Messaging: chat

Instant messaging

by Martin Dougiamas -
Number of replies: 12
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers
Someone did actually send me a hack a while back which gave everyone a private forum, but this didn't quite fit in with the way I think things will unfold.

Some of the components I have in mind are:

  • a page to read/manage personal messages
  • a list of "current" users that appears on course page (eg accessed in the last five minutes)
  • a quick way to send a message to anyone on the recent list (or anyone on the user list)
  • an efficient way to check the database on each page load for new incoming messages and then print a popup alert window (onLoad)
  • the popup window can allow a return message
  • a user preference to disable these popup windows if they aren't wanted
  • a user preference to direct all instant messages to email


That would do for a start ... I suppose later on there could be Jabber integration, email integration etc etc

There are also some problems with instant messaging, as it makes a lot of talk invisible. For example, this little discussion has occurred pretty quick, but it has the advantage of being on the permanent public record for others to see, in a structured way. If you'd instant messaged me then this would all be effectively invisible to others. So these issues need to be thought about in an educational sense so that communication is not too diffused - perhaps the GUI needs to restrict the size of instant messages or something.

Personally I can't see myself working on any of this until next year. Using ICQ or Yahoo on the side is an excellent way to provide similar functionality in the meantime.
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Instant messaging

by John McDermott -
What about something like jabber? There is at least one PHP client class and there are free servers for many platforms (although I have not seen one for the MAC).
Average of ratings: -
In reply to John McDermott

Re: Instant messaging

by Robert Lefebvre -

I played with a product called Groove while it was in beta that does a lot of what you all are discussing. It might be worthwhile to scan their site for ideas.

Groove Networks - About Us - Management - Ray Ozzie
Ray Ozzie Founder, Chairman & CEO Ray Ozzie founded Groove Networks in October
1997. ... Ray Ozzie's personal weblog may be found at http://www.ozzie.net/blog. ...
www.groove.net/about/rayozzie.html - 19k - Cached - Similar pages

OpenP2P.com: How Ray Ozzie Got His Groove Back [Oct. 24, 2000]
by Jon Udell 10/24/2000 Ray Ozzie, creator of Lotus Notes, founded
Groove Networks in 1997 to take groupware in a new direction. ...
www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2000/ 10/24/ozzie_interview.html - 32k - Sep 1, 2003 - Cached

I liked the peer to peer approach it uses, the blackboard feature you mention, instant messaging, and the ability to surf the net in unison (all of the group taken to the same pages at the same time). They kept raising the price as it developed, which priced it out of my application. Plus, as it developed it got more complicated(thus raising the learning curve).

Personnally, I think keeping the learning curve low is more important than the bells and whistles. Once a person is on board and moodling you then have a platform from which you can connect on. Then other or more advanced platforms can be integrated in as skill levels increase.

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Robert Lefebvre

Re: Instant messaging - Looking for Robert Lefebvre

by W Page -
Hi Robert!

I just visited the "Groove" site. Do you know if there is anything in Open Source that is close to or similar to "Groove".

WP1
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Instant messaging

by Timothy Takemoto -

While I agree that it could make some discussions disappear (if there were no log) I think that instant messaging that you mention above would be a great help, turning the whole site into a sort of chat room, or class room.

AND...just now while I was on Williams Castillo's site I saw that he has installed somethign called Crafty Syntax live help, on open source instant messaging system. Crafty SYntax LIve Help seems to have only come out about a month ago.
http://www.cslh.com/index.php
I had been looking for one of these to replace my chat room (which I rarely get to in time to) but until recently I think that there were only commercial systems that charged $20 or so per "seat" (helpher). It would be great if this open source live help were integrated into moodle. It seems that it it may be possible to do so out of the box as it were since the instant messaging functionality is, I believe, stand alone and it only requires that one inbed some html on the pages that one wants to monitor for visitors. Using Dzon's header hack one could add the html into the headers of course pages, or were ever else one wanted to check up on.  

I hope that Williams comes back to tell us more about how to use it.

Tim
Takemoto

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Timothy Takemoto

Re: Instant messaging

by Timothy Takemoto -
I have Crafty Syntax Live Help up and running on my server.
http://www.cslh.com/index.php
However it does not seem to be possible to add javascript into labels on the course pages (Am I right?! or just incompetant?) so it is not a completely breeze to integrate it with Moodle. I will have to use Mr. Dzons header additions I guess. That should not be too difficult but then if I want an icon for the live help, it will have to be displayed in the header.
Not such a problem. If I get it working I will report back.

But I recommend the software to anyone. Not anything on Moodle of course but superb. I suppose the main drawback is that it is using resources in the background.

Tim
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Timothy Takemoto

Re: Instant messaging

by Bernard Boucher -
Hi Timothy,
good software but seems to require lot of ressource. Maybe a small tuning may be helpfullwink

In header file the "department html" code works fine.

In Label you must use the html mode <>  to paste your code.

I hope it will be usefull,

Bernard

Attachment label1.jpg
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Bernard Boucher

Re: Instant messaging

by Timothy Takemoto -
Bernard,

Thanks for your response Bernard. I hope you are well.

Yes... resources are the problem, but for the most of the day I am not really using my computers recourses (Word, email and a browser or 10 on a 2.5 ghz 350 MB pentiumIV) so it did not seem to be that much of a problem to run it in the background. I am not sure what it would be like if I were to be monitoring 26 departements, or 26 course pages for visitors.

I did use the <> button to enter the code, and remembered to press it again before saving the entry into a label but I found that the help icon was not displayed on my page.

I presumed that was because the label includes some sort of code stripper, the way that the forum strips out the language of scriptl4anguage and turns it into scriptXXX. Perhaps I should ask over at the label forum. 

If I find time, I think that i will use it in the header using a small icon at the top of the page (just beneath my header).  

Thanks again,

Tim
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Timothy Takemoto

Re: Instant messaging

by Bernard Boucher -
Hi Timothy,
                   the label don't filter code as the forum does. ( students can't edit label ).

My previous post show a working screen shootcool.

You may test it at:

1) Log first ( as teacher/teacher ) at: and goto the live help  tab
http://206.167.134.157/moodle131/chat/live.php

2) Then log ( as student/student ) at

http://206.167.134.157/moodle131/course/view.php?id=4

and ask for help  ( not very fast wink )

Bye,

Bernard

p.s    If you log  ( as teacher/teacher ) at: http://206.167.134.157/moodle131/course/view.php?id=4  then you will be able to edit and see the label code.








Average of ratings: -
In reply to Bernard Boucher

Re: Instant messaging

by Timothy Takemoto -

Thanks Bernard,

I had a quick chat with myself. It works no problem. I guess that it would require a dedicated teacher to want to monitor a lot of courses in this way but... I think that it is the future. If one were doing online distance education it would a great way to make students feel the teachers presence.

Your code is much longer than the code that I was instering. Strange. Perhaps I need to include two of the code blocks mentioned on the html page. I have copied your code and will paste into it my url.

Cheers,

Tim
PS my cursort keeps changing to a cross of arrows. Is this some kind of virus?

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Instant messaging

by Nina Lyulkun -
Martin,
Last year, in this thread,  you mentioned  that you had  ''a quick way to send a message to anyone on the recent list (or anyone on the user list)'' in mind.  Have you realized this idea in the Moodle? I am interested in letting students/colleagues be able to invite a person on-line for communication in chat area instead of using Forum module in case the urgent issue.

Thank you.
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Nina Lyulkun

Re: Instant messaging

by Martin Dougiamas -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers
I have a pretty detailed plan in mind for the Instant Messaging system, yes, but implementing it just something else I need time, funding or volunteers for...
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Instant messaging

by Nina Lyulkun -
Well, that's good!  I  feel happy to get acquainted with Moodle thanks TESOL online courses. smile  Just working on creating a course of English for Ukrainian students using Moodle platform. I love it, thank you.  Though, I am only a teacher of English and  unable to help you. I can only use it and evaluate your efforts and job. Sorry. shy
Average of ratings: -