Hysteria 56 Share Posted October 6, 2016 6 minutes ago, Morrigan said: With this, not all admins or members are on all of the time. I know that personally if I'm the only admin and I'm asleep I can't promise a hello. So does that affect your decision? Actually seeing someone on? I know that online lists also lie. If I refresh my page before I get up and go to bed it means I'm still gone. Honestly? It depends on how much I like the site and it's concept. Activity is awesome and I love seeing it, but I also love a really laid back and cared for site - finding one or the other is tricky and finding both is near impossible. If there's responses from a few hours ago I'm totally fine with waiting to get in touch with the community - but if the Cbox has been inactive for a period of weeks or months...I start getting wary. Though this all might be bias because of personal bad experiences with sites that had many inactive members, and the first telltale of that was what the members used to communicate with (Cbox). I guess if I were to really analyze my own opinion, I'd have to love the site's plot/creativity a lot to stay for a long amount of time just to see if it were active a few days later. This isn't closed off to just Cboxes either. For example, on one site they made it apparent that they were much more active on things like Skype and Discord, and left a Chat link stuck to the top of cbox for both guests and members to click and be a part of while on site. That alone was also something that felt inclusive. I guess what I really aim for is the assurance that the site won't be flakey and that the members/staff actually want to connect and help out each other. If anything just to say hey, we're here. Carry on. I'm not sure if that's asking too much, considering everyone has a life to live and all, but it is how I feel when I'm going into a site for the first time. I go there to collaborate, write, and get to know other writers. If I can't do any of that, I don't see a point in joining. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Morrigan 1,826 Author Admin Share Posted October 6, 2016 17 minutes ago, Hysteria said: For example, on one site they made it apparent that they were much more active on things like Skype and Discord, and left a Chat link stuck to the top of cbox for both guests and members to click and be a part of while on site. I actually prefer these a lot more. I actually get desktop notifications where a cBox is a sound (if it's enabled and if it's paid for). However I can see how it feels inclusive but since anyone can join I think the opposite. (We have a Discord Server here for example but still have the cBox). I was more curious to see how that worked for you. I know that a lot of the sites I make don't always have people actively posting in the cBox or whatever. I do, however, always make sure that the cBox gets tags posted to it. Because I'm a lot lazy. Profile set made by myself and original Artwork by Fae Merriman, my daughter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hysteria 56 Share Posted October 6, 2016 9 minutes ago, Morrigan said: I actually prefer these a lot more. I actually get desktop notifications where a cBox is a sound (if it's enabled and if it's paid for). However I can see how it feels inclusive but since anyone can join I think the opposite. (We have a Discord Server here for example but still have the cBox). I was more curious to see how that worked for you. I know that a lot of the sites I make don't always have people actively posting in the cBox or whatever. I do, however, always make sure that the cBox gets tags posted to it. Because I'm a lot lazy. Haha, yeah I probably should have clarified more. Expecting a site to be active-on-demand is probably not the most reliable way to find a good community. I stress the word "good". I've found overactive sites to be - like you said - less inclusive than smaller more laid back ones. I think that so long things are handled and members/guests are given a way to get in contact with each other and the staffers if need be, then overall cbox activity isn't needed so much if at all. One of my sites rarely posts in cbox but keeps a very, very active Discord (which gets scary after 12 am). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Morrigan 1,826 Author Admin Share Posted October 6, 2016 I think ALL discord chats get scary after 12AM @Hysteria 1 Profile set made by myself and original Artwork by Fae Merriman, my daughter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hysteria 56 Share Posted October 6, 2016 No doubt about that. I think one of my buddies summed it up well when they said something along the lines of, "I could be talking about the most in depth plot ever, but once twelve hits I'll go straight into teaching you how to hide a dead body." ...I'm hoping I never have to use his advice. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contributions Mod Mistress Of The Obvious 73 Contributions Mod Share Posted October 8, 2016 I have had some admins say hello to me when I was checking out the site, and I admit it bothered me. I was on one site as a member and the admin would do that once and a while and it was creepy. When I've joined boards, I look around and join. If I have questions for staff, I'll ask privately via a directory usually. It takes me a while to get comfortable, so sometimes I'm not big on the cbox. For my own site (open since the 25th of September officially), I'll say I'm available in the cbox and just be quiet. If a guest says, "Hello," I respond with, "Hi, Guest. Nice to meet you. Let me know if you have any questions." Then I go back to being silent. If they want a conversation, I'm happy to have one, otherwise, I just back off. I don't want to overwhelm them or make them think I'm desperate or something. I'm a believer in letting my product speak for me, so to speak, but being friendly and open as well. Also, when I'm ready to go off or go to bed, I'll say something in the cbox to let any guests know. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VirusZero 176 Share Posted October 8, 2016 The thing is that some people might like being greeted in the chatbox. But it's pretty much a lose-lose situation. I mean if you greet someone and they don't like it, they're put off and more likely to leave. If you don't greet someone and they do like it, then they feel alienated and are more likely to leave. And there's no way to know which guest will respond which way. So it's a lot easier to just pick one method and stick with it. Though, personally, I'll admit I'm not really fond of seeing a lot of "Hi Guest, how are you" sitting in the chatbox. It can come off seeming desperate and perhaps a bit panicky. Which for a new site doesn't look good. I'm also not really fond of seeing messages like "join us in skype or discord" simply because I don't like to boot up those programs at times (or I can't, like when I'm at work) because then it kind of takes the focus off the site. 3 "There are three sides to every story... Your side, their side, and then somewhere in the middle is the truth." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyn 52 Share Posted October 9, 2016 I'm another who says hi when someone pops into the chat to look around, but we were also hounded by spam so you have to register to chat in our box. This at least seems to weed out those who genuinely want to learn more from those who are just lurking, so that's nice. Find me on my sites! The Next Incantation :: The Last Island Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arceus 1,082 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Is this a bot or not Pro-tip: if you've got cbox.ws and it's premium, with the user count on, watch your user count. Legitimate users will raise that number. 99% of bots will not. I've only ever seen one bot raise it. I'm actually really bad about not saying anything in cbox at all. Lol I used to be that one that never freakin shuts up, but more recently, I spend more time chatting with friends in Skype than on the board using the cbox. So we actually miss people in them a lot, and that probably doesn't look good. We do answer some time later, but you know, life happens; I'm just kind of, if you can't see anyone on the online list, and we're not actively using it, you're probably not going to get a response, why are you like this. Lol I've never spoken to a guest in the cbox unless they say something first, because I know a lot more people that say that'd freak them out than those that say they want to be greeted before they say hi. So, I just assume if they say nothing then, oh well. As a guestiefish myself, I'll look around first and if I get interested, I'll say hi. That's usually the first thing I do after the important stuff ( rules and whatnot ). If you say hi to me before I'm ready, that's cool, I just won't respond right off. So I'm basically a whatever type I guess. lol If your guests don't tend to answer you, it's not really in your best interest to keep saying hi to them, though, because a cbox full of "HI GUESTS!" is really unattractive somehow. ... desperate-looking I guess, idk. Maybe a corner of my brain goes, Yes, they can read the old ones. And then my inner retail cashier kicks in and I laugh... and laugh... and laugh... 4 I am the darkness, always watching, always listening, ALWAYS THERE. (If you're interested in Plain of Ice, message me, it's private. Bleach site, non-canon.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop 172 Share Posted October 13, 2016 We use Slack, though I am curious about this Discord I keep hearing about so our cbox is for guests only. Most of the time someone is always on to help, but that box is really just there for you the guest and help you may need making a character! 1 "Everyone has been doing so much soul searching during all of this, and I'm just over here drawing pics of my character's dicks." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CovertSphinx 710 Share Posted October 13, 2016 On 10/9/2016 at 5:11 PM, Arceus said: And then my inner retail cashier kicks in and I laugh... and laugh... and laugh... I think you just summed up the internet as a whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robmin 10 Share Posted November 18, 2016 I used to greet every guest I noticed. Now when I login I'll post a general "hi everyone!" and leave it to people to respond. I also mention when I'm disappearing off out as its a new site so that way I can make sure guests know "oh okay no one else may be around" etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josie 198 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Unless I see the guest actually posting on the site in a help area, for example, then I don't say hi to guests in the cbox unless they say hi first. As a guest, it personally makes me feel like I'm expected to engage in a conversation with them when I might not really... want to. If I am on a site and they post "Hi guest!" in the cbox, I have occasionally popped in to say hi, but usually when that happens I'm just stopping by to drop and ad or affiliate with them, so... they end up not being too interested in conversing anyway. xD 2 WANTED: flamboyantly rich & famous family members, workers for a creepy foundation, & an AI handler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamf 11 Share Posted July 14, 2017 I'm a notorious lurker. I just like to read and see what's going on. I personally don't like being caught lurking! LMAO When I see "hey guest(s)!" in the cbox it creeps me out! I wondered if it was something I should do, but I didn't like it - I really don't know why. It's like being caught being a peeping tom! "Hi... I was just... um reading your stuff... looks pretty. Nice story... ummmmm.... okay.... byesssss!" LOL I don't say hello to guests without them interacting in the cbox first. I do have staff members and members that will occasionally say "Hello guests!" or some version of that. I don't know. It's like being caught with your hand inside the cookie jar! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zahhy 130 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Some of my members get really excited and shout out to guests too. I have it set so our Cbox is closed when entering, so unless you're already creeping in the Cbox you won't see the shout out until you click to view the Cbox. I get the feeling though of being jumped so I usually don't call out our guests unless they comment first. We get SO MANY guests I would be tiring myself out if I jumped to say hello every time I saw someone lurking. That sounds tiresome. Honestly - like a few others here - I just leave it alone until someone messages me or asks a question. My members are usually faster about responding right away, and I maintain a very transparent Admin style so what I know - they know (unless it is special competition info and that's secret!). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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