Idea on Chat

[Veiledal]

I was just thinking of an idea for the chat room on the site. This is just a suggestion but it if its used properly it could help with new topics being created that have already been answered. As well it could give life to the otherwise dead chat room.
If the chat was able to be on a separate tool bar such as facebook chat, where every member would be constantly on when logged in. This way if someone was to ask a quick simple question anyone online could give a quick response and thus not opening up another topic.
Anyways its just a suggestion. Thoughts?

 

[Scott]

In a word...No.

Because I get enough PM's, reports to mod, and posts in the forums that have been asked waaaaaaaay too many times.

People need to search and read, full stop.

 

[aesop081]

Thoughts?

HELL NO !!

Its enough with repetitive threads ( "I searched but those 100 threads arent like my situation....") and PMs ( yeah i know, you would think i dont have that problem, right ?) when locks come down. No need to add Facebook-like chat windows and popping sounds everytime someone decides that their situation is"unique" and need an answer "right now".

I think i would rather hump a piece of splintered balsa wood.

 

[Journeyman]

I agree. I too would rather CDN Aviator hump a piece of splintered balsa wood than be bothered with chat crises.  ;D

 

[Jager]

I agree. I too would rather CDN Aviator hump a piece of splintered balsa wood than be bothered with chat crises.  ;D

I'll be selling the Tickets for the CDN Aviator Show. $5 gets you admission, Snacks and beverages of your choice are available for a minimal fee.

 

[George Wallace]

I'll be selling the Tickets for the CDN Aviator Show. $5 gets you admission, Snacks and beverages of your choice are available for a minimal fee.

I take it Air Fare is on "our own Dime".

 

[Journeyman]

A form of the capability already exists if more new members with questions, AND knowledgeable people who care about recruiting/basic training issues could be convinced to simply log into chat regularly.

If it were to be an automatic log-in feature, Mike would have to include the ability to block that feature, much like the already-existing capability for updates to a thread to be 'blocked,' or particularly irritating people can be set to 'ignore.'

Personally, I don't think any of this is necessary (other than for the entertainment value vis-a-vis CDN Aviator/splinters  ;D ), because:

a) I don't often read recruiting/basic training threads so it's not my interest.

b) Don't discount how getting jacked-up for posting repetitive and/or dumb questions can be a useful exercise for some people -- a wake-up call, as you will, that this site doesn't cater to 14 year-old, illiterate, nintendo commandos; learning initiative and effort can be truly beneficial for some members of "Generation d'oh."

c) The downside of answering repetitive questions in chat, is that newbies cannot search the site for where the answers would have been posted.

 

[Jager]

I take it Air Fare is on "our own Dime".

Due to Aircanada and westjet wanting their money, they wont give away free seats ;-)

 

[Scott]

New users need to read, read, read and then read some more. Just because their answer isn't revealed in one thread doesn't mena another one doesn't contain it. Then they need to just suck it up and READ SOME MORE.

Problem is everyone hates being told to read more. They think their question is the single most pressing question on the site. This is a forum, right? So don't be a dink and answer my question! They do not have the (dis)advantage of having seen the bunfights and downward spiralling threads that result from the oft repeated questions and statements.

I've tried a new approach just recently...

Give the guidance and then tell them how the response will go. So, I send a message gently cautioning a person and also state that they can either, a) tell me to fuck right off, or, b) take some advice, suck back and relax...and perhaps turn around and become a valued member - hey, it happened with Journeyman

We ask our "seasoned" members to be patient, we will continue to. But everyone has a breaking point. I reached mine recently at the influx of "I am going to be a super duper JTF84 commando cause my grand daddy served in the Dumpster Division of the Baghdad Highlanders. But I try to remember that the newbie doesn't have the privelege of having been here before and suffered the insanity of the repetitiveness.

 

[Shamrock]

If the chat feature would be similar to the one in Facebook, where individuals need to befriend each other, and both members need to have their online status on, and both members have to have their chat feature enabled...

Why not just use a third party program?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Why not just use a third party program?

Why not just have all the people, that want all this extra stuff, take out Milnet Subscriptions http://army.ca/subscribe/ and help the Site Owner pay for all the stuff you want

 

[Shamrock]

No.

 

[GAP]

Well.........that solved that tiny credibility problem.....................

 

[Scott]

No.

Nice.

 

[agc]

If the chat feature would be similar to the one in Facebook, where individuals need to befriend each other, and both members need to have their online status on, and both members have to have their chat feature enabled...

Why not just use a third party program?

Such as facebook? 

 

[Shamrock]

If you can tell me how my suggestion to the OP to instead use either imposes further demand on Mike Bobbit or Army.CA resources, please do so.

I've made my objections to getting a subscription public.  This site is a fair resource, but it has become a clubhouse of assholes and egos.  Too often I see members (subscribers, DS, and nonsubscribers) mistake "USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION" as an insightful and helpful answer.  Too often I see individuals posting comments that are little more than snide little swipes that ultimately amount to bullying, either by senior members or DS.

For that reason, I chose not to contribute.

It can easily be said that these individuals who routinely fail the "asshole test" before pressing send are the vast minority.  I wouldn't argue that.  However, I simply do not want to contribute to an environment that gives these mouthpieces another medium to express their contempt for other people, their views, or their inexperience.

Take a stroll through the recruiting forum.  Here you will see a host of questions, many of them redundant.  Here you will see a recurring theme: a question simply answered, whose answer is clearly quite personally and immediately relevant to potential recruits.  We on this board can individually answer these questions with ease, and where we cannot, we remain silent.  Yet we continue to have a rash of non-answers to one of our most important resources: our recruiting pool.

And, yes, I do believe new recruits and even those filthy human beings known as applicants are worthy of our respect and knowledge.  To that end, I've taken the time to answer simple and even stupid questions in as patient a manner as I can  muster.  I put the effort in to welcoming these people because they are my replacements -- and I'd rather I be replaced by someone introduced through a spirit of mentorship and fostering.  While I do respect we need a healthy system of degradation, abuse, and neglect of our applicants and recruits, I do not want to contribute to this and I do not seek to do so over electronic media.

 

[Edward Campbell]

If you want a facebook "forum" on CF recruiting for those who are too shy to ask the recruiters or too lazy to read Arny.ca then why not start one of your own?

This, further complicating a well managed, well moderated forum, for the benefit of a small minority, characterized above as unlikely to be good soldiers (shy and lazy), is a silly idea.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

How about you start by put your screen name the right way up.......

 

[agc]

And, yes, I do believe new recruits and even those filthy human beings known as applicants are worthy of our respect and knowledge.  To that end, I've taken the time to answer simple and even stupid questions in as patient a manner as I can  muster.  I put the effort in to welcoming these people because they are my replacements -- and I'd rather I be replaced by someone introduced through a spirit of mentorship and fostering.  While I do respect we need a healthy system of degradation, abuse, and neglect of our applicants and recruits, I do not want to contribute to this and I do not seek to do so over electronic media.

Firstly, I apologize if I upset you with my earlier reply.  It was meant in jest.

These individuals deserve the same basic respect as anyone; beyond that they have to earn it.  It doesn't look to me like that can be accomplished here by posting the same questions that keep showing up over and over.

As for sharing the knowledge, I agree that we should pass on what we know, as long as it what we know is current and correct.  Perhaps the best way to do this would be if those of us in the know on certain subjects spent a bit of time in the wiki.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

If you can tell me how my suggestion to the OP to instead use either imposes further demand on Mike Bobbit or Army.CA resources, please do so.

I've made my objections to getting a subscription public.  This site is a fair resource, but it has become a clubhouse of assholes and egos.  Too often I see members (subscribers, DS, and nonsubscribers) mistake "USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION" as an insightful and helpful answer.  Too often I see individuals posting comments that are little more than snide little swipes that ultimately amount to bullying, either by senior members or DS.

For that reason, I chose not to contribute.

It can easily be said that these individuals who routinely fail the "asshole test" before pressing send are the vast minority.  I wouldn't argue that.  However, I simply do not want to contribute to an environment that gives these mouthpieces another medium to express their contempt for other people, their views, or their inexperience.

Take a stroll through the recruiting forum.  Here you will see a host of questions, many of them redundant.  Here you will see a recurring theme: a question simply answered, whose answer is clearly quite personally and immediately relevant to potential recruits.  We on this board can individually answer these questions with ease, and where we cannot, we remain silent.  Yet we continue to have a rash of non-answers to one of our most important resources: our recruiting pool.

And, yes, I do believe new recruits and even those filthy human beings known as applicants are worthy of our respect and knowledge.  To that end, I've taken the time to answer simple and even stupid questions in as patient a manner as I can  muster.  I put the effort in to welcoming these people because they are my replacements -- and I'd rather I be replaced by someone introduced through a spirit of mentorship and fostering.  While I do respect we need a healthy system of degradation, abuse, and neglect of our applicants and recruits, I do not want to contribute to this and I do not seek to do so over electronic media.

Count yourself in on the assholes & ego club