Tom,

Is it possible to have a chat room on the site?

Brian

Great idea Brian then we can caht about things aswell as meet eachother

There is nothing to stop any of you setting up a chat room, as you have done already. It is not an area that I would personally wish to use or have anything to do with. there is currently no facility to do so within the Invision forum software.

My main concern is the security of the site and control over what is said and by whom, especially if it can be construed as being policy of the DPS. The charity comissioners do not take many prisoners you know. Then there is the problem of use by the younger element of our population and their vulnerability.

I will ask the Chairman and Secretary if they have any objections, or suggestions and let you know.

Thanks for asking Tom,

Please let me put some of your concerns at ease; I have successfully run a group on MSN for six and a half years for present and formers members of the Royal Mechanical & Electrical Engineers.

The chat room will be well moderated and anyone who stepped out of line would be reported to the Society.

If we are given the go ahead, a disclaimer will be added stating that the chat room is a place for members to meet but in know way is anything said there, the policy of the DPS.

We did note that there was no provision on Invision for a chat room, many of us have helped and spoke to each other via MSN and that is where the suggestion for a chat room arose. If given the go ahead, would it be possible to post a sticky on an appropriate message board with a date and time to meet to chat, again with a disclaimer for the DPS added in the post.

Brian

Just been chatting to JR and his good lady Jan who designs websites and Jan is willing to build a secure site; I will keep all posted on this and hopefully we will get the go ahead, as my of the members think that having a chat room will boost the membership numbers and help us to get to know and help each other better.

Brian

PS Thanks again Tom

Tom,

JR Abbott's wife Jan has designed a website with a chat room (private chat is blocked to protect young users)

It is JR's PhotoChat and the URL address is www.disabledphotographerschat.co.uk

We would be happy if you could show this to the Chair and Secretary and ask for their approval.

Regards,

Brian

Well you can not get into this forum unless I approve you, as some will testify.

I check out the email address that you all have to give and the IP address that it came from. If I have any doubts as to the validity I investigate further and require that person to explain why they want to join.

I am happy to say that most emails addys and IP's are obviously OK, but some are not.

We had one person join who claimed to be in the USA and the email and IP confirmed that. A few days later the IP shifted to somewhere in europe. The following week there was an unusual post from that person and the IP had moved to Beijing and then further into China. Now thats a very mobile disabled photographer or an individual out to cause trouble. They were banned and I have yet to recieve any further communication.

Most spammers are not that clever though as they use an address like info@onlinepharmacy.russia, I bet they have some interesting pictures to share!

Shirley, the Chair and Grover the secretary dont object in principle to the chat room that you propose. They like me are a little wary of them as they do have a bad reputation for being abused and for not being well moderated.

Please feel free to carry on and use it although we will wait and see how it goes before advertising it to the DPS membership as a whole, if at all.

Feel free to invite others from here by personal message and try to keep it secure.

Good luck.

Hi Tom,
My wife has been making websites for some years, she as made every effort to make this chatroom fully secure and i can assure that it will be run corectly.
It wil only be used by people from this site and on personal invertation for other chatroom users.
It is only for like minded member to chat and for some light relief and to be used as a meeting place. I think there is nothing to worry about as the people that will be using have been vetted by this site.

J.R