Chat coming, and we want your feedback

Update: Please provide feedback on how popping out chat should work, asked here.

If you've looked at the Ning product roadmap recently, you've noticed that some Chat improvements are on the way. We've started to work on Chat, and wanted to share what we have in mind and get Network Creators an early chance to share their feedback.

The biggest changes we have planned are:

Redesigning Chat in HTML and Javascript, instead of today's Flash-based chat. It will work on iPad, can be customized via CSS and will be translated in the language editor.
Redesigning Chat into separate "panes," whereas today's chat a single "pane". New private conversations appear as tabs within the Chat pane, instead of appearing as new panes.

Here is today's Flash-based chat:

And here's what Chat might look like (click on the image to see it bigger):

So, unlike today's chat, this new Chat format would mean that:

When someone starts a 1:1 conversation, the chat would instantly pop up (and pop open), so it would be very hard to miss.
You can talk in 1:1 conversations and in the main chat room at the same time (not possible without changing tabs today)

There's a lot to process in looking at this new design, and there have been a ton of discussions on Creators about Chat. We want your feedback, though, about the overall design and functionality.

A few of big questions have come up that we want to pose to you:

Do you think this new overall design works better than today's tabbed chat?
Would you be disappointed if this redesigned chat just existed in your network's footer, not in a module or full page as it does today?
Are you satisfied with the general size of the main chat window? Do you think you'd still need to pop it out in case the discussion becomes so active you need more screen real estate?
How important is being able to pop out the main chat room, or 1:1 conversations?
How do you feel about the sounds in chat? So long as users can turn sounds off, should a sound be played every time a new message is posted? Even when chat is minimized?

We'd love your feedback on these issues, as we start to develop chat. Down the road, we'll get into more specific feature additions, but for now, I'd like to keep this discussion focused on the big design/behavior issues I've raised above.

Thanks!

Tags: chat

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robert Philip Dean on October 17, 2011 at 9:33am

Patricia, not sure if you know, but you can add the TokBox Video/Voice chat to your network. While its not in the GROUP Chat, I put it on mine for members to talk/video with each other and it seems to work fine.

Permalink Reply by Patricia NYC on October 17, 2011 at 9:38am

thanks robert. i have the blendapps. video /voice - was just hoping for something built in to the network. is your site open to all? can you share it? Id love to ck it out.

thanks. Pat

Permalink Reply by Robert Philip Dean on October 17, 2011 at 10:12am

We haven't fully launched/promoted the site yet as I'm still working on some aspect, but you can log in using the tour member log-in:

spotthedog007@comcast.net

P/W: guest1776

There are several options under the navigation TABS that include additional options. As well, would love your feedback on the site so far. Thanks. Semper Fi ~ Rob

Permalink Reply by Cisco on October 17, 2011 at 1:11pm

Fantastic!! Thanks Ning! A much needed product for my site.

Permalink Reply by Gemma Kirkby on October 17, 2011 at 1:46pm

Do you have to be friends to talk to people on the network? Its just Im an admin on a roleplaying site, and have a lot of people who dont add us as their friends and group chat is needed.

Permalink Reply by Robert Philip Dean on October 17, 2011 at 2:17pm

Depends on how you have the groups privacy settings adjusted. I have mine so that only people who are friends can see comments, interact, chat, etc

Permalink Reply by Gemma Kirkby on October 18, 2011 at 2:14pm

Oh thats good, then cause we need that all members can talk to one another

Permalink Reply by Kemi on October 17, 2011 at 1:53pm

This is so great!!!!

Permalink Reply by Robert Philip Dean on October 17, 2011 at 2:21pm

Out of curiosity, being new and still evaluating this platform... is this something we will need to ADD to our site or will it automatically replace the existing chat platform? And I just GOTTA throw this in... PLEASE tell me they are working on increasing the 140 char limits to 500 or 750 char? PA--LEEEESE! LOL! Of all the features on various sites, I really enjoy the Ning network best by far except for that ONE LITTLE pesky issue. Semper Fi,

Rob

Permalink Reply by Rich Page on October 17, 2011 at 2:53pm

I am excited! Here is my feedback:

- Make it more obvious when someone has posted a message if the visitor has sound off. Currently the flashing icon is barely even noticeable, so replies don't occur that often, unless the user knows the chat is there (and many don't). Maybe flash the whole chat bar, or a much bigger part of it?

- Allow us to customize the size and wording of the chat bar, and also the color and size of the chat bar.

- Add more customizable options in the chat bar, in particular to include social sharing and networking options (like to share on facebook or join the fan page). wibiya.com toolbar has great options for this.

Thanks!

Rich

Permalink Reply by Chad Bruns on October 17, 2011 at 5:08pm

As a teacher, I would love an option to turn off private chat, at least during the school day as many students do that during class and I can't track it.

Permalink Reply by Phoukham Luangamath on October 17, 2011 at 8:10pm