What's happened to the chat box?

Subject: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 18 Feb 98 - 10:35 PM

Is it gone for good (sob)? I don't see it up there. Barry

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 09:24 AM

well, I've always heard, 'if you don't use it, it'll atrophy'...

Tell us, Max!!

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Max
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 12:28 PM

The chat feature has been removed because of a possible memory leak in both the client and the server. Some folks have been having problems when using it for a long time. Pantleg, our java programmer, is booked up right now (because of me) but as soon as he frees up, we will have a new and improved chat program that is integrated with the rest of the forum, cookie and messaging system.

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 04:01 PM

when Pantleg is finished there, do you think he could do anything about MY memory leaks? I drink a lot of Java, but I just seem to forget stuff at a more frenetic pace...*wink*

anyway, nice to know, Max...thanx

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 09:43 PM

I hope the new chat system will work better--I tried many times to get on (Macintosh System 7.5/Netscape 3.0) and NEVER could get the thing to work for me.

Thank goodness I live in a community where if I want a folk chat, I just knock on the door of one of my neighbors. Usually, we have so many folk chats in real life that my time on-line is a chance to get away from it... :-)

Seriously, Max, the old chat software was unusable by me, though there have been other java-based web chat-rooms I've been able to get into.

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Gene E
Date: 19 Feb 98 - 11:32 PM

Memory leaks give me the blues but i really mis that bartender.

Gene E

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Feb 98 - 02:51 AM

Hey, Gene,
That was the problem - the bartender served only Java. Maybe we can get him to program the next one in Budweiser?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Helen
Date: 20 Feb 98 - 04:31 AM

Did you hear about the woodworm who went into a bar and asked "Is the bartender (bar tender) here?"

Sorry, couldn't resist. I could have tried telling that one to the Mudcat bartender but he (she?) wasn't good on chatting.

Helen

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Gene E
Date: 20 Feb 98 - 09:27 PM

Joe Offer,

Maybe the thing ought to be a Miller Chat room:}

Bar tender, I get it!!

Gene E

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Feb 98 - 10:21 PM

Hey, Max - it seemed what when I was in chat a long time, my hard drive would start grinding and grinding, and wouldn't stop until I rebooted my computer - even though I had completely logged off the Internet. It happened once when I was chatting with you last week or the week before. Is THAT the memory leak you're talking about? Why did it make my hard drive run like that - was it taking up all the memory from my swap file, or what? It sure was an interesting phenomenon - made my computer like it was acting in slow motion.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Shula
Date: 22 Feb 98 - 05:51 PM

Dear Max,

Never missed it. Couldn't type fast enough to keep my end up. Now, if you could work out a way for us to JAM instead of jaw online, THAT would be something to get tuned up about!

Sigh,

Shula

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Max
Date: 22 Feb 98 - 07:59 PM

Yes Joe, that WAS the memory leak. It just starts eating your RAM, then when its done with that it starts eating your swap file. It sounds bad, but the worst case scenerio is the slow motion you mentioned. We already have that fixed, and the chat will be back online in a couple of weeks.

And Shula, we have invested over $100,000 and a years work into Realtime Jamming online. So far, realtime jams is an impossibility. Simply the transmission and translation of signals creates a delay. We are experimenting with a one measure delay. For now the demo model of the new forum at least lets us share multimedia files. Check it out at http://www.onstagemedia.com/forum/threads.cfm. It should be online for the mudcat in a week or so. We are working in association (and racing against) an idea/product called BeatNick. I will share more info as it developes. Point is, we want to be the ones who invents it, and we are working very hard at it. Good thing for you is that if we do come up with it, the Mudcat will be the first place to use it.

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Feb 98 - 10:31 PM

if you go to the place Max has a link to...you can see an example of what it will be like!! WOW! (I've been playing..) I've almost figured how to make my own midis & .wavs....

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Shula
Date: 23 Feb 98 - 07:32 PM

Dear Max,

Incroyable!

REALLY???!!!!! No foolin'? Fair dinkum? Honor bright, Max?!!

Thawght I'ze jes' a'blowin' smoke. -- Lordy, what WILL ya'll young'uns be a'worryin' on nex'?!!

Kudos and curtseys,

Shula

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Bob Landry
Date: 23 Feb 98 - 11:05 PM

Great Stuff, Max! It looks like I'm going to have to become Midi-literate.

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 25 Feb 98 - 11:08 PM

Descarte goes into a bar. Bartender asks him, "Would you like a beer?" He answers, "I think not!" And he disappeared!

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: GaryD
Date: 25 Feb 98 - 11:35 PM

Another Doctor/Bar Joke!.. A doctor always stops after work every evening to unwind at his local bar. He always orders just a Daiquiri.. One day he comes in & says, "Joe, I'll have the usual." The bartender pours the drink & starts to walk away. The doctor says, "Just a minute, Joe!... What is this at the bottom of my drink? That's not a Hazelnut!" Joe says, "Your right, Doc!..I was out of Hazelnuts, so I put a Hickory nut in there. That's sort of a "Hickory Daiquiri, Doc!" ...groan! I'm just a pun lovin' guy!

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From:
Date: 06 Mar 98 - 06:13 AM

Oh boy, what have I been missing. I was away down south in Tasmania during Feb. I was about to post a thread about what happened to the chat room when the brilliant idea struck me to do a forum search. What came up was Gene's Bar/doc joke.

Speaking of bar jokes:

Three turtles go into a bar and each orders a beer. Just when they are served it starts to rain outside. They draw straws to see who is to go out for the umbrella and the one who draws the short straw sets out. Hours go by and he doesn't return. They days go by and he still dosn't return. Finally a week goes by. One of the turtles still at the bar says to the other, "I wonder what has happened to him. Do think he will bring the umbrella?" The other one says "Nah, he probably won't come back, lets drink his beer." A voice from about half-way to the door says. "If you do, I won't get the umbrella!"

Murray

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Alice
Date: 06 Mar 98 - 09:06 AM

A piece of string goes into the bar and orders a beer. The bartender sais, "Get outta here, we don't serve drinks to the likes of you!" So, the string goes outside, ties a knot in the top end, frizzes up the top part like hair, and goes back into the bar to order a beer. The bartender says, "Hey, aren't you that piece of string that was just in here?" and the string says, "I'm a frayed knot."

I'm with Charlie on the old chat box. Never worked for me (System 7 Mac, Netscape 3).

Alice

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Whippoorwill
Date: 06 Mar 98 - 11:30 AM

Proof once again that there are no new jokes. And for further proof, may I contribute:

A lady of the evening walked into a bar with a duck on a leash. The bartender says, "Hey! What are you doin', comin' in here with that pig?"
The hooker says, "It's not a pig, stupid, it's a duck."
To which the bartender replies, "I was talkin' to the duck."

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: therapon
Date: 06 Mar 98 - 08:15 PM

Why did the second penguin walk into the bar?

I don't know. You'd've thought he would've seen the first penguin hit his head on it.

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: GaryD
Date: 07 Mar 98 - 12:05 AM

Love the jokes.. doesn't take much prodding to get others.. But, first some questions: Shula, what does Fair Dinkum mean? Heard the expression, but unsure of the context. Also, Alice & Charlie: See you have Mac's too, I tried to send message to Charlie and see if he is able to get sound & midi files from his mac., but computer crashes in the personal page, like the memory prob with the chat room..Is that related? Alan converted stuff to midi files for IBM & I've been trying to hear on my Mac..Any of you MacIntypes solve the problems? I did just download Netscape Gold from Mac Archives & I am picking up melodies off DT now, but after the song plays, Netscape crashes & asks for a restart. Something about a floating point error. My joke for the night..."Soaring with Eagles is Ok, I guess, but if you associate with Weasels, you're less likely to get sucked into a jet engine!"..Good night, all...

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Mar 98 - 12:22 AM

Eliminate character from comedy and you get farce,----

Yeats

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Mar 98 - 12:26 AM

I should've said "farts"!! (see what Yeats meant??)

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From:
Date: 07 Mar 98 - 06:54 AM

Gary,

I also don't use a Dos/Windows platform either, so I can't use Barry's midi2txt. A posting from Alan seems to imply that the program soon won't be needed.

Here is what I do in the meantime.

Alan's program produces abc files as well as midi ones, and they usually apear under the text-ize midi ones.

I copy and paste the abc file into an editor and save it with a .abc extension. Being a pure text file, it causes no problems across platforms.

At the abc homepage

http://www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/

You will find a program that plays abc files. The one for my platform is very small and simple and will work with the most modest machine. One for the mac is appropriately called abc4mac. Anther, given this thread, is appropriately called BarFly. I think both are free.

The only thing to be careful of is that when you paste it tnto your editor (teachtext?) you must remove all blank spaces on the left as this usually confuses abc players.

I use the equivalent of this program to play the abc file I copied over.

There are theoretical disadvantages to this. Abc files cannot carry the information that midi files do, but for our purposes, it is pretty good.

By the way, the abc4mac homepage is interesting in itself. It contains links to Cape Breton songs in this format that can be played with the software.

Contact me by email if you need help or more details.

(I should have started this posting with "But seriously folks....")

Murray

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Alice
Date: 07 Mar 98 - 11:16 AM

Thanks, Murray, when I have time to play around with it, I'll see what I can accomplish.

alice

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 08 Mar 98 - 02:54 AM

To GaryD (And I hope Max reads this too!)

I've got one "active message" permanently stuck in my "inbox" and nothing I do can successfully remove it. There's no delete; the only option is to archive it. And everytime I've tried to do that, I get an error message. After a few dozen tries, I've given up, but I wonder if that message is clogging up my personal message box.

I have been able to download sound files to my mac, though not recently because of space problems--I've got limited RAM and not much space on my hard drive to exapnd my virtual memory. It's time to upgrade the computer, and one of these days, I'll find the money to do it.

--Charlie

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: GaryD
Date: 23 Mar 98 - 09:45 PM

Thanks Murray & Charlie..I'll give your suggestions a try when I have a bit more time..sorry to get back so late to you...I've been so swamped lately at work (I've been considering applying for legal residence there, & put a cot in the corner)...that I haven't been up to Mudcat for a while.

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Richard
Date: 24 Mar 98 - 11:11 AM

A horse walks into a bar and orders adrink. The bartender says, "So, why the long face?"

Richard

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: jodro
Date: 09 Dec 98 - 11:04 AM

does any one want to chat?

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Dec 98 - 12:58 PM

Hi, Jodro - we had a chat function here at Mudcat for a while, but it didn't work all that well. Several of us have found something called ICQ (I Seek You), which seems to be a good service for chats and instant messaging. Click here to take a look. There is no charge, and I haven't found any real problems with it. I haven't seen any increase in junk e-mail that might have been triggered by my use of ICQ.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Pete M
Date: 09 Dec 98 - 03:34 PM

Hi Joe,

like Shambles I downloaded the ICQ software on the recommendation of the fair Alison, but have found that trying to locate anyone on the basis of their nom de Mudcat is virtually impossible (I think I found you ??) The only definite hit I have so far is Big Mick who posted his ID, but time zones being what they are we never seem to coincide online. I think I'd stick to email and Mudcat messaging.

My ID is 25264983 by the way.

Pete M

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: alison
Date: 09 Dec 98 - 06:05 PM

Hi,

I have to admit... I'm a bit skeptical about leaving my ICQ number lying around here in the threads... but if anyone wants to contact me please send me a personal message.......

ICQ works well... and has an advantage which the old Mudcat chat didn't have. You can be chatting in the corner of the screen while still using Mudcat.

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: GUEST,omg how time does fly lol
Date: 17 May 10 - 08:57 AM

i came across this because it is now 2010 and i just thought what the heck happened to the chatbox? one of the first chat rooms in the 90's lol used to get on that in typing class in highschool lol. but how crazy r these threads from 98. how i do miss the 90's so much...music, t.v., the internet...hell pretty much everything was much better at the time all these messages were typed. man how time flys by.

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 May 10 - 10:13 AM

MudChat is still available - but to Signed in members only !

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: GUEST,Noreen
Date: 17 May 10 - 10:35 AM

Thanks for refreshing this- things have changed somewhat, apart from the jokes! :)

ICQ was revolutionary wasn't it!

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Bill D
Date: 17 May 10 - 05:48 PM

well, **I** frankly miss ICQ and the uses we made of it. All the clever progress since then seems not to have brought us closer.

Twitter? Facebook? They just don't have the same feel.

Subject: RE: What's happened to the chat box?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 May 10 - 06:49 PM

I am going to have a lurk in MudChat for a while !