Ok, so during the first episode of whale wars I wanted to live chat with the gCaptain members about the train wreck happening on my TV… so during episode 2 I enable a group chat but because we are all in different time zones it didn’t really work out.
So this week we paid a developer for a new feature we think you’re going to love… facebook style chat!! For those familiar with live chat on facebook just log-in and look at the bottom of this window to start chatting with friends (Note: users must be added to your friends lists to chat with them). For everyone else here is a quick FAQ…
What is it?
gCaptain chat is the an integrated inline chat script which works straight from the website. Increase interactivity by allowing users to chat with their friends and in-exchange get everyone more deeply involved in the community.
Options
Allows users to select their status- Available, Busy or Invisible. Users can set a custom status like “Gone to lunch”, “Be Right Back” and so on. Integrates with your existing buddy system to add new friends.
Buddy List
The buddy list is automatically arranged according to whether the user is online, busy or offline/invisible. Simple yet intuitive. The user can also Go Offline if he/she does not wish to be disturbed any more.
Chat Box
The inline chat box displays chat conversations. The text input area automatically expands as the user types a message. The chat box automatically scrolls down to new messages.
Alerts
Displays unobtrusive popups showing the number of unread messages. If the chat window is out of region, the alert is added to the arrow.
Auto-logout error
If the users’ session ends while chatting, CometChat will automatically signout and ensure that the user signs in again in order to chat.
Just to clarify you only see who is online with members who you are friends with, not anyone who is logged in. Some extra incentive to make friends I guess.
<table align=“center” border=“0” cellpadding=“6” cellspacing=“1” width=“100%”><tbody><tr><td class=“tcat”>Friends and Contacts</td> </tr> <tr> <td class=“alt1”>What is the difference between a friend and a contact?
A friendship is a mutual, two-way relationship between two users. It is initiated by one user and accepted by the other.
A contact is a one-way friendship. This could be where the other person does not accept the friendship, a friendship request is pending, or you do not wish to be friends at this time but want to show them as a contact only. Where is list of friends and contacts displayed?
Your friends and contacts are displayed on the ‘Contacts and Friends’ page in your User CP. Your friends are also displayed in your profile page. How can I request a friend, accept a friend or break a friendship?
There are two ways to request a friendship with someone.
The easiest way is to view the profile page of the person you want to become friends with and click the ‘Befriend’ link.
The other way is to add the person to your contacts first. Then from your ‘Contacts and Friends’ page ask to be their friend by checking the box next to their name labelled ‘Friend’. Next, save the page.
If you know the username of the person you want to be friends with you can send a friend request using the box provided and clicking ‘Add Friend’.
To accept a friend, go to your ‘Contacts and Friends’ page. At the bottom of the page you will see a list of pending requests. Check the box for the requests you wish to accept then check the ‘Accept’ button and save the changes. If you do not wish to be friends then select ‘Reject’ instead.
Breaking a friendship can be done in three ways.
[ul]
[li]From your ‘Contacts and Friends’ page, uncheck the box for friend for the particular person and save the changes. If you no longer wish them to be a contact either, uncheck both boxes for that person.[/li][li]In your ‘Profile Page’, click ‘Friends’ and then click ‘Break Friendship’ next to the user’s name.[/li][li]In the other person’s profile, click ‘Friends’ then find your username and click ‘Break Friendship’.[/li][/ul]
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