Autoit Support At Irc

[MadBoy]

I prefer EFNET myself.. although there's noone on #autoit

[GreatWest]

Two problems with IRC for support - first, the users need to know it's there. I've been fighting with a SQL issue through the forum for about a week now. Didn't have a clue there was even the possibility of an IRC live support available. See if you can get the board moderators to not just stick your post about the IRC at the top of the forums but also to add it to some part of the board where it'll always be visible. Such as Just under the AutoIt logo or next to the www.autoitscript.com at the top left of the screen. Add in the IRC channel there and you may get more participation.

The second problem is harder to deal with. I just don't have time nor interest to play around with IRC. I've done so in the past a few times but it seems that each time I join a channel, there's hardly anyone to no one there. Sitting in a channel for hours waiting for someone to join, then to find out they are like me, clueless about how to resolve the issue I'm facing, well that sort of makes the channel useless.

It's not that you have a bad idea because it's not bad at all. It's just that the forums seem to provide a more accessible support system. Simply, if it aint easy, they aint gonna use it. If the chat board could be built into the AutoIt website, well that would be great and might just work out better. Ton's of simple java scripts are available to do just what you're trying to do without the need for an IRC channel. I would really like something like that. I logon to the board and see that there are 14 AutoIt lunatics like me in chat mode, so I just click a hyperlink, up pops a window and I'm in chat with them. Quick, easy and it's where everyone's at already. No need to go open another application, connect, join the channel just to find no one is there. One other thing I failed to mention. My company blocks IRC traffic. Yes theres ways around that but here we go again with having to configure something. If the chat were built into the board there is no real configuration, its already taken care of.

I hope you don't give up on the idea of live support/chat. I just wish it were integrated into the website. I think it would work out much better or at least posted someplace that everyone sees it and knows it exists.

GW

[MadBoy]

I doubt chats on web are good solution. There's hardly any interest in that on a lot of technical pages. I wouldn't mind having channel on efnet as i am on efnet all the time but i know having code posted on forum makes it available for more then few ppl that are connected to irc. If you post your code on forum there's a chance that i t will get fixed sooner or later. On IRC you can just count that some big guru will join and help you but if not... your post is long gone when someone joins in seconds after your post

[Bokkie]

It's a nice concept in principle but here at work I am able to contribute and read what's in the forum. I could not and would not use any online session at work as such mechanisms are closed to us.

You have to consider time zone differences as well. I'm not sure if all the big guns would be available anyway.

I too say kill it. At least in the forums the content is available down the line and I can search for specific keywords I'm interested in. An online session and the knowledge base is lost when you disconnect.

My 2c worth.

[Confuzzled]

It's a nice concept in principle but here at work I am able to contribute and read what's in the forum. I could not and would not use any online session at work as such mechanisms are closed to us.

You have to consider time zone differences as well. I'm not sure if all the big guns would be available anyway.

I too say kill it. At least in the forums the content is available down the line and I can search for specific keywords I'm interested in. An online session and the knowledge base is lost when you disconnect.

My 2c worth.

Ah, this age of instant gratification!

Too true - the forums become a repository of knowledge and are searchable. Given that your thoughts are more persistent, you tend to consider them a little more before putting it in writing as well.

Bit like writing a letter compared to having a telephone conversation.