Inspired by Santa Zulgh, I've set up a Carrion Fields group in Skype currently called "CF Skype Chat". You can't join Skype groups; you have to be invited. So, add my name: ajhuston2. In the add request, give me your forum handle and ask to be added to the CF skype group. New channel members can also invite other people to the chat.

This isn't exclusive; this is for the entire community. If the IMMs want, it's really easy to give them powers over the channel equal to the admins. I think for now standard rules apply: try not to share sensitive information in the Skype group, since this may become an "official" operation. If this is a problem for you, you can privately IM people in the chat, or even create your own group chat fairly easily.

If IMMs get involved, it can be used for round table type discussion with the staff. The idea is to offer an alternative to IRC that is newer, easier to use and moderate, more newbie-friendly, but not vet-unfriendly. Talk #### all you want; I don't care if you reveal your characters, that's your decision. However, while doing so remember that everyone in the CF community can potentially have access to the Skype chat AND can read messages sent while they're not online AND can participate in the chat even if their Skype status is invisible. The same problems with revealing your characters on Dio's apply.

As channel operator, I can also retroactively edit or delete messages. I will reserve the use of this power to special requests ("I was drunk and revealed my character") and to suppress information the staff doesn't want circulated, like wand locations.

Question, comments, discussion? Reply to thread or PM me. Hope you're all having a good weekend. :)

To download Skype: http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home

We've been having some sporadic discussions since it started, ranging from grassroots advertising and ranking speeds to IMMing and the Korean conflict.

As it stands, we have 23 users, 4 online right now. I'd love to see the staff get in on the chat, though. I think, while this is all-around a positive thing as it is, it'd be even better if it involved the entire community. So please, Staff members, let me know if you want in! I'll be giving admin access (I can't be online ALL the time) to staff members that join the chat. Please remember that my eventual, ideal goal is to make this a shared venture.

To join, simply download skype, create an account, and add my username "ajhuston2" to your contacts, letting me know who you are in the message. The next time I'm online, I'll approve your request and add you to the chat.

Hope everyone's having a good Monday, and I'll see you in the fields!

How would you feel if you found out Zulg sounded like he was huffing helium?

Audio is enabled, but I doubt anyone's ever going to use it. My experience is it's just in no way useful for this format of discussion.

It does, however, provide a good platform for people within the chat to voicechat privately with each other, should they choose.

A lot more useful than txt.

I've been specific that the sorts of things it would be useful for (OOC coordination between characters) aren't things we really want this channel used for.

I'm with you, serious discussions are better in text. And private coordination between characters has its own venue.

Fgjde