CyanChat - Time to update?

Chogon · **Joined:** Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:13 pm **Posts:** 1071

Hi Everyone,

Catching me be surprise, I saw that a link to CyanChat was on the new Cyan web site in the Community section. Whoa-buh! That is a blast from the past. CyanChat is something I wrote as a test case to learn this new language people were talking about call Java. So, that dates CyanChat somewhere in the last millennium. :-)

Anyhow, smapty ask me if we should update CyanChat to something created in this century, possibly in the last decade. My response was "But it's a classic!" But then I haven't used it in a l-o-o-o-o-n-g time.

So here is the question:
Should CyanChat be updated?
And if so, to what?

Thanks,
Chogon

veralun · **Posted:** Tue Aug 13, 2013 11:50 pm

There is a perfect alternative for CyanChat: MOULa.
So my suggestion is: save the money for this chatbox and see if you can better the chatfuntion in MOULa. :wink:

Jamie Marchant · **Posted:** Wed Aug 14, 2013 2:01 am

With all the Java valanablities, I think most people have Java disabled on their devices. Maybe use something like IRC instead. There are web interfaces you can use to acass IRC withhout an deadacated client. The other question I would ask is how many people uses Cyan chat? I don't think I've ever chated with somone from Cyan on there.(though I wish I had)

Lyrositor · **Joined:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 2:14 pm **Posts:** 808

Most people I know who still use CyanChat don't use it directly; they usually (me included) chat from the IRC relay or using an external program. This has the advantage of letting us be always online. And so far, it still works great for something which was written as a test case.

Still, since the Cyan website has now been updated to look more modern, it might also be a good idea (if you think it might attract new people) to update at least the website, which really looks dated. And if you update the website, it might be a good idea to update the Java client too.

If you do choose to update CyanChat, maybe it would be simplest to switch over to IRC (which a lot of people already use) and create a special client in Javascript with AJAX? I'm hardly an expert on the matter, but my favourite chat programs online so far have been Javascript-based, since they're lightweight and don't require any external plugins.

Eregian · **Posted:** Wed Aug 14, 2013 2:04 pm

For nostalgic reasons I'd vote to keep it this way. Realistically it would be better to update in case new people arrive.

belford · **Joined:** Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1890

I use XMPP (Jabber) for group chat these days. Clients are widely available(*) and it interoperates with Google Chat(**).

(* For example, the built-in Messages client on MacOS handles XMPP, albeit a little bit flakily.)

(** This interoperation was broken for a while this year, but Google fixed it.)

Tesseract · **Posted:** Wed Aug 14, 2013 5:43 pm

There are a number of third party implementations of the CC protocol, both client and server. I know Nadnerb has a quite nice web client that he would probably let you use if you asked.

So to answer the questions, yes, CC should be updated, to a better version of itself.

Breaking compatibility would be a real shame, as quite a few people open up their old clients and drop in from time to time.

Ahlisendar · **Posted:** Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:36 am

Lyrositor wrote:

Most people I know who still use CyanChat don't use it directly; they usually (me included) chat from the IRC relay or using an external program. This has the advantage of letting us be always online. And so far, it still works great for something which was written as a test case.

Still, since the Cyan website has now been updated to look more modern, it might also be a good idea (if you think it might attract new people) to update at least the website, which really looks dated. And if you update the website, it might be a good idea to update the Java client too.

If you do choose to update CyanChat, maybe it would be simplest to switch over to IRC (which a lot of people already use) and create a special client in Javascript with AJAX? I'm hardly an expert on the matter, but my favourite chat programs online so far have been Javascript-based, since they're lightweight and don't require any external plugins.

Second-ed. The IRC channel is still quite active, as is the original CyanChat, and it would be nice if they could all be lumped into one (plus you'd get nice features like /whois, PMs, etc.)

Eleri · **Posted:** Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:40 am

veralun wrote:

There is a perfect alternative for CyanChat: MOULa.
So my suggestion is: save the money for this chatbox and see if you can better the chatfuntion in MOULa. :wink:

S'not perfect, because unless you run MOULa windowed, and are constantly tabbing out of it, you can't be doing much else on your computer. CC or IRC or some other chat feed, you can. I would like to see it updated or integrated or something, so that there's a way to casualy chat with other fans when/wherever I am

Lyrositor · **Joined:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 2:14 pm **Posts:** 808

Eleri wrote:

veralun wrote:

There is a perfect alternative for CyanChat: MOULa.
So my suggestion is: save the money for this chatbox and see if you can better the chatfuntion in MOULa. :wink:

S'not perfect, because unless you run MOULa windowed, and are constantly tabbing out of it, you can't be doing much else on your computer. CC or IRC or some other chat feed, you can. I would like to see it updated or integrated or something, so that there's a way to casualy chat with other fans when/wherever I am

Using libHSPlasmaNet, it's possible to connect to an Age and chat; I know of at least one program which can do that. Maybe a relay with MO:ULa could be set up using those techniques.

AdamJohnso · **Posted:** Thu Aug 15, 2013 6:53 pm

What's the purpose of playing MOULa if you don't need to play the game to chat?

Ahlisendar · **Posted:** Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:05 pm

AdamJohnso wrote:

What's the purpose of playing MOULa if you don't need to play the game to chat?

Agreed. IRC is a much more elegant option than simply using MOULa; not to mention IRC is guaranteed to continue to exist; MOULa's future, however, is uncertain.

Emor D'ni Lap · **Joined:** Sun Aug 12, 2007 6:15 am **Posts:** 587

Ahlisendar wrote:

MOULa's future, however, is uncertain.

Rolling on the floor laughing...
URU's future has been uncertain since its inception!
May it continue to be uncertain for another ten years!
Certainty = complacency.
Okay, back on topic now, sorry for the hiccup. :wink:

angelmyst · **Posted:** Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:23 pm

I agree with the posts of keeping chat in game. Being able to meet...avi to avi... and chat makes the social realm of the Cavern so much more enjoyable. I can chat with my Uru buds on facebook...skype...and even phone call but being with them in game has a whole different feel. There is a sense of reality...physically being with your buddies and chatting that comes with being in the cavern.

catherwood · **Posted:** Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:39 am

Ahlisendar wrote:

AdamJohnso wrote:

What's the purpose of playing MOULa if you don't need to play the game to chat?

Agreed. IRC is a much more elegant option than simply using MOULa;

IRC is where I go when MOULa is down. CyanChat is where I go to remind myself where the IRC server is located.

CyanChat - Time to update?

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