Sunday, July 01, 2007
Over the past few weeks, I've had the pleasure of chatting with a young lady from China. I mentioned this a couple of posts back, I think.Now, conversations with her have been somewhat problematic, as I don't speak chinese, and she doesn't speak english.
To get around this, she has been using your fairly typical, and unreliable, online translation tool.
Anyways, I'd been aware that google has the facility to translate chinese to english, and back, but have been unable to make use of it, as my pc would't display the chinese character set.
So tonight, after a little tinkering, I enabled chinese characters on my pc, and next time we chat, we'll see if google translation is any better than her tool.
If nothing else, it should be a giggle for her to see me typing jibberish in her language for a change.
Additional...
So I was testing the google translation tool with my usual method, take a line of english, translate into whatever, and then back to english.
The line I translated to chinese was "Once upon a time there were three bears. Mummy bear, daddy bear, and baby bear."
Now I don't know if the errors are in translating to chinese, or back to english, but the final result is quite an eye opener.
"Had in a long time ago, a total of three parties. Her father bears the responsibility and bear the baby"
I suspect much amusement and confusion will be the order of the day.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 5:28 AM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, June 14, 2007
It's surprising how wrong an impression you can get of a person when chatting online, especially when a) you can't see them, and b) they barely speak any english.So on a few occasions over the past couple of weeks, I'd spoken to a young chinese lad called sasa. It was quite a struggle, as he didn't really speak any english, and the translation tool he used was somewhat on the surreal side.
Talking to him though, I found it fascinating, how the entire structure of our respective languages were so completely different, showing how differing cultures produce entirely different ways of thinking, and seeing the world.
So anyway, while surfing on stickam recently, I noticed, and watched for a couple of minutes, a pretty chinese woman. There being no info on her profile page though, other than to state that she speaks chinese, I didn't go in to chat.
Moving on again, to this evening... I was sitting in my chatroom, just listening to some music, when who should wander in but that very chinese woman, who then proceeded to chatter away in a rather familiar, incomprehensible manner.
After a few minutes of swapping confused sentences, where clearly, neither of us had understood the other, she then said "I am sasa."
Young chinese lad indeed.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 1:06 AM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Bit of a gap between posts there.I've been busy chatting away on stickam... the site that hosts the webcam and chatroom elsewhere on this site, and my other sites. (So yeah, check out my chatrooms if you want to waffle, I'm there quite a bit just lately.)
Initially, I found it rather daunting, with all the teens... very much like myspace, but with audio/cams, but I've gradually gotten much more into it... got a grip on the "scene".
Now all the usual net chat daftness you'd expect is present and correct, from your screaming kiddies to your lecherous old pervs... but today, I found myself feeling quite... I can't think of the word...
A chap from Africa, in a net cafe, who wanted very badly to find friends outside of his country, just handed out his phone number, willy nilly.
First thoughts would be "scammer... he wants to rob you" and that might just be true, but if it is... then he was an extremely good one, coz my feeling was "here's some poor naive guy who's gonna get himself into serious bother if he keeps that up." (I didn't take his number, nor give him mine, in case you wondered.)
Whatever the case, he didn't make any obvious play to scam me... so I was just left with this feeling of having chatted with someone who had absolutely no concept of just how cruel net culture can be.
It was quite a sad feeling.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 1:00 AM [+] (1) comments
Friday, March 02, 2007
Stop the rot in the #England undernet irc channel
This will probably get me into trouble, and I may lose my ops for doing it, but I feel strongly enough about the matter, that I am willing to risk that, in an attempt at stopping the ruin of #England.
Many of you may have noticed how fewer and fewer people are joining the channel... not so long ago, you could see 120 - 140 people in the channel at a given time.
You may also recall a time when there was perhaps the odd hour when no-one spoke in the channel, but the rest of the time, it was always lively. Now it is the other way around, and you find yourself sitting around waiting for that odd hour when people speak.
You may have noticed the gradual increase in the number of chatters complaining that people aren't allowed to discuss anything but what the ops say they can talk about.... which isn't much at all, only to be told to shut up, or be kicked and or banned, and then dismissed as whining malcontents and troublemakers.
The thing is... these people have a point, and please note... these aren't people who are complaining about the rules, and they aren't known troublmakers... these are popular and well liked channel regulars, and on occasion, even ops.
Now, let me be absolutely clear here, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the rules of the channel. They cover most, if not all situations in a fair, even handed, and even flexible manner.
The problem is, they aren't being enforced in the spirit that they are intended, and indeed, in many cases, some rules that don't even exist are being enforced.
Let me give you some examples....
No football chat, religious or political discussion.
This is not a rule. The rule states that these topics may be discussed, provided they don't turn into an argument.... but time and again, these topics are prevented, and chatters told they may not discuss them, before more than a line has been said on the subject.
No scripts.
This is not a rule. The actual rule states that auto responders like ping scripts are not permitted. In the rules for ops, which normal chatters do not have access to, it states very clearly that mp3 announcers and away scripts are permitted, provided they are not too obtrusive, and too many people aren't running them at once.
However, what we see on a daily basis is chatters getting warned/kicked/banned for running these scripts, when they are creating no disruption whatsoever.
No swearing.
Yes... this is a rule, and again, in the rules for ops, what words are considered allowable are very well defined, but more and more, we see people beig kicked and banned for using words that are quite clearly on the allowable words list.
Kicks and bans for people being in 'inappropriate' channels.
There is no rule regarding what channels are considered acceptable for people in #england to be in. Provided that person's behaviour in #england is acceptable, what other channels they choose to chat in is no-one's business, and certainly not the ops'.
Every time an op kicks/bans a person for being in an inappropriate channel, they are actually breaking the rules themselves, as it is very clearly stated that chatters may only ever be kicked/banned if they break a rule.
No clones.
This is not a rule.
Now while it is certainly wise to prevent masses of clones from attacking the channel, ops rules state quite clearly that a limited number of clones are permitted. All too often though, we see chatters kicked/banned, for having a clone in the channel. Indeed, if I weren't an op, chances are ^Susannah and myself would probably have been banned by now too, as we both have the same IP, even though we're clearly different people.
The ability of chatters to question an op in private about their ban, if they have been banned, is a requirement of the rules... though as many will be aware, certain scipts prevent this, and the use of such scripts by ops is not dealt with in the manner required by the channel rules. Ops simply should not run such scripts.
Being harrassed by the people you have banned is part and parcel of being an op. It goes with the job. If an op isn't able to take the heat, they simply should not be an op... not feel they are above the channel rules and be allowed to block all incoming messages.
Inappropraite nicks
There are no rules regarding inappropriate nicks.
Now clearly, a little common sense is needed here, as gratuitiously offensive nicks, with explicit sexual references are obviously not welcome... but where to draw the line?
We see people with nicks like dirtygirl, muslimman, gayguy and blackboy being kicked/banned. What are we now, a bunch of homophobic, racist, anti-religious personal hygene fanatics?
Speak english.
Yes, this is a rule... however, one word greetings in other languagesare permitted by the rules. Yet how often do we see people kicked and banned for doing this? Every day.
Kick first, then ban.
That is a rule. It is required by the ops rules. If a person has been warned once about their behaviour, they may be kicked without ever being given another warning, but they may not be instantly banned, unless they are flooding/spamming. These are the rules. As everyone can see for themselves though... these rules are not being followed. Instant bans have become the norm, and it's truly a shame.
The problem with all of this is not just that the rules are being misrepresented, or distorted, but the effect it has on the channel, and more specifically, on newcomers.
Put yourself in the place of a person who's joined the channel for the first time. They see all of this and think "Woah! This place is harsh... I'm not staying."... and they leave, or simply don't talk. Hey presto... dead channel.
Now... we all know that a lot of people blame one particular person for what's gone wrong with #england, but really, it isn't as simple as that.
We all see people jumping up and down screaming so and so is a bitch and a nazi, just before they quite rightly get banned, but seriously, this problem is not coming from just one place... it's more of an erosion of the spirit of the rules, and worse, complete ignorance on the part of several or even many ops, of what the actual rules are. And no... I do not consider myself exempt from this either. I've looked at my own conduct as an op, and found it wanting on occasion.
How this has come about though, is by the bar that is used to measure what is acceptable conduct being set extremely high, by a very small minority of ops... and over time, the rest of the ops come to see this as the accepted norm. So now extreme intollerance is being practiced and not challenged.
Now here is the serious point... while it is very easy to still point the finger at specific ops, the real responsibility to see that ops conduct themselves in an appropriate manner lies with the channel owner, and the channel managers. That they can see the daily complaints from chatters and dismiss them out of hand, or recieve messages/emails from ops, and completely ignore them, speaks volumes.
The running of the channel comes from the top down, not the bottom up, so really, that's where people should be looking.
What can be done about this?
The official line regarding complaints about ops is to report your grievances to either Wilm, or the channel managers, Nikina and Brunoj.
I personally have complained to Wilm, and upon delivering the requested examples, have been completely ignored.
Have I complained to the managers? No, quite simply because I have no faith in their ability or willingness to do the right thing. As the saying goes... power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
What I will say is this... to the ops... please, look at what you are doing, read the channel rules, and more importantly, the ops rules... all of them, and then ask yourself exactly why the channel is going to hell. Are you following all of those rules? Are you enforcing rules that, though they may suit your purposes, don't actually exist?
Think about it for a while.
I know this doesn't apply to all of you, and I know some of you will be upset or offended by me writing this post, and for that, I am sorry, but my concern here is for the channel, not the egos of the ops.
To the chatters I say this... don't jump up and down screaming in the channel about how unfairly you are being treated. Many of us know this to be true already, but complaining openly will only get you banned, as sure as an op complaining openly will be deopped.
Believe me, just like so many chatters who are afraid to speak, for fear of being banned... there is a significant number of ops who are unhappy, but who are also afraid to speak, out for fear of being deopped.
What you need to do is send an email to Wilm at helper[at]silverlink.net and express your concerns in a clear and sober manner.
Yes, he completely ignored my complaint on the matter, as he has others', but his concern is for the majority, so he is not going to respond to just one or two people who are unhappy. That's why ultimately, apart from the ops themselves, the people who can do the most good are you, the chatters.
But you must act... and yes, I mean you, reading this page. Are you unhappy with the channel? Then do something about it and don't just rely on someone else to fix things, or nothing will ever be done.
Do nothing and the channel will become a pitiful little room where the only people left talking will be eastern europeans practicing their english, and a bunch of pet lovers discussing the weather. Everyone else will have either left, or just be lurking and chatting in private.
Finally, I would ask you, whoever you are.. channel op, regular chatter, or whoever... pass this url on to your friends in the channel. This page will do no good whatsoever if no-one sees it.
Comments can be left below, and are welcome, but please keep them civil.
Update
Many thanks to all who have participated here.
The latest news is, Wilm has read this page, respects the opinions voiced, and intends to deal with the situation in a positive manner.
This is very good news :D
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 4:59 AM [+] (18) comments
Sunday, March 26, 2006
You know how it is.You're in a chatroom and you find it just isn't to your liking any more. If you complain, the standard response is "if you don't like it, start your own room."
So, that's where I'm at right now.... giving serious thought to bringing back my own chatroom, though in slightly altered form.
I haven't decided what network to settle on, coz though blitzed is ultra reliable, dalnet is huge and has a better chance of drawing in more chatters.
On the other hand, Undernet has always been my home, and I'd love to set up there, but they just make it way too hard to register a room.
Also, I think there will be far less emphasis on webcams. I guess I may leave up a link to my cam, but I really can't be asked to maintain a list of links to other people's cams, and have to mess around with all the instructions for the software, etc.
The name of the channel will be "#civilized", and that's what the place will be about... civilized behaviour and enjoyable conversation. It won't have a huge list of rules... the only rule will be "Behave in a civilized manner, and if you have to ask what that is, you don't belong here."
So, when will this place be set up?
Actually, if you're a mirc user, it already is, provisionally, at least, on dalnet. Don't expect much in the way of activity though, coz I haven't set up a webpage and applet for it, and till then, I don't expect any visitors at all.
Official opening will likely be in a couple of weeks, after Andrea and myself return from a week in Brighton. Also, it's dependant on that online job I applied for. I haven't heard anything from them since the interview, but if I actually did get that job, I wouldn't have time for this room.... so we'll see.
Truth is, I don't really know what to expect in terms of who shows up.
Unlike the last time I set up my own room, I'm not bringing in a group of freinds from an existing room... it's gonna be starting from scratch.. just me, possibly Andrea, and anyone else who chooses to put in an appearance.
More info when I have it.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 6:33 PM [+] (0) comments
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
I've been tinkering with the java applet for the #england irc chatroom.It'd been quite buggy for some time, so I've updated the applet, and added an alternative one too.
Neither are as reliable as I'd like, but when they're free, you can't really ask for too much.
Anyways... that should hopefully enable a few more people to get into the chatroom, should they feel like it.
Don't expect to find me in there for the next couple of days though.
I'm off up north to Andrea's place. This'll be the first time I've been there (it's not an easy place for me to get to, since I don't drive), so meeting Andrea's 3 grown up kids for the first time is quite a big deal. We both expect it to go well though, as I've chatted to all of them at some time or another in audio chat, with webcams.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 9:19 AM [+] (0) comments
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
I didnt know what to write tonight, untill I had this conversation....d0gGi3`> sir
d0gGi3`> i wanna lick ur shoes
Benway> then you are a very strange person
d0gGi3`> why
d0gGi3`> ?
Benway> because shoe licking is a very odd passtime
Benway> especially when you don't know if my shoes are muddy
d0gGi3`> hmmm
d0gGi3`> please sir let me clean ur shoes
d0gGi3`> i request you
Benway> I'd let you, since I can't be bothered to do it myself right now, but you might run away with them
d0gGi3`> no
d0gGi3`> i wont run
d0gGi3`> hey
Benway> hmm?
d0gGi3`> let me lick ur shoes na please
d0gGi3`> ?
d0gGi3`> Sir?
* Benway cracks up laughing
d0gGi3`> hmmmm
d0gGi3`> but why
Benway> why would you want to?
d0gGi3`> cuz ur shoes r dirty
Benway> you don't know that
d0gGi3`> i know they r dirty
d0gGi3`> plz let me clean them :(
Benway> well, okay, but I'll have to charge a fee
d0gGi3`> sure
Benway> £50 per minute. How long do you think it'll take you?
d0gGi3`> as long as u want me to clean
Benway> I need an etimate so I know how much to charge you
d0gGi3`> 2-3 min
Benway> ok then. So.. £150 it is then
d0gGi3`> hmmm oki
Benway> just send the money over, and as soon as it arrives, I'll have my shoes delivered to you
There are some *very* strange people out there.
Steve 4:00 AM [+] (0) comments
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Oh the irony.* After8s sets mode: +b *!*@HSE-London-ppp195612.sympatico.ca
* Conversation was kicked by After8s (possible porn spammer)
So... conversation is officially banned in #england ;-)
Steve 8:46 PM [+] (0) comments
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Some people are very strange.So you're sat in an irc chatroom, everyone's typing away chatting, and someone says "my handphone number (number deleted to protect the stupid), please send me sms !!"
Why in god's name, when you can converse in realtime on a perfectly good keyboard would anyone wanna send sms messages on a piddly little phone pad instead, no doubt incurring text messaging charges into the bargain?
Strange, I tell you.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 5:08 AM [+] (0) comments
Sunday, June 06, 2004
I've updated the chat applet pointing to the #England Undernet irc chatroom.The old applet was pretty unstable and didn't always seem to work, while this new one seems rock solid, not to mention much prettier.
If you're curious, check it out HERE
When you enter the channel, type "/nick your-nickname" whatever you'd like your nickname to be. Include the / but not the "
This seems to need Internet Explorer... though it may work with other browsers. I tried it with Mozilla and identD didn't appear to be working, so undernet refused to allow it to connect.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 8:57 PM [+] (0) comments
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Argh!!!Why do some foreigners assume that because you speak english that you have the time and inclination to do their english homework for them?
Like duh!
The web is a wonderful source of information where you can *learn* everything you're likely to need to know. Getting someone to hand you the answers on a plate is totally defeating the object... and come exam time these people are gonna be completely screwed, coz they won't have learned a thing.
What's even more annoying is they don't seem to understand the meaning of the word "no", and get very abusive when you explain why you aren't going to write their essay for them.
Oh well.
Maybe I'll try a different approach. "If you teach me your entire langguage, I'll take a look at your homework."
Steve 1:35 PM [+] (0) comments
Friday, April 09, 2004
An update on last night's post.Further confirmation has been obtained, enough to convince even a cynic like myself.
It's a strange thing... you wouldn't think you could get so attached to someone who lives thousands of miles away who you never knew beyond text conversations, but Impy was such a charmer, I find I'm quite gutted.
Labels: bereavement, chatrooms
Steve 6:17 AM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, April 08, 2004
A troubling evening.A very popular op, someone I've considered a friend, who's been missing for two weeks, has been reported and confirmed (as confirmed as is possible without actually going there to check) as having died over the weekend.
I'm torubled because I have doubts. There seem to be discrepancies. But then if it's true, to voice such doubts would be grossly disrespectful.... so I certainly won't do that in the channel, or even go into detail here.
Such is the way with irc, or any other form of online chat... you never *really* know what's real.
Whatever the truth behind it all, I know this much... Impetuous will be sorely missed.
Labels: bereavement, chatrooms
Steve 9:19 PM [+] (0) comments
Friday, April 02, 2004
Speaking of virus's, a thing just happened in the chatroom.An op (outside of his control) posted a url like "http://www.somewebsiteorother.com/somepicture.jpg Lol" and crashed out of the channel immediately after.
Within 30 seconds, easilly a dozen people did exactly the same thing.
This is impressive, from an outside point of view, in terms of virus design. While the code itself may have been nothing special... how it managed to spread so rapidly is a major achievment.
Most internet chat savvy people know not to click on links from people they don't know, but when an op or friend does it, you expect it to be safe... so several people clicked the link, posted the link themselves and crashed. Several more people clicked those links... and the snowball effect took over... all coz it was being posted by people they knew and trusted.
Clever social engineering coupled with basic coding... very effective, and probably more dangerous than a comlplex or high-tech virus if it included a destructive payload.
Why didn't I get hit by it?
The Lol at the end of the url... seeing that from one person was nothing unusual, but seeing it twice, when both people crashed immediately after... dead giveaway. Maybe it's callous of me, coz I know it cauzed headaches for all those people, having to track down and remove the virus... but while watching them all fall out of the channel like flies, I couldn't help laughing.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 12:55 AM [+] (0) comments
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
That was fun.It's very rare I actually chat in private with people when I'm online... usually just sitting and talking in the main channel.
So recently a yound lad had been watching my cam and gave the url to a friend of his. She's a sociology student from Argentina, and even though her english isn't perfect, we sat and had a conversation about language, and how it affects people's lives, perceptions and how they think.
Just goes to show... not every person who pops a window out of the blue onto your screen is an idiot, and some are very much worth talking to.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 12:10 AM [+] (0) comments
Sunday, March 21, 2004
It's very rare I get to meet the people I chat with in #england, having only met one person from there in the past.Yesterday I had the great pleasure of meeting Gary and Cherry, aka smiffycom and SCSIwuzzy.
They're a really nice couple, down to earth, chatty and easy to be around. My kinda people.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 3:01 PM [+] (0) comments
Monday, March 01, 2004
Fascinating.There are two characters who frequent the england chatroom, both considered trolls to some extent.
Thing is, they both have a bizarre way with language.
One... the original is utterly surreal. You have to really warp your mind to get even a hint of his meaning... but there is meaning, however obscure. I've come to admire this character as something of a walking work of art. He'll always cause problems and always get himself kicked out... but I can't help liking him.
The other is a wannabe. He has aped the original's use of language to some degree, making it very difficult to grasp quite what it is he's trying to say. The difference is, he actually *is* trying to say something that people would understand, and when you figure out what it is, you see that he's just a miserable malcontent... a whiner.
Now for the longest time I've wondered what would happen if these two should ever actually meet in the channel. Would they have some bizarre and surreal, unintelligable conversation?
Well, tonight it happened, and the result was fascinating.
The original saw the wannabe for exactly what he was and in his own obscure and surreal way, ripped the wannabe a new asshole.
Brilliant entertainment.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 6:41 AM [+] (0) comments
Friday, February 27, 2004
Some people make me sick.A situation arose in a chatroom where one person disliked the stance of another... and after a period of huffing and puffing came to me and asked my opinion. I gave it to them, and they got very pissed off and upset that I didnt agree with their view.
Come on... if you dont wanna know, dont bloody ask. And don't for one single second expect me to toe the line and be politically correct, coz I toed that line for a few months and hated what I became, and it ain't gonna happen again.
Steve 5:29 AM [+] (0) comments
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
What a day/night.Politics in the chatroom I hang out in are getting stupid. I was given a warning just for being associated with someone who's out of favour, though on the upside... a total arse who's pissed me off for ages has been removed from a position of authority.
Back in the real world (whatever that is) I spoke to the recruitment agency today. Mixed news again... coz while my references came through and are fine, they have no work for me, and aren't likely to untill around march.
Bollox.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 11:46 AM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, January 01, 2004
Y'know the funny thing about being a sad nerd who spends all of new year's eve online in a chatroom?You get told "Happy New Year" about a billion times more than you would if you were living a normal life in the real world.
It starts with the kiwis and aussies almost a day before, and carries right on through to the pacific islands the next morning.
Seriously... I've lost track of how often I was wished a happy new year. I dunno if that's a good thing or not, but it's certainly a thing.
Actually, I can't bear to say it anymore.
So, happy... er... that thing... year... the new one, y'know?
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 10:49 AM [+] (0) comments
Sunday, December 14, 2003
It's been a very busy week, only not doing any of the usual things.... except in that it was net related.I've been fighting something of a battle in the #england undernet chatroom, only what sets this apart from your typical chatroom fights is that it wasn't against any person or people.
The chatroom, and undernet as a whole has been plagued for the last year or two with spambots, and no-one has been able (or maybe just haven't tried) to stop them.
The thing with these spamming bots that a lot of people don't understand is that they aren't people. They're a hidden program sitting on some unsuspecting person's computer, put there secretly by the very website that the program advertises in the chatroom.
So... the more people who click on the adverts produced by the bots, the more people become infected with the program and start advertising... making a very vicious circle. Where this falls down is, it's a parasitic system. Once the number of bots reaches a certain level, people will no longer tolerate that level of intrusion, and will stop visiting the chatroom(s), which means a loss of income for the owners of the websites being advertised by the bots.
Now where do I fit into all of this?
A large part of why no-one's tried to stop the bots is that they're very hard to spot as they enter the channel. They look like normal chatters, and don't do anything to draw attention to themselves.... and they absolutely NEVER spam ops who can kick them out of the room. So, till recently we've never been able to kick them out till after they've spammed someone and been reported for it.
Until now.
It was pointed out to me a few days ago that if I did a "whois" (technical irc term for looking up certain info about chatters) on all of the people joining the room with a gibberish ident in their hostname, a large proportion of them would have a 5 digit number for a 'real name'. 99% of those are spambots, and its easy to verify that by doing a 'version' check on them... as the bots never respond to this check. A final check, just to be absolutely sure is to message them privately. The bots absolutely never respond.
Armed with this information, I began kicking bots from the chatroom on sight.... though this turned out to be a bigger task than I had realised.
Every time I kicked a bot... usually two or three actually, as they always come in clusters, more would join the room.
Obviously, doing this manually for an extended people just wasn't gonna work, as it was leaving me no time at all for actually chatting, which is what chatrooms are actually there for.
What I began doing was logging all the details of every single bot I spotted. After a couple of days I went over that data looking for trends, set maybe 20 strategic bans in the channel bot, and set up a massive blacklist script on my irc client.
Now any bot trying to enter the channel either gets banned by the channel bot, or kicked by my script. The *very* few that slip through get spotted by me (when I'm watching), kicked out manually and added to the blacklist so they can't come back.
All that remains to be done is to tidy up the list to remove any duplicate entries and distribute it to all the ops who want it... and hey presto... game over... we won :-)
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 6:55 AM [+] (0) comments
Friday, November 21, 2003
It's time for me to be a bit contencious and opinionated, since I haven't done that in a while.I spent most of my day yesterday performing the duties of channel operator/moderator in the #england chatroom on irc.undernet.org yesterday, and during this time came to a grim conclusion.
The terrorists carrying out these bombing campaigns really do know what they're doing.
I don't mean the technical aspects of delivering and detonating the bombs, but in achieving a reaction favourable to their goals. The main factor in this is the actual nations most of their targets are in... or rather the people of those nations.
What do I mean? Let me explain what happened yesterday.
Two bombs went off in Istanbul yesterday, destroying the British Consulate and HSBC bank... both soft targets. english and turkish citizens were killed.
Within the hour, the #england chatroom was inundated with turks screaming "Kill all english!... kill all murderers!" and suchlike.
So... the fact that it was english targets that were struck, and no doubt by turkish bombers, the fact that turks were killed too caused a significant number of turks to blame the english. I'm in no doubt that this is no accident. The fact that english citizens were killed is purely to legitimise the attack... it was necesary to the goals of the bombers that turks be killed too, to achieve the exact reaction observed yesterday.
So a few raging turks in a chatroom is no big deal, and easilly handled, but it's this emotional and completely irrational (or even downright stupid) nature of the people in the nations being targetted that causes wider problems. These are the kind of people who in their rage will take up arms and join the very terrorists who have killed their own countrymen. I'm not just talking about Turkey either... look at what's happening in Iraq, it's exactly the same phenomenon... and it's going to get worse.
This is idle speculation now, but I tend to believe that human beings are by nature pretty stupid. Combine the ill concieved invasion of Iraq and the attitudes that brought it about, with the actions being displayed now by the terrorists and populations of those countries being attacked, and it seems conceievable that all out world war is not that far off. Not a declared war... but random and extreme violence throughout the world, so that nowhere is safe, and no-one knows who is enemy and who is friend. Bombings here, retaliatory airstrikes there... much like Israel/Palestine, but on a global basis.
Insane.
Steve 2:15 PM [+] (0) comments
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
What a laid back and enjoyable week it's turning out to be.So far it's mostly consisted of playing silly buggers in the #england undernet chatroom, where I've had a right old laugh... and playing some Crystal Method albums I recently burned to CD at full blast.
Pretty uneventful by most normal people's standards, but I'm loving it.
Lets hope the rest of the week is as much fun.
Steve 11:42 AM [+] (0) comments
Friday, October 03, 2003
Ok, chatroom news.I've moved the main webcam chatroom and combined it with the new one on undernet.
This won't affect anyone who usually uses the applet on my websites, but mirc users will now need to log onto Undernet (irc.undernet.org) and join room #uk-usa
This may cause a little confusion for mirc users who frequent the new room and don't know about the cam room, but overall, I have a feeling both rooms should benefit, as there'll be more people about.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 3:30 PM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, October 02, 2003
How cool!I got assigned Ops status in #England on undernet, one of the larger english speaking rooms on the netwrok.
Needless to say, I'm rather pleased.
So I sat up all night and most of today fulfilling my Op duties while in a completely addled and sleep deprived state, which is quite a surreal experience when you get a big multi user flood attack.
My own room #uk-usa, also on undernet seems to be ticking along nicely too, and I think I'm gonna be merging it with my webcam chatroom, since they have pretty much the same aims. That should work out okay provided the shell account for the Octopus bot remains stable.
Fingers crossed.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 7:55 PM [+] (0) comments
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
Woo... the eggdrop is up and running.Things are a happening on undernet. Not only have I got my own room up and running, albeit in an embryonic state in #uk-usa, but there seems to be some movement regarding ops in a certain other channel. We'll see.
In the meantime, do feel free to drop into #uk-usa on undernet. Private message ^Octopus^ and say hello, and all being well, he should set you with auto voice next time you drop in. Assuming I set him up right.
Considering I learned the basics of eggdrop configuration in one day, there's bound to be some screw ups in there somewhere, but it seems cool so far.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 4:07 AM [+] (0) comments
Saturday, July 19, 2003
Mirc is a wonderful program and chatting on IRC a great way to meet people and generally have fun chatting. There is however a down side... spam and lamers.There's not much more annoying than chatting away, either in the main room or in private, than to have a window pop open advertising porn, or some lame twit messaging you out of the blue asking "asl?" or some other dumbass thing.
There is however a solution to this.
While wandering through a series of mirc scripting sites, I came across a little addon that allows you to block and close the chat window to these lame twits, sending them whatever message you like in the process.
Initially it came unconfigured, and only allowed the blocking of 10 words or phrases, but I've done a little work on it, adding all the usual crap you're likely to get messaged with on the undernet network, and increasing the block count to 20 words.
So... if you use mirc, know how to install remote scripts and would like to block all that annying rubbish, Right Click Here and save it to your mirc folder. You may need to rename the file from .txt to .mrc, as earlier versions of mirc don't appear to like using .txt files as scripts.
There are still several empty slots available to block more words, or you could simply reset the whole list to block whatever you want.
Way handy :-)
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 1:42 AM [+] (0) comments
Sunday, July 13, 2003
Since I've been waffling quite a bit recenty about the #England Undernet IRC chatroom where I hang out these days, I'd added a java chat applet.Now anyone who's not familar with mirc or other irc software can check the place out.
Be aware... this isn't my room, I'm not even an op there and have absolutely no control in the room whatsoever. It's can be a tough room for newcomers, and people who don't have the first clue regarding chat etiquette generally have quite a rough time. That's not to say it's not a friendly place... just with all the lamers out there, the regulars have little or no time for idiots, and it doesn't take much to get labelled an idiot.
So... if you're feeling brave, CLICK HERE.
I make no claims or guarantees regarding the security of the chat applet, and it's almost certainly not as safe as using mirc, but it's free, fast to load, and it works.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 7:43 PM [+] (0) comments
Saturday, July 12, 2003
Today has consisted of mostly sleep, or being awake and thinking about going back to sleep.It seems one or two people from the #england undernet irc chatroom have found this blog, probably via my webcam page, so I wanna say a big hi to the rabble there :-)
I've been thinking of putting up a java applet to that room on one or other of my sites, so that various friends who don't use mirc can get in and join the mayhem. However, it not being my room, and with various security issues that could arise, I'm in two minds about it.
We'll see.
Steve 10:34 PM [+] (0) comments
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
I haven't had such a laugh in a chatroom for a long time.There's a new stats page for the undernet #england chatroom. It includes rankings for people who talk the most and includes random quotes from everyone listed, among a whole load of other things.
So last night several of us played a game, talking as much rubbish as possible to climb to the top of the listing, and to get the funniest/silliest quotes.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 7:38 AM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, May 29, 2003
I need to blog. It's been days, but what can I tell you?Days spend sleeping and nights spent downloading stuff and messing around in chatrooms.
Not much to read about, but great fun from my perspective.
Apart from my own chatroom, I've taken to hanging out a lot in #england on undernet. Truth is, I've hung out there for years, but have taken to having a slightly higher profile of late. #England being what it is, not everyone likes or even gets the place... it's a tough room, but great for keeping you on top form, chat wise... 'cause if you can hack it in there and get noticed, you'll have no trouble anywhere else.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 9:07 PM [+] (0) comments
Friday, May 09, 2003
Holy cow, was the chatroom ever jumping last night.The place has been ticking over nicely for the past few weeks, and we've slowly been accumulating more regulars... most of whom drop in at different times, often on different nights.
So last night, almost everyone was in, many at the same time, which made for some very lively conversation.
Who was in? trying to remember everyone now... myself (obviously) arry, KC, her two friends beved and MrKoyote... minnow, LittleJohn, BoaSnakes, csgraves, and JimmyD. That's not even considering the people who were in before I got online, so it's entirely possible MrJuggles was in at some point too.
All we need now is to get that little lot, along with Kylie, Mary and Netra in at the same time, and it'll be one serious party.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 4:09 PM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Last night in the chatroom was rather a refreshing change. We had a visitor who's also a writer. Now there's nothing unusual in that... we get the occasional writer, artist, musician, or whatever dropping in from time to time. What made it refreshing was that he didn't ask me to read his material, he just joined in the conversation and was thoroughly good company.It gets a little frustrating at times, when people assume that because I do the same thing they do, that I'm gonna be remotely interested in their work and want to check it out. I'm an artist, not an art critic, etc.
To be honest, I tend to think the last person you should ask an opinion of on some creative work is someone who's in the same business. Like... I do dance music, yet I think 99.9% of dance music is utter crap... so what am I supposed to tell some budding musician when I think his/her work sucks? "Sorry kid. That's shit. Why not take up bricklaying instead?"
Truth is... I'm just a selfish bastard. I want people to see/hear/read my stuff... everyone should... but I'm damned if I wanna see theirs.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 2:23 PM [+] (0) comments
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
Being kinda high-profile on the web can be very trying at times, what with all the trolls, time wasters and people wanting a piece of me, but every now and then it can be really rewarding.Over the past few days I've recieved a few emails from various people... some just wanting to say they love my music or art, others thanking me for providing a portal site that's helped them find exactly what they were looking for, and one today asking for advice on a college project, 'cause they figured I was the most well informed person out there in that particular field (poor deluded person... hehe). I really do love getting stuff like that, and yeah, I am gonna help the college student if I can.
Last night was kinda fun. I was sat in the #england chatroom on undernet in the early hours, watching a few people taking the piss out of some poor deranged canadian twit, and joining in a little myself. I never need much of an excuse to wind up a canadian ;-)
Anyway... just hours before, I'd altered certain details in my software so that anyone curious enough and knowing the right commands would be able to find my webcam. I honestly didn't think anyone would do this, but during all the piss taking, one young lady messaged me out of the blue and asked if my cam was on. After horrifying her with my face on cam, we then sat and had a thoroughly enjoyable conversation, during which it turned out she has a blog. So, being someone who always enjoys introducing new bloggers to the readers here, here's Cori, lover of many things techie, and nemesis of sad bullfighter wannabes.
Steve 4:46 PM [+] (0) comments
Sunday, May 04, 2003
Okay, silly chat snippet coming up.How to turn a conversation from classic literature to star wars in one line....
Cat^> ooh beowulf was hard
Cat^> although i think he couldn't have taken the red cross knight
Benway> was the red cross night related to the green cross man? he was hard when he put his darth vader costume on
Steve 6:58 PM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, April 03, 2003
vicky> hivicky> asl?
* @Benway chuckles
@Benway> we try to avoid the asl thing here
vicky> ok
vicky> where u from
@Benway> Im in milton keynes, uk
@Benway> and you?
vicky> u sex
vicky> india
@Benway> as often as possible, but if you mean what sex am I, then male
Hehehehe.
Some people just beg to be wound up. I don't think I need to say anything more about that.
Steve 8:10 PM [+] (0) comments
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
There's not much to be said about today really.I got up, went to work (easy day again), came home, went to sleep... got up and behaved in a typically lazy manner, doing pretty much bugger all. Just how I like it :-)
I found myself rather amused when a person came into the chatroom and asked me a load of technical questions about the room and cams, 'cause he wants to build something along similar lines. It's kinda cheeky really, but I figured since I'm not worried about competition, and this other cam chat site would be in a private members area, what the heck... I showed him/her how it all works.
Truth is, the cam chat area of my site is very basic and low-tech... certainly not rocket science.
Steve 6:19 PM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, January 16, 2003
Y'know, it's a real pity the chat applet in the room doesn't support sounds. Over the past few months, I've accumulated a huge collection of silly wav files, mostly from The Simpsons, South Park and Star Wars, and mostly things that tend to fit in with the kind of conversations we have in there.Anyway, over the past couple of days, I've compiled these wavs into a set of zip archives, including a small script with each one that provides an easy access menu for mirc users. So, if you frequent the chatroom, use mirc, and wanna join in all the audio sillyness that goes down in there, let me know, and I'll dcc them across to you.
I'd thought about putting them on one of my web servers, but the size of them (between 500k and 1300k) would probably push me over my bandwidth limit if google got wind of them. So, if you're a regular chatter there who uses the applet on the webpage.... well... you're either gonna miss out on a lot of laughs, or gonna have to go download mirc and learn how to use it. Trust me, it's worth it, and far more versatile than the applet.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 8:56 AM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, January 09, 2003
For anyone interested, the (somewhat dead) chatroom has moved across to irc.blitzed.org ...still called #Benway. This won't affect anyone using the chat applet, but mirc users will need to know. This is the 3rd change of network in the past 2 years, and hopefully the last. Stable irc networks offering the facilities we need seem hard to find, but this one seems okay so far, and certainly better than dalnet proved to be. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. Haven't had decent sleep since... er.. I don't remember.Labels: chatrooms
Steve 1:29 PM [+] (0) comments
Saturday, December 28, 2002
So I was sitting in a *cough* `adult` webcam chatroom earlier. Not for the view, obviously, but for the enlightening conversation. Anyway, there was this one point where the girl was rather going for it, zoomed in on her hand, and another girl in the room commented "nice ring."Maybe I just have a warped sense of humour.
Steve 5:48 AM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, October 24, 2002
So... the chatroom."Where's Benway?" seems to be the question on many people's lips at the moment. "Now he's got a girlfriend, he's forgotten all about us."
Well... it's not true.
Sure, I'm not there as much as I used to be, but what many people probably never even considered was, the reason I was so easy to catch online before was that I sat in there for between 12 and 16 hours a day. Dedication above and beyond the call of duty. You simply had to log in whenever you felt like it, and there I was, at your convenience.
Sorry folks, but the real world comes first, and being with Brigitte's obviously going to take priority. What that doesn't mean is that I've abandoned the room and forgotten about everyone. I'm actually in there every night except sunday, usually between midnight and 4am GMT (7pm - 11pm EST)... which is still far more hours than most regulars put in, and then some.
So there you have it folks... I'm not gone, and you're not forgotten.
I have to admit though, considering what the room was originally intended to be... how it was supposed to function, I'm sad to say I see it as something of a failure. It was supposed to be a community room, where everyone came in to chat with everyone... it was all about the group, and for a while, it seemed to work.... or at least, I thought it did. However, all it took was for me to be absent from the place for a couple of days, and the whole thing just died. No-one stayed. Sure, it's very flattering to know that people were going there because I was there, but that's not what it was supposed to be about. It just makes me sad, knowing that if I'm not there for hours on end, every single day, that the place will die... or rather, has died. A few people still drop by on a regular basis, and to those people, you have my greatest respect, especially those who still drop by even when due to the odd hours I keep, they know I'm not likely to be there. You found a place you liked, and you stuck by it. To those who just drop in once in a blue moon, and when asked why they don't visit more often say "Because there's no-one here"... well of course there isn't... too many people do exactly what you're doing, and don't hang out for more than 30 seconds.
I guess that's being rather harsh, but the simple truth is, those of us who've put in some VERY long hours have done so because we care about the room... and no, I don't mean just me... there are others. The thing is, we aren't there for your entertainment, like some tv station that you can just turn on, and there it is. We're people, we have lives, and if you don't interract with us, what reason do we have to sit there night after night? If you want us there every night, come see us, rather than complain if we aren't there when you drop in for the first time in months.
Do I sound annoyed? Well... I guess I am. Maybe I just expected a bit to much. I built the room, so obviously, I have every reason to put in the effort to make it work, and I guess I have no right to expect anyone else to. Even so... can you see why it bugs me some?
Steve 2:25 AM [+] (0) comments
Friday, October 11, 2002
Interesting.Someone did a search on yahoo for "whos really behind chatrooms", but restricted their search to this weblog.
I don't really know what to make of that. Do they think it's not really just a small room run for the amusement of the few regular chatters there, but some corporate thing? Perhaps they're wondering if I'm some puppet channel owner, and the real control is held by someone else? Maybe they're just confused by the involvement of dalnet, I don't know.
The answer to their query though is very simple. The room is based on dalnet, simply because it's free, relatively reliable *cough*, and has the control features I require to make the room workable. The room itself is owned by myself, and I maintain full control. I can assign or unassign other room moderators, who along with me can set topics, temp ban annoying people, and kick them out, while I have the sole ability to permenantly ban people.
So there it is. The place is set up purely for fun, with no nasty business or corporate involvement behind the scenes, and no money making scams that'll catch casual visitors unawares.
Looking at this person's search phrase from a wider perspective, it actually strikes me as an silly question. There are millions of chatrooms out there. Some, like mine, are set up purely for fun, with their own private goals, while others are corporate, featuring advertising, and various incentives to get people to part with their cash. At the end of the day though, they're all different, and I really do wonder what this person expected to find.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 11:53 PM [+] (0) comments
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Sat here listening to my 8 hour Bowie compilation, bopping away, with nothing to write, but wanting to write something.Y'know... it cracks me up sometimes. On my webcam page, it clearly states that I'm entirely straight, but I still get the occasional gay man/boy coming into the chatroom with hopes of something or other. I don't mean the type who're just there for conversation... I have several gay friends who drop in to be sociable, with no intentions other than to chat, and they're great company. It's the other type... being flirtatious or suggestive. It's.. I dunno. The idea of a gay person hitting on someone they know is straight, I find it rather offensive, but more than that, I find it confusing. Why do they do it? Is it something to do with me having long hair? Like "Oh, this guy's in touch with his feminine side. Bet I can turn him."
Huh! Sorry, but not a chance.
I dunno. Maybe it's not a gay thing at all, like the guy in the bar, hitting on the woman who's obviously not interested, but won't take no for an answer. Whatever... it's ignorant and rude.
Still, if it's the price for running a very public webcam, it's worth it, for the sake of the really decent visitors who come to the room.
Steve 3:35 PM [+] (0) comments
Monday, September 23, 2002
Yup.. I didn't imagine it. Not that it'd be easy to imagine your room shifting and shaking.Here's the BBC news report.
Truth is, I'm rather relieved it turned out to be an eartquake. Why? Well... when I was a kid, I experienced some sporadic poltergeist activity... doors slamming and rattling, things jumping about, that kinda thing. It didn't happen often, but it did happen, and it scared the crap out of me. To have the whole room shaking, the chair shifting under me, lights swinging, walls creaking... well, you can imagine the ideas that went through my head.
I was in the chatroom at the time of the quake, so since the bbc seems to be doing the usual "tell us what you were doing when the quake hit" kind of thing, here's the chat log.
neil_f> but it was the class punk rocker that came up to me at lunchtime & started up a conversation
@Benway> uh
@Benway> brb
@Benway> weird shit
@Benway> earthquake?
neil_f> i thought he was coming over to kick seven bells out of me. Des, he was a sound guy
neil_f> what, that wobble?
neil_f> maybe it was just the wind
@Benway> wasn`t the wind
neil_f> what happened?
@Benway> whole room shook
@Benway> nothing going on outside
neil_f> i got a rumble just when you said weird shit, but i'm pretty sure it was the wind
@Benway> no noise... just everything shook. I heard a thing like that a few years ago. Very localised earthwuake on the other side of town
neil_f> freaks you out when that kinda thing happens. we had one when i was six or seven, epicentre in north wales
* @Benway nods
@Benway> the only thing that comes to my mind is sudden subsidence
@Benway> it`s the only other explanation
neil_f> everything seem solid right now?
@Benway> seems to be
@Benway> I`m gonna look in the loft tomorrow... heard a lot of movement up there
@Benway> should check the roof`s still on
@Benway> well
@Benway> still on solidly anyway
@Benway> would`ve heard it come off
Steve 3:48 PM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, August 29, 2002
I've made some changes to the chatroom.Mostly, the changes just concern how the room is being presented and promoted. For a long time, we've been afflicted with visitors who're only interested in the webcams, and though after other changes I made, they didn't stay long (like when they found they couldn't see the cams straight away), they were still a problem. We were constantly trying to explain how things worked, only to have them leave, which is very annoying.
So... all mention of webcams outside of the room itself has now been removed, and the place is being promoted as a fun, friendly and intelligent(ish), 20s, 30s, and 40s chatroom. Also, the room is now visible on the irc network, as irc chatters often tend to have the kind of attitude we're looking for, compared to web chatters. It was previously set as invisible, as explaining the cams feature to every irc visitor who dropped in was a pain in the arse... but now the emphasis is no longer on the cams, that shouldn't be an issue.
To any of the regular chatters who're reading this... don't worry, the cams are still there, and will remain there... I'm just not promoting them as the main feature of the room any more.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 6:39 PM [+] (0) comments
Friday, August 02, 2002
Is this person for real, or was one of you guys playing a prank? I didn't know whether to laugh hysterically, or scream.riti20022000000000> how do i use the webcam function
riti20022000000000> can u help
@Benway> it`s all explained in the flashing green link in the menu on the left riti
@Benway> probably not what you`re expecting, but there it is
riti20022000000000> can u see me benway
@Benway> no
@Benway> if you click the green flashing link, it expains how things work here
riti20022000000000> i thought this was a free site ---benway
@Benway> it is
riti20022000000000> it says credit card no
@Benway> I don`t know where you`re looking, but that`s nothing to do with this site
riti20022000000000> i am at about the webcam in the main menu
@Benway> uh
@Benway> you can`t be
@Benway> there's absolutely nothing on that page about credit cards
@Benway> all I can think is you`ve gone to the camarades site, and have clicked a link to sign up for their elite service
@Benway> their basic service is totally free
riti20022000000000> yeah i did that
@Benway> see...
@Benway> that site isn`t directly connected to this site
@Benway> we use their free webcam software
riti20022000000000> how to have the basic one then
@Benway> assuming it still works the way it used to, you just go directly to the free software download
@Benway> I`m not certain you`ve understood how this place works though
riti20022000000000> no
@Benway> having and running the software doesn`t automatically give you access to the cams here, or get yours displayed here
@Benway> this place works a bit like a club. We give access to view the cams as soon as we're sure a person isn`t a perv of something. People`s cams dont get listed in the cams menu unless they`re regular visitors to the room
* @arryana watches Benway yell at the walls for emphasis
@Benway> the software that we use is free, and provided by camarades. They host the cams, which work independantly of this room, so you don`t have to be in here to use them
@Benway> I simply link to the cam pages of regular visitors
riti20022000000000> it doesnt say here
* @Benway sighs
@Benway> it says it on the first page you came to when you clicked the link
@Benway> if you`re looking at the camarades page, it won`t say that
* @Benway cuts and pastes some text....
@Benway> this is what`s on the first page you came to
@Benway> About The Webcams In This Room
@Benway> Viewing The Webcams
@Benway> Access to the webcams menu is restricted by password protection. If you are new, you will not be able to watch the cams in this room straight away.
@Benway> This has been done to discourage people from just lurking in the room, oggling the cams, and using up the bandwidth of people who are running webcams, while contributing nothing to the conversation. It also discourages the type of people who make inapropriate comments and suggestions to the female chatters here.
@Benway> ........
@Benway> Displaying Webcams
@Benway> The software we use is free, and provided by Camarades. It displays your webcam on a webpage hosted by Camarades, and works entirely independantly of this room, so if you'd like to try it out, please feel free to do so. Please be aware though that running the software doesn't automatically mean you are listed in the cams menu here, or that we can see you.
@Benway> and so on and so on
@Benway> now if that`s not clear enough, or you simply didn`t bother to read it, then I give up
riti20022000000000> one sec
riti20022000000000> i doesnt say cuts and paste
@Benway> oh good grief
@Benway> I just cut and pasted that text into the room
@arryana> haha
* @arryana makes a note of this to use as a script next time she uses an aol freebie account to wind Benway up.
@Benway> haha
riti20022000000000> what to do
@arryana> hit control, alt, and delete.
@arryana> or was it shift f4
riti20022000000000> delete what
* @Benway rolls his eyes
@arryana> everything you type before you hit return
@Benway> To be hinest, I`d suggest asking the person who turned your pc on for you. I fail to comprehend what it is you don`t understand. Everything`s been explained to you in perfectly clear english
@arryana> other than hinest
@Benway> well, yeah
@Benway> but I have to make sure you`re paying attention ;)
@arryana> of course
riti20022000000000> hye
riti20022000000000> i cant paste and cut
@Benway> you don`t need to
riti20022000000000> is it something to do with asian contries
riti20022000000000> may be thats why they charge
riti20022000000000> well
@Benway> I`ve no idea what you`re talking about
riti20022000000000> then what else to do
riti20022000000000> well i am doing what u are saying
@Benway> All I`ve said to do was read a particular page. You appear to have gone to that page, not read it, or at least... not understood it, and then clicked the first link you saw
@Benway> now if that`s too complex, well.... *shrugs*
riti20022000000000> what was the page again pls
@Benway> the green flashing link in the menu
@Benway> just read what`s on the page that opens up
@Benway> it explains how things are done here
@Benway> what it doesn`t do is give you instant access to view the cams, or display a cam here
@Benway> simply because there is no instant access. We don`t give that untill we`ve gotten to know a person
@Benway> and all of that is explained on that page
riti20022000000000> i did
riti20022000000000> but it says put in credit card to access
@Benway> argh
@Benway> it says no such thing on that page
riti20022000000000> not on this page
riti20022000000000> as i go ahead
riti20022000000000> i go to comrades now
@Benway> to get the free camarades software, there's a link in the centre of the page, where it says "Download your FREE copy here"
@Benway> not on the left, where it says "Camarades Elite Signup"
@Benway> but in the middle
riti20022000000000> hey itsdownloading
riti20022000000000> btw where u from
@Benway> I`m in the uk
riti20022000000000> whats ur nationality
@Benway> I`m english
riti20022000000000> ur age
@Benway> 33
@Benway> I hope you understand, after reading that page about the webcams, that just because you run that software, it doesn`t mean you will be automaticallt listed in this room. Your cam will be displayed in the camarades webcam community... but only regular visitors cams are listed here
riti20022000000000> oh i v
riti20022000000000> its downloaded
* @Benway nods
riti20022000000000> what
@Benway> hmm?
riti20022000000000> so i cant use the webcam
@Benway> you can use the webcam. It will display on the camarades webcam community on its own web page. Anyone who you give the url of that page to will be able to see it
@Benway> what won`t happen, is your cam being listed in this room straight away
riti20022000000000> it says start the webcam software
@Benway> ummm
@Benway> have you ever actually installed software before?
riti20022000000000> yeah
riti20022000000000> ?
@Benway> ok, just checking
*** riti20022000000000 Quit (Read error: Connection reset by peer)
Now, in all fairness to this person, english obviously wasn't their first language, but even so, YEASH!!!
Steve 8:06 PM [+] (0) comments
Thursday, July 25, 2002
Ok, testing the new chat applet now. If you want to try it, CLICK HEREDelete the text in the box where it says "Nick" and put in whatever name you like, then click the area below. Don't worry about the password or server boxes. You'll get a java alert asking if you wish to run the applet. It states that it doesn't have a trusted cirtificate, actually, it doesn't have a cirtificate at all, so its possible it could cause problems if you have your browser security set quite high. I don't think it's anything dodgy, just that it's written by some guy as a hobby, who's not too concerned with cirtificates and stuff. Anyways, it works fine on mine, with no aparrent security problems, hits to firewall, or anything else strange going on, and as the irc network scans for hidden proxies, and isn't finding any, it seems safe enough.
Certain servers don't appear to like its use, or lack of use, of identd, stating it has an invalid username, but this doesn't seem to be a major problem. The applet simply cycles through all the available servers till it finds one that allows it to connect.
Anyone interested in using this applet for non commercial purposes can download it for free here.
Also, as an afterthought, anyone interested in setting up a room of this type for their weblog or website, but who doesn't know how to go about such things as registering a room on a network, assigning protected ops status etc, is welcome to come to my chatroom and ask me about it.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 4:20 AM [+] (0) comments
Wednesday, July 03, 2002
Ever been in a chatroom, and seen someone say something REALLY stupid? Something that cracked you up so much, you sprayed your monitor with the coffee you were drinking?Davinci, a regular chatter in my room, and an all round fun guy found THIS.
It's a collection of dumb, silly, and hysterical exceprts from irc chatrooms. I haven't laughed so much since...well... last time I laughed a lot.
Labels: chatrooms
Steve 12:32 AM [+] (0) comments
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