Virtual Audio Chat - Smoking Lounge

[MartinH]

I just had this idea, after my last post. Is there such a thing as a "virtual smoking lounge" where people can actually hang out, smoke, and voice chat with people?

I used to be an avid gamer, and we would use things such as TeamSpeak or Vimeo. There were actual separate rooms for different groups, and we could all voice chat. It was actually pretty cool.

Personally, being able to smoke my pipe, and hang out online with you guys sounds fun, as long as we could actually talk with each other. I don't think video chat is really possible yet, at least not across multiple machines, but audio chat is very much possible.

TeamSpeak offers hosted servers for about 50 bucks a year for a total of 15 people in the lounge at the same time. It's no as easy as Skype to setup, but it's not unduly complicated either. A server setup and software installation is in progress for my wife and a group she works with. It seems to be going pretty well.

There might be better prices out there, but I think you can go as high as 100 people online at the same time. That might be a little insane, but you could have separate discussion rooms for various topics of interest.

I'd be willing to flip the initial bill of 50 bucks so we could beta-test the thing, if anyone's interested.

Hmmmm.....

Oh, well. I'm just throwing it out there.

Martin

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

If you look at the bottom of the home page, you'll see a chat room. Nobody goes there, for whatever reason, probably because no one such as yourself is organizing it. But I bet if you invited people and set a time to be there yourself, you'd find takers.

Personally, having chatted in the Knox chatroom, it was a waste of time. Not much of any delight or importance was said; but you might feel differently.

 

[dshpipes]

I'd participate in this as an experiment if we could organize a time and the organizer came to the table with topics to discuss. Having someone to lead the conversation who could call to order, steer the conversation, and wrap things up would be helpful. I think that if we just set up a time to talk without a topic in mind or someone to lead we'd wind up hearing either a lot of dead air or a discussion about the weather. Just my thoughts.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I'd try it out, but I've learned that forums and chats (virtual or voice) just never catch on. Not sure why. Probably because here there's a level of "editing" involved so we can create a persona or poise that otherwise isn't retractable. Could be interesting, though.

I agree, part of it is organization. People gotta know when others will be on--kind of like going in to your favorite bar and finding your friends aren't there. 8)

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Useful PDF:

http://virtualsmokinglounge.com/resources/forms/pipe_tobacco_dossier_sheets.pdf


(Edit: I put this in the wrong post of Martin's... :lol: ...wheeee! No, I wasn't drunk...just dumb...)

 

[Boxerbuddy]

I think setting up an audio chat room through a ventrilo server is a great idea. I used to game too and we used ventrilo to coordinate raids and such...and just to shoot the shit with eachother.

I still pop in that server to see how all my old gaming buddies are doing. Its open all the time, and if i see someone i know i drop into that channel and talk with them.

I dont think its neccesary to have a mediator with topics and such....just have it open all the time and if you see someone you want to meet/shoot the shit/ask questions to...just drop into their channel and do it.

I think it would be a great addition to an already great forum.

 

[dshpipes]

I dont think its neccesary to have a mediator with topics and such....just have it open all the time and if you see someone you want to meet/shoot the shit/ask questions to...just drop into their channel and do it.

In the long run, I agree, but for folks who aren't accustomed to this type of thing the transition would probably be easier if we started out with something organized to break the ice. I'd probably feel a little hesitant to go from knowing folks only in text form to associating disembodied voices with them. Again, just my 2 cents.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

In the long run, I agree, but for folks who aren't accustomed to this type of thing the transition would probably be easier if we started out with something organized to break the ice. I'd probably feel a little hesitant to go from knowing folks only in text form to associating disembodied voices with them. Again, just my 2 cents.

Wuss. 8)

 

[dshpipes]

In the long run, I agree, but for folks who aren't accustomed to this type of thing the transition would probably be easier if we started out with something organized to break the ice. I'd probably feel a little hesitant to go from knowing folks only in text form to associating disembodied voices with them. Again, just my 2 cents.

Wuss. 8)

Bully.

 

[roogles]

I think setting up an audio chat room through a ventrilo server is a great idea. I used to game too and we used ventrilo to coordinate raids and such...and just to shoot the shit with eachother.

I think it would be a great addition to an already great forum.

I have a ventrillo account at typefrag that will host 10 ventrillo users at once.

I was a vent user for WoW and FPS gaming on and off for a while as well, just because some things (raids, sneaking up on the other team, etc) were easier and quicker with voice chat than in-game text chat.

I'd be willing to offer up my vent server info if someone wants to give the virtual chat a spin sometime. I'm not sure what we'd talk about, so I agree with the thoughts that having something or someone organize the "gathering" wouldn't be a bad idea for the first round or two...

So... when do we want to give this a go?

 

[Kyle Weiss]

In the long run, I agree, but for folks who aren't accustomed to this type of thing the transition would probably be easier if we started out with something organized to break the ice. I'd probably feel a little hesitant to go from knowing folks only in text form to associating disembodied voices with them. Again, just my 2 cents.

Wuss. 8)

Bully.

All your pipes are belong to Weiss, then!!! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

If we were to all talk, it'd have to be at a time when we're all likely home, and drinking (socializing is hard for a few of us...gotta use the social tonic)

8)

 

[dshpipes]

All your pipes are belong to Weiss, then!!! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

You wish, buddy.

 

[MartinH]

Since I opened pandora's box, I thought I'd reply. I would be interested in trying this, but with a 2 year old, I get very little "daddy time".

Maybe if we did it once a month? Let me try and figure out a time to do this, and see if I can figure out some topics. I'd be more than glad to host the thing, do the work, etc. but with my crazy, erratic schedule - I'm married to a symphony musician who doesn't know what a normal schedule is - I'll see what I can figure out.

I'll let you guys know in the next few days what I can do.

Martin

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I think maybe a Fri/Sat/Sun night might work, a lot of people are home, and there has to be an evening where time zones, family time, etc. can line up. 8)

 

[szyzk]

During the summer, a lot of cigar smokers will get together on various nights of the week to video chat using Google+. I've done it quite a few times, it's always nice!

 

[Boxerbuddy]

Lol I'm telling you...just leave it open. No forced subjects or guidelines....it will be cool.

 

[Lazarus Long]

1. bottom of the home page

2. Nobody goes there

3. whatever reason.

Yeah, bottom of the homepage. I remember seeing it once before, but I forgot about it because it was... at the bottom of the home page.

Makes me think of: "Out of side out of mind" or "Squeaky wheel gets the grease".

 

[Wet Dottle]

If you look at the bottom of the home page, you'll see a chat room. Nobody goes there, for whatever reason, probably because no one such as yourself is organizing it. But I bet if you invited people and set a time to be there yourself, you'd find takers.

In the earlier days of BoB, I used to enter the chat box and stay there while working on other things in the laptop. Nobody ever joined. Stopped doing it, eventually, and now I don't even look anymore.

 

[eggman]

I used to use the chat room at knox cigar all the time when it was open. I loved the weekly meetings. And learned a lot there more about other pipers than I did tobacco and pipes. But that is what it is about to me. I am all for it. If we need to chip in to help with the cost of the room I am game for that too.

kj4unx