Regular times are a must, it's getting people into the habit as much as anything else.
Sorry about the queen rearing PH, I was asleep at the time and woke for a radio sked at 9pm (habit - the sked not the sleeping).
I suspect that as the season becomes busy the time for chat will be seriously impacted by other activities. It also means that valuable information becomes transitory and useful to a potentially very small audience that was able to make the sked.
If the chat room became very popular, then it would be at a cost to the remainder of the forum where information posted remains available for those that have the same question at a later date.
Sherwood seems to want it to be a source of great information, but patently has no love for CHAT about things that others enjoy, such as banging or shooting (or somesuch).
The members that are in the chatroom is listed on the bottom of the home page. If you need a banner to let you know, then it's time to visit the opticians.
If you want casual chat, then the chat room is appropriate. if you want to discus a specific subject, then choose or make a thread on the forum, because chat by it's very nature can turn on the smallest comment and head off in another direction. It is likely to be very confusing for some when there are multiple conversations taking place - and why not? Do you go to a separate room at a party to discuss separate subjects, or do you just talk normally while both you and your correspondent pay attention that little bit more and enjoy the cocktail party effect.
You can't have it all ways folks.
Nothing to stop you trying though. Just remember, that these things don't just happen, they happen because YOU persisted. Without YOU, there is no US.
