is a sound move and I can't think of another forum that has taken on that level of responsibility or risk. Sounds fun if someone else is taking all the risk and providing the opportunity but not sure how practical it is. Basically the same with trying to set up and manage and moderate a chat room. Like minded folks can always set up whatever group they want and pretty much anyone can organize a Zoom meeting and it would probably be a fun thing, in fact I'm sure it would be. If I want to "chat" I just send a PM. Just my $.02 and anyone else should and would be entitled to whatever preference they have, but not seeing this as something realistic or having enough value added for the site to take on.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Back 10+ years ago there were websites that hosted video chatting.
You just open the specific "room" and "join". It was like a zoom call or other video chat app, but I guess more optimized for computers.

It was super easy to operate and easily facilitated people dropping in for a few minutes or hanging out for a long time. Wish I coul...

It just dawned on me. It's called TinyChat.
That makes it easy for home computer users to join in too.

Maybe one day I'll start a TinyChat room and if anyone wants to join in they can.

 

[telescopes]

I don’t think the site would take this on - there is no financial incentive I can think of and it would require time which is money. But there is no reason why a zoom chat couldn’t be put together by a member…. In fact they already exist. When I return from the mid-east, I may very well set one up for those interested in coffee pipes and blends.

 

[chilllucky]

Boy are you dating yourself!

I actually go back all the way to 14.4 baud modems and BBS's, but the real regrettable time-wasting wasn't until the early 2000's ICQ days.

I was in my late 20's and had my own apartment in the "big city". I ought to have been doing more with my evenings than learning to type fast enough to get pithy insults off in time to make sense in a 50 person chat log.

But y'all go ahead. If whomever is hosting the meeting has a pro account with zoom, I believe you can have a main meeting "waiting room" and break outs with smaller groups, if you want to limit gathering size to a conversational number without having to schedule and administrate a dozen separate meetings.

 

[nathaniel]

My wife works remotely but in a seperate "office" building a few yards away from the house. She's on zoom many hours a week.

I think its a cool idea, but ultimately i dont think I would participate as our house is the basecamp for our farm (a big goat dairy, egg chickens, and meat rabbits). So my entire day is spent homeschooling my 4 children (4yo to 11yo) and managing or working the farm projects and ever changing offgrid homesteading problems. So theres always 4 loud kids, animals, and usually 3-4 other adults in and out of the house constantly. It'd be loud confusing mess.

But i certainly wouldn't mind hopping on to chat through text occasionally and listen to the general banter of other participants.

 

[HRPufnstuf]

My wife works remotely but in a seperate "office" building a few yards away from the house. She's on zoom many hours a week.

I think its a cool idea, but ultimately i dont think I would participate as our house is the basecamp for our farm (a big goat dairy, egg chickens, and meat rabbits). So my entire day is spent homeschooling my 4 children (4yo to 11yo) and managing or working the farm projects and ever changing offgrid homesteading problems. So theres always 4 loud kids, animals, and usually 3-4 other adults in and out of the house constantly. It'd be loud confusing mess.

But i certainly wouldn't mind hopping on to chat through text occasionally and listen to the general banter of other participants.

lol sounds suspisiously like my childhood - minus the homeschooling

 

[chilllucky]

It's also probable that whichever forum engine Pipes Magazine is using has chat room functionality, but there is zero incentive or reward for Kevin to administrate or more importantly moderate it .

 

[daveinlax]

I agree. I think a limit is desirable for that very reason. It might work by admitting the first ten smokers. i am sure even then one would see a change up in the participants.

I wouldn’t put a limit on participation. Post covid it’s hard enough to find a common day/time to fill a page. Even when there were two pages of people talking pipes things worked out. Some like to talk, some don’t. After a short time you get so used to the format it’s really like sitting around a table.

 

[Sigmund]

Id be up for a typing chat but I dont even have a web cam.

 

[upnorth1]

I actually go back all the way to 14.4 baud modems and BBS's, but the real regrettable time-wasting wasn't until the early 2000's ICQ days.

I was in my late 20's and had my own apartment in the "big city". I ought to have been doing more with my evenings than learning to type fast enough to get pithy insults off in time to make sense in a 50 person chat log.

But y'all go ahead. If whomever is hosting the meeting has a pro account with zoom, I believe you can have a main meeting "waiting room" and break outs with smaller groups, if you want to limit gathering size to a conversational number without having to schedule and administrate a dozen separate meetings.

I remember the old BBS days too. Hardware handshake anyone? ICQ still exists in a newer form and looks to currently have over 11 million users.

 

[sablebrush52]

Zoom meetings work when they are limited to 8 or less. Otherwise I just ends up with a few dominating and a bunch of listeners.

As for a forum chat room. We tried that with another forum and it quickly devolved into a slime pit of racist pan phobia and worse. It was also partly responsible for killing off that forum.

Please, by all means do that…